NORKA Pravasi ID card for Keralites in the UAE and the Gulf: eligibility, documents, cover and renewal

What the card is for

NORKA Roots describes the Pravasi ID card as a single point of contact between a non-resident Keralite and the Kerala government, and as a multi-purpose photo identity card that gives the holder access to the services NORKA Roots offers now and later. In practice, three things make it worth having for someone working in the Gulf. First, it includes personal accident insurance at no extra premium. Second, NORKA's new ID portal links its NORKA Care Plus health scheme to holding a valid NORKA identity card, and says members who join with one stay covered even after they move back to Kerala. Third, an expired NORKA ID card is one of the accepted proofs of return when you later apply for the Returnee ID card. The card does not replace your passport, your residence permit or any document issued by the country you live in.

• NORKA Roots runs four related cards on the same portal: the Pravasi ID card for Keralites abroad, the Student ID card for Keralite students abroad, the NRK ID card for Keralites living in other Indian states, and the Returnee ID card for people who have come back for good.
• The Pravasi ID card is the one meant for workers and residents in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain.

Who is eligible

NORKA's ID card page sets two conditions for the Pravasi ID card: you must be between 18 and 70 years old, and you must be living or working abroad with a valid passport and a visa that is valid for at least six months. The FAQ repeats the age floor of 18 and the six-month visa rule. Because the rule is about the visa, a short visit visa is unlikely to meet it, and the card is aimed at people who are actually resident abroad. Students follow a separate route. The Student ID card was launched in April 2020 for Malayali students who have completed admission and are studying abroad; they must be at least 18 and upload proof of study or admission instead of a work visa. The new portal states the same accident cover for students as for the Pravasi ID card.

• Age 18 to 70 for the Pravasi ID card.
• Valid passport, plus a visa, iqama, work permit or residence permit valid for at least six months.
• Students abroad apply for the Student ID card with proof of admission or study.
• Keralites who have returned for good after at least two years abroad apply for the Returnee ID card instead.

Documents to scan before you start

NORKA asks applicants to have every document scanned and saved as JPEG files before opening the form, so prepare them on your phone or laptop first. The list on the ID card page is short: copies of the front page and the address page of your passport, a copy of your visa page or the residence document your country issues (NORKA names the iqama, the work permit and the residence permit), your photo and your signature. Students add documents that prove admission or study abroad. The tips below are our practical advice, not NORKA rules.

• Phones often save photos as HEIC. Convert them to JPEG before uploading, because NORKA asks for JPEG.
• Photograph your signature on plain white paper in good light, then crop it so only the signature shows.
• If the portal rejects a file as too large, compress or resize it rather than taking a blurrier photo.
• Check that the name, date of birth and passport number you type match the passport exactly, since the card and any insurance claim will be checked against it.

How to apply online

Applications now go through the NORKA ID portal at id.norkaroots.kerala.gov.in, built for NORKA Roots by C-DIT. The portal describes three stages: register an account and verify your identity, submit the application form and pay for the card you chose, then receive a digital identity card followed by delivery of the physical card. NORKA's FAQ explains that registration only needs a short form with your name, email address, phone number and date of birth, plus a username and password that you choose. After signing in, you pick the card, fill in your details, upload the scans and pay. No step in the published process needs a visit to a NORKA office, which is why the card suits people already living in the Gulf.

• Create a NORKA account on the portal, or sign in if you already have one.
• Choose the Pravasi ID card. NORKA's Pravasi Raksha FAQ says the site also has an option to apply for that insurance at the same time.
• Fill in your details and upload the JPEG scans.
• Pay the fee online and keep the payment reference.
• Download the digital card when it is approved, then wait for the physical card.

The fee, and why you may see different numbers

NORKA's own pages do not agree on the fee, so do not trust a single figure from a forum or a social media post. The ID card page on norkaroots.org says the registration fee is Rs 372 including GST per card. The FAQ on the same site says Rs 315 per card for three years. The Student ID page lists Rs 315 including GST. The new ID portal, where you actually apply, does not show the Pravasi ID card fee on its public page. Treat the amount shown on the payment screen as the real fee, and only pay inside the portal. The one fee the new portal does state in full is for the Returnee ID card: Rs 200, made up of Rs 164 plus Rs 36 GST, for three years.

Accident insurance and how to claim

The insurance built into the card is personal accident cover, not health insurance. The new ID portal says cardholders are covered for Rs 5 lakh if they die in an accident and up to Rs 2 lakh for permanent or partial disability caused by an accident; older NORKA pages still show Rs 4 lakh for death, so check the portal or the helpdesk if the amount matters to a claim. The claim form NORKA publishes is a personal accident claim form from The New India Assurance Company. The insured person or the family fills in the accident details, a doctor completes a medical certificate, and an eyewitness to the accident can sign a separate certificate. The last page of the form lists the papers NORKA asks for. Tell your family that you hold the card and where to find its number, because they are the ones who would claim after a death.

• Accidental death: claim application, death certificate, copy of the Pravasi ID card, post-mortem report (embalming certificate), copy of the FIR, legal heirship document and any identity proof.
• Permanent disability: claim application, disability certificate issued by the Health Department, copy of the Pravasi ID card, medical report, copy of the FIR and any identity proof.

Pravasi Raksha (NPRI): optional critical illness cover

Norka Pravasi Raksha Insurance is a separate, optional one-year policy for non-resident Keralites aged 18 to 60, with the same six-month visa rule. According to the new portal it pays Rs 1 lakh if you are diagnosed with one of the listed critical illnesses, on a certificate from a registered medical practitioner, plus accident cover of Rs 3 lakh for death and up to Rs 1 lakh for permanent or partial disability. NORKA's older page lists the fee as Rs 649 including GST for one year, and its pages place the renewal window within 30 days of the expiry date. The list has 13 illnesses: cancer, end-stage kidney failure, primary pulmonary arterial hypertension, multiple sclerosis, major organ transplant, coronary artery bypass grafts, aorta graft surgery, heart valve surgery, stroke, first heart attack, coma, total blindness and paralysis. Each one has a named specialist who must certify it. The conditions matter as much as the amount.

• Pre-existing illnesses are excluded, and an illness diagnosed in the first 30 days of the policy is not covered.
• The benefit for a given illness is paid only once in each insured person's lifetime.
• NORKA's Pravasi Raksha FAQ says the claim must be filed within 30 days of diagnosis, and late claims can be rejected by the insurer.
• Medical certificates from registered specialists are accepted whether the doctor is in India or abroad.
• Family members living in Kerala are not covered; each family member abroad needs a separate application.
• The policy certificate can be downloaded from the site within five working days of a complete application and payment.

NORKA Care Plus: health cover that works in India, not in the Gulf

NORKA Care, a group health scheme for non-resident Keralites and their families, began in November 2025, and NORKA Care Plus followed with higher sums insured and room for parents. Its guidelines describe a group medical policy held by the Chief Executive Officer of NORKA Roots under United India Insurance's group health terms. Sums insured run from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 1 crore. The member must be 18 to 70; a family can include a spouse and two children up to 25, and with cover of Rs 10 lakh or more, parents or parents-in-law up to 80. Cashless treatment is offered at about 24,000 hospitals in India, more than 688 of them in Kerala. For someone living in the Gulf, the most important line is in the exclusions: treatment and tests overseas are not covered, outpatient treatment is not covered, and maternity is not covered. Pre- and post-hospitalisation costs are paid only for expenses in India, capped at Rs 5,000 per claim. It is useful for treatment during a visit home and after you return, but it does not replace the health insurance you hold where you live.

• Enrolment windows are fixed. The second phase was open until 18 September 2026 and covers 15 August 2026 to 14 April 2027, with the premium reduced for the shorter period.
• Example from that second-phase chart: Rs 8,101 including GST for one person with Rs 5 lakh medical and Rs 10 lakh accident cover; Rs 13,411 for self, spouse and two children.
• Pre-existing diseases are covered from day one, but a 30-day waiting period applies to people who joined after the first window of 12 March to 14 April 2026.
• Members who join with a valid NORKA identity card stay covered if they later return to Kerala.

Renewal, returning home and who to contact

The card lasts three years. NORKA says you can apply to renew it from three months before the expiry date, by submitting the prescribed documents again and paying the renewal fee, so put a reminder in your calendar about three months ahead. When you leave the Gulf for good after at least two years abroad, the Returnee ID card takes over. It costs Rs 200 including GST, lasts three years and needs your photo, signature, Aadhaar card, passport photo and address pages, and one proof of return: an expired NORKA ID card, a Pravasi Welfare Board membership card, self-attested first and last visa pages, or, if you have none of these, a certificate in Form A signed by an officer such as the Village Officer or a Gazetted Officer. You register with the role Returnees and download the card after verification.

• Toll-free in India: 1800 425 3939. From abroad: missed call to +91 8802 012345.
• ID card helpdesk: idhelpdesk.norka@kerala.gov.in. Helpline: 0471 2770500.
• Head office: NORKA Centre, near Government Guest House, Thycaud, Thiruvananthapuram 695014.