Indian citizens who are granted US citizenship must apply for renunciation of Indian citizenship and surrender their Indian passport within 90 days of naturalization. ‘Canceled due to acquiring foreign nationality’ indicated on the passport will be considered as valid proof of renunciation. Indian citizenship is not considered renounced if the passport only indicates ‘Canceled’. In such a case naturalized citizens should apply for a renunciation certificate. Here is everything you need to know about the application process for renunciation of Indian citizenship.
Note: Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, applications of renunciation are being accepted via courier only. Online registration process is compulsory.
Application process for renunciation of Indian citizenship
You can submit your application for renunciation of Indian citizenship via postal/ courier or by walk-in. Following are the application processes for all renunciation categories.
Step 1: Identify the renunciation service type
First of all, you need to determine which type of renunciation service you need and your eligibility for the same.
Step 2: Get started with your renunciation related application
- Visit the website of Passport Seva (Consular, Passport & Visa Division, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.) and complete the online application form by selecting the correct renunciation service.
- Print the application form and sign it.
- You are required to complete all details correctly. In case of any error, your application may be rejected or delayed.
- After completing the form on the Passport Seva website, note the ARN number (Application Reference Number), print it.
- Revisit the VFS website to proceed with the subsequent steps and complete the application onward submission process.
Step 3: Complete mail-in application process and pay mandatory fees
Once you have completed the online application form, collect your physical application along with all the required documents and send them by post to the VFS Consular Application Center.
After completing the online form, prepare your physical application pack along with all the required documents and send them by post (by mandatorily completing the online registration process) to the VFS Indian Consular Application Centre based on your state of residence.
Below are the steps to complete the mail-in application submission process:
- Create your profile and register on the VFS portal and click on Apply Now to proceed with the subsequent steps.
- Choose the correct state of residence according to the Consular Jurisdiction and correct renunciation category.
- Choose postal for mode of submission. Due to COVID-19, VFS Indian Consular application centers are not accepting in-person applications.
- If you send your own courier labels or pay money order/ banker’s cheque, then make sure you keep all the information ready before completing the online registration.
Step 4: Submit the physical application to VFS
After completing the mail-in application registration process, you can dispatch your physical application and documents via the shipping method selected by you to the VFS Indian Consular Application Center.
Step 5: Review of the application
Upon receipt of your application, VFS will send an email notification to you. However, you should continue tracking the status of your application online and should not rely on email notifications. A review process is initiated to check if the application is as per the requirements of the Mission/ Post.
Processing time
Listed below are the general processing times based on application center location:
| Location | Processing Time |
|---|---|
| Atlanta | 7 – 15 business days |
| Chicago | 7 – 15 business days |
| Houston | 7 – 15 business days |
| New York | 3 – 5 business days |
| San Francisco | 3 weeks |
| Washington DC | 3 – 5 working days |
Track your application for renunciation
Upon submitting the application, you will receive notifications via email/ SMS as and when application status changes.
Note: Success of email/ SMS notifications delivery depends on several factors and are beyond VFS’s control. Hence, you must track the application status on VFS’s website and should not solely depend on email/ SMS notifications.
Your Indian passport will be canceled and returned with a surrender certificate. Once you receive your surrender certificate, you must have a foreign passport either an OCI card or Indian visa to travel to India.
If you want to apply for an OCI card, your renunciation certificate will serve as proof of renunciation of Indian citizenship.
Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs) can ask any questions related to the rights of NRIs, PIOs, and OCIs. You can download SBNRI App from the Google Play Store or App Store. You can also use the SBNRI app for investment in stock market/ mutual funds, NRI account opening, tax filing, etc. To ask any questions, click on the button below. Also, visit our blog and YouTube channel for more details.
