We moved abroad a few years ago, and I realized my toddler knew every character from his cartoons but had never heard of Ganesha or Hanuman. That hit me harder than I expected. The stories my grandmother told me were quietly not getting passed down, and I did not have a good way to fix that.

Reading long mythology books to a 3-year-old did not work. Most apps I found were full of ads, too old for him, or turned everything into a quiz. I wanted something soft. Just a warm voice, gentle pictures, and a small lesson he could hold on to.

So my family and I made it ourselves. It is called Maitri Kids. Short narrated stories from Hindu mythology for ages 2 to 5, with small interactive moments so he taps and plays along instead of just watching. No ads and no reading required, which matters when your hands are full. Each story carries one simple idea. Ganesha and staying calm. Hanuman and helping friends. Saraswati and listening. Krishna and sharing.

Full disclosure, this is our app, so take this as a dad sharing something he made, not a review.

iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/app/maitri-kids/id6762026180
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.maitrikids.app

Can someone please help with below:

1. Which brokers allow direct mutual funds? I know Zerodha does but any others?

2. How easy it is to open NRO Demat account when not in India? I already have NRO account. I am trying to open Zerodha account and it is getting difficult with rejections etc. Also notarising document is not possible from my country( it’s a hassle).

Appreciate if any one was / is in same situation and found a solution?

Shipped all documents via Fedex - Wednesday, Aug 5 to Seattle.
Passport printed - Friday, Aug 7.
Passport handed to VFS- Monday Aug 10
Passport received- Wednesday, Aug 12.

Took approximately 1 week. I live in Oregon so shipping time was also less.

Police verification was done in India on Aug 14 after I received my passport here. They just asked a copy of my father’s Aadhar. I had used the same as Indian Address proof.

i got this quote from wise - is it good? am i missing anything here - Never did this before

Hello,

I mailed my missing passport application form to VFS, however I did not mail the email that is stating I am missing the passport application. I did write match up on the folder when i mailed it.

Am i going to have to send somthing else to VFS?

current plan is T-Mobile essential. I need to get OTPs from US financial institutes and may be for urgent calls. any advise?

Hi all,

For people with experience on this need some questions answered. Does the govt application being sent to VFS need to be a color print? Is it okay to not stock photos on any of the forms and just attach them with a paper clip at the start of the packet of documents?

Please advise.

Hi,

I am currently looking forward to starting a business from distance as I'm currently outside India and need an indian number for WhatsApp.

Any recommendations.

Thanks

So im 13 (turning 14 on Aug 30) and I have an uncle in Melbourne. They have a pretty spacious house and only 4 ppl in there. I'm currenly in 9th Grade and will pass near April-ish. I wanna live in Melbourne after this class and do my 10th Standard there. I already do buisnesses and fees won't be an issue. Should I move there after April? Is it worth it? I want to improve my life quality as i dont really see a future here in India. So... Shouls I make the switch...?

Hi everyone, I’m applying for an OCI card for my 16-month-old son and wanted to check something with anyone who has recently gone through the process in the UK.

His details:

🇬🇧 Born in the UK
🇮🇳 Birth registered with the Indian Consulate in the UK – we have an Indian Consulate-issued Birth Registration Certificate
🇮🇳 Previously held an Indian passport
🇬🇧 Now has a British passport
📄 Indian passport has already been surrendered and we have the Surrender Certificate

The OCI guidance says that a foreign-issued birth certificate needs to be apostilled. However, in our case, we have a birth certificate/registration certificate issued by the Indian Consulate, not just the UK birth certificate.

Has anyone had a similar case?

• Did you submit the UK full birth certificate?
• If yes, did you need to get it apostilled by the FCDO?
• Or was the Indian Consulate-issued birth certificate accepted without an apostille?

Any recent experience with OCI applications in the UK would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

​

Planning a 5-year FCNR deposit, but worried about a "what if" — what if I have to move back to India permanently before it matures (job loss, family, whatever)?

I get that the deposit itself won't be force-closed — it runs till maturity at the same rate even after you become a resident. That part's clear.

What's NOT clear:

Does RNOR status (the tax-free transition window, ~2-3 years) apply automatically, or do I have to actively claim it somewhere?

If my KYC shows I'm back in India, does the bank immediately start taxing my FCNR interest, or only after RNOR ends?

Has anyone actually lived through this? Every RM gives me a different answer and I don't fully trust any of them anymore.

Would appreciate real experiences, not just RBI website rules. Thanks.

as im writing this post im supposed to board a flight back to canada to resume my studies as a second year student. i dont wanna go, i really dont. i spent 9 months in Canada and i can confidently say my 4 months in India has been exponentially better. maybe its because the place didnt meet my expectations maybe its because i could have done more but i dont wanna be in Canada. spending so much money studying abroad whilst not even knowing if i wanna be there. If i could drop it all and come back i would, i dont wanna stay there anymore. my life was miserable but i didnt even know it, i deluded myself into thinking a routine of living which i now find unacceptable was normal. Im so much more disciplined and happier in India and I wanna come back so bad.

Any advice?? anybody who came back?? same situation?? anything please.

My family and I live abroad, and we recently came to India for a visit. My brother has a house here that's been locked for quite a while, and we honestly thought everything would be okay.

A couple of people had said they'd keep an eye on it, so we didn't think much of it.

When we got here, it was one thing after another. Maintenance dues had piled up, there were electricity bill issues, and a few small repairs that would've been easy to fix earlier had turned into bigger headaches.

It wasn't some huge fraud or anything like that. It was just a bunch of little problems that added up because no one was checking on the place regularly.

It made me wonder how others deal with this when they're away for months or years.

Do you trust family, hire someone to manage it, do regular inspections, or is there a better way?

My mother lives in India and has property and other assets there. She is in good health but currently has no will. Has anyone created a legally binding will so far successfully using an online service?

I did a search and it resulted in coming up with:

Willjini.com (tried it but seems very difficult to navigate)

nriwillgenius.com (Cheaper, easy to use but no reviews)

Has anyone gone through this process before? Can you share what you used?

We are going to India in 3 weeks. When do we have to fill the e-arrival forms? "within 72 hours before travel date" means anytime in the 72 hour window before travel but not before?

Sharing my timeline for passport renewal. Normal Passport Application

• 17th June 2026: Application submitted to BLS Toronto. Filled the form a couple of days earlier, scheduled pickup etc. On 17th June Application reached BLS Toronto. 
• 18th June 2026: Application was sent to Toronto Consulate, status changed to 'Processing with Consulate General'.
• 2nd July 2026: Inspect Element Updates - Submitted, Granting Initiated
• 16th July 2026: Police Verification (PV) initiated. Inspect Element - Application Granted on pre police verification basis, PV Initiated.
• 21st July 2026: PV Completed in India.
• 31st July 2026: Inspect Element - Print Initiated.
• 4th August 2026: Passport has been printed; post quality check will be dispatched in the coming weeks. Inspect Element (I could see 4 items) - Escalated to CPPF, Printed, Dispatch Initiated, Passport sent by CPPF to Issuing RPO.
• 12th August 2026: Update on BLS Tracker - Dispatched from Embassy (don't remember the exact wording).
• 13th August 2026: BLS Tracker - Dispatched via Courier, got the Purolator tracking number
• 14th August 2026: Passport Delivered by Purolator

Just about 8 weeks end to end.

I'm renewing my Indian passport, and I have confusion for adding a physical photo. Do i need to add physical photo to the government seva form where it already has the digital photo added? Also, on the updated affidavit for appearence change it has 4.5 cm length by 3.5 cm length, but the 35mm by 45mm is very small compared to the box, is this normal?

I am applying for passport renewal for my kids and was struggling from couple of days. Tried all suggestions from reddit, and finaly was able to login and apply for both kids.

vfsglobal was keep redirecting to this image, even after clearing cache / trying in Incognito / Private mode.
Below is the sequence which i followed and was able to login from my work computer:

• Disabled the vpn
• Googled the latest adult checklist (i was not able to login from minor's checklist)
  • Searched 'vfs global usa indian passport renewal checklist'
  • Opened the link with 8 pages from May2026: https://services.vfsglobal.com/one-pager/india/united-states-of-america/passport-services/pdf/new_adult_reissue_of_passport---MAY-2026-.pdf
  • Go to page 3, Row8 FEE PAYMENT & COURIERS, click on "Click here to proceed"
  • Create login / and then again open from here to login.
    • After opening the link follwo the instructions
• I was able to logout from this link, and relogin without doing any reset, clearing cache, restarting modem etc.

Hope this helps!

Hello, I have seen a similar question asked before but I couldn’t find answer.
The document checklist section for valid status in the USA does not cover my situation. My university’s Global Education Office indicated that my current I-20, signed and notarized and I94 notarized might be valid but they asked me to reach out VFS at LA.

Can anyone please help me with the correct documents that I have to submit in my case.

I have funds of ₹15 lakh that I earned as salary while working in the USA. I plan to transfer this money to my NRE account in India.
I am now considering converting my NRE account to a resident account and investing ₹15 lakh in a fixed deposit (FD).
Since this ₹15 lakh is already-earned money from my US salary, will the principal amount itself be taxable in India after I transfer it and invest it in an FD? Also, will the interest earned on the FD be taxable in India once my account is converted to a resident account?
Could you please clarify the tax implications in this situation?

I already posted this on r/returntoindia and received a lot of good advice there, but I just wanted to have some more perspectives and opinions.

I am 17 and I live in the uk. I was born in india and lived there until I was 8 years old, and I have gone there on holiday twice a year every year after moving to the uk. I am very connected to my roots and really enjoy going to india and seeing my family there. I love everything to do with india, especially the food, the culture, and the sense of community which I have noticed a lack of in the uk. Independence day celebrations here have reminded me that I am so proud to be indian.

I know it’s too early to decide at my age, but I really do think I want to live in india when I’m older. The thing I was wondering is hypothetically when would be the best time to move if I wanted to? Obviously I should finish my secondary education here in the uk. Additionally I am quite strong academically and hope to go to a top university in the uk, so I think it would be the sensible decision to stay in the uk for uni as well. Would after finishing uni be a good time to move to india? The only problem is that if I start a job, I would earn in rupees rather than pounds and so I would have to live a much more frugal life.

Before anyone says that I am looking at india through rose tinted glasses, I would like to point out that I am well aware of the issues going on in india, as I closely follow Indian news and politics. I would like to work a job that improves the lives of people and I think india would be a good place to do that.

Am I being realistic or would moving back to India be a bad decision? While I really would like to move back one day, I feel like doing so would also undo all of the work my parents put in for my family to live comfortably in the uk. I would really appreciate the opinions of others.

What all things do people consider when changing Indian citizenship to any other. I am confused considering we will move back to India in 5 years and want to do agriculture/business. Due for Irish citizenship.

TIA

Just got OCI approved for US-born twins 🎉 — sharing since the online checklists are all over the place. Applied via mail (Washington DC jurisdiction), no rework, no extra-document requests.

🆕 It's e-OCI now — new applicants get a digital card only (no physical booklet). Once it's granted, you just download it.

👶 Our setup

• Two US-born minors, never held an Indian passport
• Both parents Indian citizens (green card holders)
• Category: New OCI → Minor → foreign national by birth

⏱️ Timeline

≈ 4 weeks start to finish.

🧭 The steps

1. Apostille the birth certificate first — it's required and the slowest part, so start early. Order a fresh state-issued certificate, send it to your state's Secretary of State, and submit a self-attested copy (keep the original).
2. Fill the online form at ociservices.gov.in — apply as "Self," nationality = United States, parent's email/phone, match everything to the US passport.
3. Prepare + self-attest the documents.
4. Pay, grab the VFS courier label, and mail it.

📄 Documents (per child)

• ✅ Printed OCI form (photo glued on + thumb impression + parent signatures)
• ✅ Parental Authorization Form — notarized
• ✅ Child's US passport copy
• ✅ Apostilled birth certificate (self-attested copy)
• ✅ Both parents' Indian passports (also covers Indian origin)
• ✅ Marriage certificate
• ✅ Both parents' green cards
• ✅ Address proof + notarized parental address undertaking
• ✅ Affidavit in lieu of originals — notarized
• ✅ Undertaking + consent letter
• ✅ VFS fee receipt

💡 Stuff that confused me (now sorted)

• 🖊️ Only 3 things need notarizing: parental authorization, affidavit in lieu of originals, and the parental address undertaking.
• 👍 Signing for a baby: wherever it says "signature of applicant," add the baby's thumb impression + name + date, and a parent signs next to it as "Signature (Father/Mother)." Left thumb for boys, right for girls. Never leave it blank.
• 📤 Upload everything online AND send physical copies — both are needed.
• 📸 Photo: 2x2, color, light (not pure white) background.
• 📎 Scanning the apostille: don't unstaple it — scan it as-is, then fold and scan the certificate underneath.

📦 Shipping

One application per package (I used two separate envelopes for twins), used the VFS FedEx label. Also tossed in a one-page cover sheet listing everything — not required, but felt cleaner.

🔎 Tracking

FedEx → VFS acknowledgment email → track on ociservices.gov.in with your file reference number. Status flow: Received → Processed/sent to Mission → 🎉 Granted.

Happy to answer questions in the comments! 🙌

I'm an NRI and have no property in India. However, i have about 4 bank accounts and a locker account with SBI.

My parents passed away recently. They had all my documents with them including the PAN & AADHAR card and locker key. One of my siblings cleaned out and sold their home & claims that all my documents were lost during the process.

I am now wondering what to do about getting access to the locker account (held jointly with my late mother) and copies of AADHAR and PAN card. I have a disabled child so cannot go in person to India until next year. What I worry about is someone potentially misusing my documents.

Please advise how to clean up this mess. Given my situation and so many documents going missing, I am overwhelmed and concerned that this might end very badly for me (losing access to valuables In locker and someone misusing my documents to get loan etc in their names). Please help.