Persons of Indian Origin to obtain Surrender Certificate on Renunciation of Indian Citizenship
The Indian Citizenship Act, 1955, does not allow dual citizenship. It is a punishable offence under the Indian Passport Act, 1967, to apply for an Indian passport, continue to hold an Indian passport, get an Indian passport re-issued or travel on an Indian passport acquiring foreign citizenship. Extant rules prescribe penalties for holding Indian passports by foreign nationals.
Under Indian law, Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs), who have acquired foreign citizenship are required to surrender their Indian passports to the nearest Indian Mission/Post immediately after acquisition of foreign citizenship.
The salient features of the scheme are listed below
Indian citizens acquiring any foreign citizenship on or after 1 June, 2010 must formally renounce Indian citizenship after which they must surrender the Indian passport.
Production of Surrender Certificate endorsement is essential while applying for Indian visa, PIO/OCI card or any other miscellaneous consular services, in case Argentinian/Uruguayan/Paraguayan citizenship was acquired on or after 1 June, 2010.
Those who acquired foreign citizenship on 31 May, 2010 or earlier need not pay the Renunciation Fee. They must however get their Indian Passport, whether already expired or not, duly cancelled.
Persons of Indian Origins who had earlier obtained OCI / PIO Cards or Visa without surrendering their Indian passports are required to surrender their last held Indian passport and obtain surrender certificates at the time of renewing their OCI / PIO Cards or for obtaining fresh visa.
Procedure for renunciation of Indian citizenship
Declaration for renunciation of citizenship has to be filled by the applicant only through MHA´s website – https://indiancitizenshiponline.nic.in/Renounce
1. Any Indian citizen can renounce his/her citizenship by making a declaration in the Form XXII specified in Rule 23 of The Citizenship Rules, 2009. The application Form has to be filled only on the online portal of MHA https://indiancitizenshiponline.nic.in/Renounce
2. The applicant can apply at Indian Mission/Post concerned OR DM/DC`s office (as the case may be) in India based on his present address.
3. The renouncer would fill all his/her details and upload relevant documents in above mentioned website, take a print-out and visit the Indian Mission/Post concerned of the office of District Collector (DC) / District Magistrate (DM) concerned for interview, signing the declaration before concerned authority (Consular officer or the DM/DC concerned) and to submit the print-out of the applicant with supporting documents.
4. Separate application has to be filed for each applicant.
5. The online form should be filled in Block / Capital letters.
6. Once the application form is submitted online by the applicant, then no further modifications are allowed. Hence applicants are requested to carefully verify the details before submitting the online application form.
7. MHA File Number would be generated automatically after the submission of online application and the same will be communicated to the applicant by e-mail. Applicant must keep note of it for tracking the status and refer this file number for any future correspondence.
8. Applicant has to submit applicable fee in the Embassy along with relevant documents. For Fee: Please see Fee Structure in our Consular Tab.
9. Complete step by step instructions for filling fresh online application, modifying a partially filled online application, printing an application submitted online may be referred in website https://indiancitizenshiponline.nic.in/Renounce.
10. Applicant must take the print out of the online submitted application and personally submit the same at the Indian Mission/Post concerned OR the office of DM/DC concerned (as the case may be) along with original documents for further action by authority concerned.
11. Applicant will be provided acknowledgment in Form XXII after his signed application/declaration is successfully uploaded by the Indian Mission/Post OR DM/DC concerned (as the case may be). This may be sent to applicant through e-mail.
12. The decision of the competent authority on declaration of renunciation of Indian citizenship shall be conveyed to the applicant through e-mail. On acceptance of the declaration by the Competent Authority, a signed Renunciation Certificate (RC) will be sent by post in due course of time.
13. Applicant may note the legal provision under section 8 of the Citizenship Act, 1995 which provides that where a person ceases to be a citizen on India on renunciation of citizenship under section 8 (1), every minor child of that person shall thereupon ceases to be a citizen on India. However, such child may, within one year after attaining full age, can make a declaration in the prescribed form and manner that he wishes to resume Indian citizenship.
14. A person who ceased to be Indian citizenship is required to surrender the documents which he had acquired on the basis of his Indian citizenship (e.g. Voter ID Card, etc) to authorities concerned.
Procedure for surrender of Indian passport –
Once the request for Renunciation is accepted by the competent authority and a Renunciation certificate is issued, the applicant must surrender the Indian passport as per the procedure detailed below -
· Duly filled-in Application Form
· Most recent original Indian passport with one copy.
· Copy of the Argentinian/Uruguayan/Paraguayan Citizenship certificate.
· Copy of Argentinian/Uruguayan/Paraguayan passport, if held.
· Proof of address.
· Applicable Fee.
· Name change certificate if applicable.
· Notarized Affidavit (only if applicable): if the applicant was naturalized after the date of expiry of latest held Indian Passport, a notarized affidavit may be submitted explaining the reason for the gap.
· In case of a minor: Notarized and duly signed parental authorization forms. Parental Authorization for Minors
· Renunciation Certificate.
· All documents must be self-attested
IMPORTANT: Surrender Certificate cannot be issued if the last held Indian passport is not physically produced. Penalty, if applicable, cannot be waived or reduced. There is no penalty in cases where the PIO opted for foreign nationality before 1.1.2005 and the last held Indian passport also expired before that date.
