What is renunciation of Citizenship?

Renunciation of citizenship means that a person surrenders their passport of a country to obtain the citizenship of another country. Once the renunciation is done, the person is no longer a citizen of that country. For example, in India, dual citizenship is not permitted, so an indian citizen wants to acquire the citizenship of any other foreign country, then he/she has to renounce their citizenship. It is an important part of the process because if you get caught with dual citizenship with India, then you have to pay the penalties. As an NRI, if you want to apply for an OCI card, then you also have to surrender your Indian Passport first. According to the Indian Passport Act 1955, an Indian citizen is not allowed to have two passports from different countries. 

How to Apply for Indian Citizenship Renunciation?

To apply for the renunciation of citizenship, follow these steps:

• Visit the official website of the Embassy or the Indian consulate.
• Fill out the application form for the renunciation of indian citizenship.
• Book an appointment for the submission of documents and biometric data.
• Print the application form and carry the documents to the selected VFS center. 

Wait until the verification process is done, and you can collect your certificate from the same center afterwards. 

Documents Required for Citizenship Renunciation

While doing the renunciation of your Indian Citizenship, you will require all of these documents: 

• Your Original Indian passport
• Copy of your foreign passport
• Application form for renunciation
• Passport-sized colored photos
• Naturalization Certificate
• Address Proof
• Payment Receipt

These are the documents you should have; otherwise, your application form can also be rejected. For minors, some additional documents are needed, which are: Parental affidavit, Copies of parents' passports, and parental authorization form.