Moving Abroad From India: The Consular & Paperwork Checklist

Before you leave India

• Passport validity. Renew if under two to three years remain — it’s usually faster in India than abroad.
• Apostille or attest your degrees and transcripts if you’ll need them for jobs or licensing. State verification is far easier while you’re in India. See attestation & apostille.
• Get a police clearance if your visa or future PR application will need one.
• Personal documents — birth and marriage certificates, ideally apostilled.
• Aadhaar and PAN — make sure details match your passport exactly, and that your mobile number is one you’ll keep.
• Driving licence — get an International Driving Permit and keep your Indian licence valid.
• Scan everything into secure cloud storage with clear file names.

In your first month abroad

• Register with the Indian mission if it offers a registration portal for nationals — it helps in emergencies.
• Change your bank status to NRI and move to NRE/NRO accounts as required.
• Note your mission’s jurisdiction and application centre in the consulate finder.
• Save the mission’s 24×7 emergency number.

Every year

• Check passport expiry — start a re-issue around a year out.
• Pensioners: submit your life certificate before your bank’s deadline.
• Keep your overseas elector registration (Form 6A) up to date if you want to vote.

If you take another citizenship

Your Indian citizenship ends automatically. Stop using the Indian passport, get your surrender certificate, and then apply for an OCI. The full sequence is in this guide.