Pay when you renounce your Indianness

The Indian Citizenship Act, 1955, does not allow dual citizenship.   However, many individuals continue to retain their Indian passports and some even travel on them, even by suppressing information several years after acquiring foreign citizenship.   Keeping an Indian passport after acquisition of foreign citizenship constitutes an offence under the Indian Passport Act and attracts penalties.

Indian passport holders, 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 Indian Government has fixed the fee for renouncing the Indian Citizenship at A$ 273 and has prescribed certain penalties for not renouncing Indian citizenship/surrender of Indian passport.

The other features of the of rules are:

  • Government of India has prescribed imposition of penalty on a graded scale, for the violation of Passport Rules ranging from a minimum of A$ 390/- to a maximum of A$ 1950/-, depending on number of trips made on the Indian passport after acquiring foreign nationality.
  • Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) intending to apply for visa, OCI & PIO Cards, are required to first renounce Indian citizenship/surrender their Indian passports and then apply for these services. In case they do not have the Indian passports in their possession for any reason, they are required to furnish a duly notarised affidavit in this regard and pay a penalty of A$ 273.   If the Indian passport is still valid but has been misplaced/lost, then a Police report should be submitted additionally (to rule out any misuse).
  • All applications for renunciation/surrender of Indian passports are to be made at the High Commission of India, Canberra or Indian Consulates at Sydney and Melbourne.
  • Fee schedule for renunciation of Indian citizenship and Surrender of Indian passport (in A$) with effect from 01.06.2010 is:
S.No. subject Fee for renunciation penalty ICWF Total
1 PIOs who have already acquired foreign citizenship voluntarily prior to 31.05.2010 shall cease to be Indian citizenship. However, such persons are required to surrender their Indian passport, whether valid or expired so that the passport is not misused 25 No penalty 2 27
2 Passport not surrendered upto three years (after 1.1.2005) and not used for travel after obtaining foreign nationality 273 No penalty 2 275
3 Retention of Indian passport beyond three years (after 1.1.2005) and not used for travel after obtaining foreign nationality 273 390 2 665
4 Passport not surrendered for 3 years (after 1.1.2005) and travelled once after obtaining foreign passport 273 390 +

390

2 1055
5 When travelled (after 1.1.2005) more than once on Indian Passport after obtaining foreign nationality and also got the Indian passport re-issued 273 390 for each travel   (total   penalty will not exceed A$1950/-) and A$975/- for re-issue 2 1640 (for one travel and re- issue)
6 Passport got re-issued after acquiring foreign nationality (after 1.1.2005) and retained the passport for more than three years 273 A$975/-

If travelled also plus A$ 390/- each travel

2 1640
7 When a duplicate Indian passport (after 1.1.2005) is got issued on loss or damage after acquiring foreign nationality 273 A$975/- 2 1250
8 When a person has obtained miscellaneous consular service (after 1.1.2005)   on the Indian passport after acquiring foreign nationality 273 A$ 390/- each occasion. (after 3 months grace period) 2 665
9 OCI/PIO applicants who claim (after 1.6.2010) to have lost/misplaced Indian passports or that the foreign Government has retained the Indian passport 273 2 275

For application or more information, visit http://www.hcindia-au.org/misc_consular_services.html#cancel

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