Related Blogs
By Vipul Jain | 13 Jun, 2025
Acquired UK citizenship and looking for someone to help you with the surrender of the Indian passport in the UK for the OCI application. Navigating the difficulties of Indian citizenship renunciation, getting a surrender certificate, and applying for an OCI card can be a hectic process. Well, no need to worry. At Visament, from filling out the application form to scheduling an appointment, our experts handle everything. So, when we are here, you do not need to take stress about your Indian passport surrender and OCI application in the UK. In this blog, we provide an overview of the Indian passport surrender process, its role in getting an OCI card in the UK, and how Visament simplifies the whole process for you. So, let's start reading by knowing what surrendering an Indian Passport means.
It is well-known to everyone that India does not allow dual citizenship to its people. According to the Indian Passport Act 1967, an individual who has an Indian passport is not supposed to obtain a foreign citizenship. As per the Indian Citizenship Act 1955, dual citizenship is strictly prohibited in India. As per the Passport Act, all Indian passport holders must surrender their passports immediately to the Indian Consulate after acquiring foreign nationality. After obtaining foreign citizenship, holding an Indian passport is considered an offence. Within 3 years of acquiring a foreign nationality, the applicants must apply for the Indian passport surrender certificate. Similarly, a three-month grace period is given to those applicants to travel on their Indian passport after becoming a citizen of a foreign country.
After reading all this, surrendering an Indian passport means leaving the citizenship of India and acquiring a foreign citizenship. While the United States may permit dual citizenship to its people but in India, it is against the law, and not following this may result in legal troubles.
This is all about the surrender of an Indian passport. Now, moving ahead, let's know why you must surrender your Indian passport before applying for OCI in the UK.
An OCI is a short form of Overseas Citizenship of India; it is a status provided to foreign nationals who are of Indian origin or hold an Indian passport in the past. An OCI card helps them to maintain ties with India. In addition, allow them to work and live in India indefinitely without any visa. However, before applying for an OCI card application in UK, it is vital to surrender the Indian passport. For this, there are two key reasons:
So, because of these two reasons, you should apply for OCI UK after surrender Indian passport, as the surrender certificate serves as proof of leaving Indian citizenship and making the applicant eligible for the OCI card. It shows the authorities that the person has legally renounced his/her Indian citizenship and is now looking to avail the privileges and perks of having an OCI card. Additionally, you can apply for OCI after Indian citizenship renunciation UK only, as at the same time, you cannot apply for a surrender certificate and OCI card. It is because, as mentioned above, during the OCI application, the surrender certificate serves as proof that you have acquired foreign citizenship and no longer hold an Indian passport and citizenship.
Here is why you must surrender your Indian passport for OCI cards UK. Now, moving ahead, let's know the process for surrendering an Indian passport for OCI UK.
When it comes to applying for a surrender certificate, there are certain formalities and rules that applicants need to complete as per the guidelines. From the country where you are currently residing, you may obtain the renunciation form from the Indian consulate or embassy. Additionally, you can apply for the surrender process online by visiting the VFS Global website. Some of the surrender process is available on the official online side of the Indian authorities, such as filling out the application form, submitting the required documents, and booking an appointment at VFS Global. To avoid any subsequent delays and discrepancies, you should first go through the instructions while applying for your Indian passport surrender in the UK.
Well, this is how you can apply for the surrender of an Indian passport online in the UK for an OCI application. Without a proper understanding of the process and documentation, it can be difficult for you to handle all this alone. But why struggle when you have the solution by your side? Contact Visament and let our experts handle the whole application process for you. Here is how they can assist you in surrendering your Indian passport and applying for your OCI card.
With expert guidance, Visament simplifies the Renunciation of Indian passport and OCI. Our streamlined services, with peace of mind and compliance, ensure a smooth application process. Here is how you can avail yourself of our Indian passport and OCI services in the UK:
This is how you can surrender your Indian passport UK online and apply for your OCI UK application process via Visament. Moving further, let's now the documents required for both processes in the UK.
When applying for the surrender of an Indian passport in the UK, you need to submit the following documents:
The documents required for the OCI application in the UK depend on the application type. To provide you with a clear idea, here is a breakdown of the documents generally required for the OCI application in the UK:
| OCI Application Type | Required Documents |
|---|---|
| OCI Application |
These are all mandatory documents needed in all OCI application types. |
| Minor Applicants |
|
| Foreign Spouse |
|
These are the documents required during the surrender of an Indian passport and an OCI application in the UK. Now, moving ahead, let's know about the processing time and fees of Indian passport surrender and OCI application in the UK.
The surrendering of an Indian passport and applying for an OCI card in the UK involves different processing times and fees. Generally, it takes 10-12 weeks to surrender your Indian passport and takes 35-40 business days to get an OCI card in the UK. However, the given processing time may vary according to the circumstances of an individual, high volume of applications, or the requirement of additional documents.
Furthermore, the surrender of an Indian passport in the UK costs £22, including £7.44 service charges of VFS Global. Additionally, the cost of an OCI fresh application in the UK ranges between £200 to £218, including VFS charges, embassy fee, courier fees, and SMS charges.
This was all about the processing time and fees for the Indian passport surrender and the OCI Application UK. Moving ahead, let's know the general mistakes to avoid during the surrender of an Indian passport in the UK for an OCI application.
Consider the following points to avoid common mistakes during the surrender of an Indian passport in the UK for an OCI application:
These are some points that you should consider while surrendering your Indian passport in the UK. It further assists in smoothly applying for your OCI card.
Lastly, here is how you can surrender of Indian passport in the UK for an OCI application. Still confused and facing issues in navigating the complex surrendering process of Indian citizenship? Contact Visament and let our team handle all the process and documentation while you focus on applying for your OCI application. Our experts are always there to help and offer personalized guidance to every individual. So, why worry about your surrender certificate and OCI application when you have the best solution by your side? Connect with us today and let's together apply for your Indian citizenship surrender certificate and OCI card in the UK.
To surrender your Indian passport after acquiring British citizenship for an OCI card, you need to apply for the surrender certificate through VFS Global. For this, you need to fill out the application, submit your existing Indian passport along with additional documents, book an appointment at VFS, and pay the required fees. Once you get your surrender certificate, you can apply for an OCI card in the UK.
In the UK, you can surrender your Indian passport at your nearest VFS Global center along with the requested documents. However, before visiting there, it is advisable to book an appointment to avoid a longer waiting time.
To surrender your Indian passport in the UK, you generally require a complete application form, Indian passport, valid address proof, naturalization certificate, citizenship, and residency status proof, declaration form, passport-size colored photographs, and a fee receipt.
The passport surrender process may vary depending on the application type, as some applications may take a longer time to process than others due to the increased volume of surrender certificate applications, the requirement of additional documents, or individual circumstances. Generally, the surrender certificate takes 10-12 weeks to process your application in the UK.
The Indian passport surrender in the UK costs around £22. This fee also includes £7.44 service charges of VFS Global. Talking about the OCI application fee in the UK, it generally ranges between £200 to £218. This fee includes VFS charges, courier fees, embassy fees, and SMS charges.
No, you cannot apply for an OCI card before surrendering your Indian passport. The surrender certificate is one of the key bases for obtaining the OCI card. It serves as proof that you no longer hold Indian citizenship and are eligible to apply for the card.
To track your surrender and OCI application status in the UK, you can use the VFS Global and OCI services website in the UK. Additionally, you can also use the application tracking tool of Visament to know the current status of your application. The tool is available on our website. It is easy to use and provides you with accurate information.
Yes, the surrender of an Indian passport is mandatory before applying for OCI UK, especially if you hold citizenship of another country. The surrender certificate is one of the necessary documents that Indian applicants who acquire foreign citizenship need to submit during their OCI application.
No, you cannot surrender your Indian passport and apply for OCI at the same time in the UK. It is because during the OCI application, you need to submit your Indian citizenship surrender certificate. It serves as proof that you are no longer an Indian citizen and are eligible to apply for the OCI card.
It is advisable that before applying for any of the processes, first, go through the instructions and guidelines. Then, make a document checklist and gather all the documents according to it. Additionally, while filling out the application form, cross-check all the mentioned information and book an appointment for the physical submission of the documents. Also, if you face any issues before or during the process, consider seeking help from an expert like Visament to ease the whole application process for you and avoid any rejection.
When you visit a website, it may store data about you using cookies and similar technologies. Cookies can be important for the basic operations of the website and for other purposes. You get the option of deactivating certain types of cookies, even so, doing that may affect your experience on the website.
It is required to permit the basic functionality of the website. You may not disable necessary cookies.
Used to provide advertising that matches you and your interests. May also be used to restrict the number of times you see an advertisement and estimate the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. The advertising networks place them after obtaining the operator’s permission.
Permits the website to recognize the choices you make (like your username, language, or the region you are in). Also provides more personalized and enhanced features. For instance, a website may inform you about the local weather reports or traffic news by storing the data about your location.
Aid the website operator to determine how the website performs, how visitors interact with the site, and whether there are any technical issues.
