NORKA Pravasi ID Card: Fee, Eligibility and How to Apply Online

The NORKA Roots Pravasi ID card is a photo ID for Keralites living or working abroad, issued by the Kerala government's NORKA Roots agency. NORKA's FAQ lists the fee as Rs 315 for a card valid three years, and it carries personal accident insurance of up to Rs 4 lakh. You apply online at norkaroots.org if you are 18 or older and hold a passport and a visa or residence permit for at least six months abroad. It matters more than it used to, because a NORKA ID card is the entry ticket to NORKA Care, the health insurance scheme launched in 2025.

• What is the NORKA ID card used for?
• Who is eligible for the NORKA Pravasi ID card?
• What are the steps to get a NORKA ID card online?
• What is NORKA Care insurance?
• Where is the NORKA office in Kochi?

What is the NORKA ID card used for?

NORKA Roots describes the Pravasi ID as a multi-purpose card that connects a non-resident Keralite to all of its services. The practical value comes down to two things: the built-in accident cover, and the fact that other NORKA schemes ask for the card as proof that you are a registered non-resident Keralite. For a family in Ernakulam with someone in the Gulf, it is the card worth getting before anything goes wrong rather than after.

Who is eligible for the NORKA Pravasi ID card?

According to the NORKA Roots FAQ, you need to be:

• 18 years or older
• Residing or working abroad with a valid passport and a visa or residence permit for at least six months
• Or a student already studying abroad, who applies for the separate Student ID card with proof of admission

Keralites working in other Indian states are not covered by the Pravasi ID; NORKA lists a separate NRK insurance card for them.

What are the steps to get a NORKA ID card online?

The whole process is online and takes one sitting if your scans are ready. Have these as JPEG files first:

• Passport front page and address page
• Visa page, Iqama, work permit or residence permit
• A photo and your signature

Then register on the NORKA Roots portal, sign in, fill in your details, upload the scans, pay the fee and submit. Renewal opens three months before the card expires and works the same way. The fee and cover figures here are the ones NORKA's own FAQ lists; check the payment screen for the final amount before you pay.

Item	As listed by NORKA Roots
Fee	Rs 315
Validity	3 years, renewable
Accident cover	Up to Rs 4 lakh
Minimum age	18
Toll-free (India)	1800 425 3939

What is NORKA Care insurance?

NORKA Care is a health and accident insurance plan for non-resident Keralites, launched by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on 22 September 2025, with cover starting on 1 November 2025. As reported at launch, it offers Rs 5 lakh of annual health cover and up to Rs 10 lakh of accidental death cover through New India Assurance, covers pre-existing conditions, and is open to people aged 18 to 70. The entry condition is the one that sends people back to this article: the main applicant needs a NORKA Pravasi ID, Student ID or NRK ID card, and family members are added under that applicant. As of the 2025 launch, reported premiums were around Rs 8,000 a year for an individual and around Rs 13,300 for a family of four, and enrolment ran in fixed windows. Premiums and enrolment dates change, so check norkaroots.org before you plan around it.

Our honest read: a Rs 315 card that makes your family eligible for health cover, even though the cover itself is a separate yearly premium, is the easiest decision a Gulf Malayali will make all year. The slow part is chasing a relative abroad for clean scans of their Iqama, so start there.

Where is the NORKA office in Kochi?

You do not need to visit an office for the ID card, but NORKA Roots has an Ernakulam regional office on the 6th floor of the Commercial Building at MG Road Metro Station, Ernakulam 682035, which also handles certificate attestation (phone 0484 2371810). If you are planning a move abroad, read our guides to checking a Gulf recruiting agent and NRE vs NRO accounts too.