The past five years have seen 6 lakh Indians renounce their Indian citizenship. Data from the ministry of external affairs shows that 30% of these Indians are in the United States, Australia and Canada. Indians are taking citizenship in other countries. Dual citizenship is not permitted by India. Upon getting citizenship of another country, you will have to renounce Indian citizenship and your Indian passport. If you are applying for consular visa services or an OCI card, you will have to provide proof of renunciation of Indian citizenship. This can be in the form of a stamp in your Indian passport or a surrender/renunciation certificate. Read on for further details about proof of renunciation of Indian citizenship.
As India does not allow dual citizenship, Indians who want to become citizens of another country, have to give up their Indian citizenship. There is, however, an Overseas Citizen of India or OCI card available to them. This card allows many of the privileges allowed to Indian citizens. The Henley Passport Index currently ranks the Indian passport 85th.
Stamp or Surrender / Renunciation Certificate
Proof of Renunciation of Indian citizenship requires:
- A stamp saying “cancelled due to acquiring foreign nationality” in the Indian passport is required for proof of renunciation of Indian citizenship. Indian passports that only have a “cancelled” stamp are not considered as proof of renunciation of Indian Citizenship.
- If this is not available then you will have to obtain a surrender/renunciation certificate in order to prove renunciation of Indian citizenship.
How to apply for a Surrender/Renunciation Certificate
Once you renounce your Indian citizenship, take on a foreign nationality and surrender your passport you can receive a surrender/renunciation certificate.
How to get the application for the Surrender Certificate
The surrender certificate can be downloaded at:
https://www.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/online/downloadEFormStatic
Can the Surrender Certificate Application Form be Filled out Online ?
Yes, here are the steps:
1.Register on the Passport Seva Online Portal (www.passportindia.gov.in)
2. Login with the ID you have registered with
3. Fill the surrender certificate online or upload the completed e-form (in xml format)
Fees for the Surrender Certificate
- If you have become a foreign national on or after 01-Jun-2010 then the fee is Five Thousand Rupees (5000 INR)
- If you became a foreign national before 01-Jun-2010 then the fee is Five Hundred Rupees (500 INR)
Documents Required for the Surrender Certificate
- Original passport that has to be surrendered
- Proof of foreign nationality.
Processing Time
The processing time to get the surrender certificate is 15 working days (excluding VFS mailing time)
To 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.
FAQs
There is no difference, they are the same.
The stamp must say “cancelled due to acquiring foreign nationality”.
Yes, one can get a surrender certificate with an expired passport. It has to be the applicant’s latest passport. Cancelled, suspended, revoked or impounded passports will not be accepted.
The surrender certificate does not require police verification.
