Indian Passport Surrender Penalty After Foreign Citizenship

After obtaining foreign citizenship, you may face a heavy penalty for not surrendering your Indian passport. Under Indian law, if you obtain another country's citizenship, you cannot hold your Indian passport or use it for identification or travel.

The penalty for using an Indian passport after obtaining foreign citizenship can depend on several factors, such as how much you used it, whether it was renewed or reissued after you obtained foreign citizenship, and whether you used it for travel and identification.

In this blog, we will explain the Indian passport surrender penalty, along with related details and what to do if you incur a penalty for not surrendering it.

Is There a Penalty For Not Surrendering an Indian Passport?

Yes, you must pay a penalty for not surrendering Indian passport after obtaining foreign citizenship. Indian consular guidance also advises surrendering your Indian passport after obtaining another country's citizenship.

Here are the conditions under which you need to pay penalties for not surrendering your Indian passport.

• Period of time since the passport was retained.
• If you travel to India using an Indian passport after getting foreign citizenship.
• Renewing or reissuing an Indian passport after obtaining foreign citizenship.
• The rules and penalties are applicable to the Indian Mission.

The exact Indian passport penalty amount depends on the Indian embassy and your relevant jurisdiction before payment.

Penalty for Not Surrendering Indian Passport

If you do not surrender your Indian passport, you must pay the penalty, which varies by case, as shown in the table below.

You pay the Indian passport surrender Penalty in local currency, as determined by the Indian Mission handling the application. Before paying, check the applicable fees and process on the official website.

What Is the Three-Month Grace Period?

After obtaining another country's citizenship, you will have a 3-month grace period to use your Indian passport for travel. The grace period is calculated from the date of obtaining foreign citizenship to the date of naturalization or the citizenship document.

You should not use the Indian passport indefinitely. Use it only for the 3-month grace period to gather documents and apply for Indian Passport Surrender. This is the time you have to surrender your Indian passport after obtaining foreign citizenship.

What Happens If You Travel with an Indian Passport After Getting Foreign Citizenship?

If you travel with your Indian passport after obtaining foreign citizenship, you will face legal consequences and penalties. The Government of India has set up a grace period, which is a three-month period that provides you with legal time to use your Indian passport for travel purposes and surrender your Indian passport. Once the grace period ends, you must surrender your Indian passport or pay a heavy penalty if you use it afterward.

Additionally, if you use your Indian passport for travel or educational purposes, you must pay an INR 10,000 penalty, up to a maximum of INR 50,000.

So, if you haven't surrendered your Indian passport, don't use it for travel or other purposes, as it could increase your penalty.

What if Indian Passport Was Renewed After Foreign Citizenship

If you renew or reissue your Indian Passport after obtaining foreign citizenship, you may have to pay a higher penalty. According to the official government list published by the Indian Commission, you may need to pay a penalty of INR 25,000 to reissue or renew your Indian passport after obtaining foreign citizenship. Also, if you travel using your reissued passport, you will face additional penalties.

Why Do You Need to Surrender Your Indian Passport?

Under Section 9 of the Citizenship Act, 1955, an Indian citizen who obtains another country's citizenship needs to surrender their Indian passport to the authorities.

This process generally applies to any change in citizenship. According to Indian consulate guidelines, you must surrender your Indian passport once you obtain foreign nationality.

If you fail to surrender your Indian passport, you may face consequences and legal penalties. You can avoid this by surrendering your Indian passport to the authorities on time after obtaining your foreign citizenship.

What if You Surrender Your Indian Passport Late?

If you have obtained foreign citizenship but have not surrendered your Indian passport, you need to surrender it quickly to avoid penalties from the authorities.

If you have surrendered your Indian passport late after obtaining citizenship of another country, then the following circumstances may apply:

1. Date of obtaining foreign citizenship.
2. Last Indian passport.
3. Information related to travel with the Indian passport after obtaining foreign citizenship.
4. Current foreign citizenship details and documents.

Authorities advise you to surrender your Indian passport promptly after obtaining foreign citizenship. Check the guidelines and requirements for the Indian passport surrender application with the embassy or consulate, including fees, documents, and the process.

What Certificate Do You Get After Surrendering Your Indian Passport?

When you get a new foreign citizenship, you need to surrender your Indian passport and receive a surrender certificate. The consulate issues this after you surrender and cancel your last Indian passport, and it's an official document confirming that you have successfully renounced your Indian passport.

It is also considered an important document for various consular services, which you need to provide for many applications, such as an OCI card application or a visa application.

Through the official website, you will find all the latest requirements for the surrender certificate process, along with the documentation, fees, and processing time.

What to Do if an Indian Passport is Lost?

If you lose your Indian passport after obtaining foreign citizenship, you need to apply for the Renunciation Declaration Certificate, which is used in cases of a lost Indian passport.

By providing all required documents for a lost Indian passport, such as a police report and copies, you can apply for the Renunciation Declaration Certificate, which will serve in place of the lost passport.

The process and documents can vary depending on individual circumstances, so check the official website for the required documents, process, and fees before applying.

Final Thoughts

If you obtain foreign citizenship, you must surrender your Indian passport to avoid a penalty for not surrendering it. The passport surrender penalty can vary depending on how long you held it, whether you used it for travel, identification, or other purposes, and whether you renewed or reissued it. These factors determine how much penalty you must pay to surrender your Indian passport.

After you surrender your Indian passport, you will receive a surrender certificate, a document confirming that you submitted it successfully. You can also use it for many consular service applications, such as OCI card or visa applications.