Problem with new renunciation cert requirement for OCI application

[Kundan-Yadav]

Hi All,
Some of you might already know about new additional document requirement for OCI application, that is the certificate of renunciation of Indian citizenship.

I’m failing to understand the validity/need of this new document.

I’ve surrendered my Indian passport and got the certificate for the same. It clearly stated “official reason for surrender being renunciation of Indian citizenship and acquisition of citizenship of another country”

Given this, I have a simple question…

Do i still hold Indian citizenship?

If the answer is “yes” :
Does it mean i can continue to enjoy dual citizenship (which india doesn’t give), if i were to not apply for OCI and just travel on e-visa ? Also, does it mean all those people who have already got OCI and didn’t need to submit this new document, they currently have dual citizenship? Is government going to ask all those people to get this certificate now?

If the answer is “No” :
If i’m not an Indian citizen anymore then how come they are asking me to renounce something that i don’t have?

If anyone of you have any information/clarity on these questions the. Please share.
I’ve already sent email to high commission of India asking these questions multiple times and yet no response.

Kind Regards,
Kundan

[sathyauk]

Hi Kunda-yadav,

Please go through the below link for all your answers

https://cgibirmingham.gov.in/page/display/25

[Art87ee]

Did the High Commission reply to you? This new requirement is just more bureaucracy and red tape. Utterly pointless because you automatically lose your Indian citizenship when you naturalise elsewhere.

[thevar]

Hi All,
Some of you might already know about new additional document requirement for OCI application, that is the certificate of renunciation of Indian citizenship.

I’m failing to understand the validity/need of this new document.

I’ve surrendered my Indian passport and got the certificate for the same. It clearly stated “official reason for surrender being renunciation of Indian citizenship and acquisition of citizenship of another country”

Given this, I have a simple question…

Do i still hold Indian citizenship?

If the answer is “yes” :
Does it mean i can continue to enjoy dual citizenship (which india doesn’t give), if i were to not apply for OCI and just travel on e-visa ? Also, does it mean all those people who have already got OCI and didn’t need to submit this new document, they currently have dual citizenship? Is government going to ask all those people to get this certificate now?

If the answer is “No” :
If i’m not an Indian citizen anymore then how come they are asking me to renounce something that i don’t have?

If anyone of you have any information/clarity on these questions the. Please share.
I’ve already sent email to high commission of India asking these questions multiple times and yet no response.

Kind Regards,
Kundan

Hi Kundan-Yadav - were you able to find answers to your queries elsewhere. Can you update us to where were you able to figure out? Will be helpful to us all

[LearningCurve]

Hi Kundan, please let us also know how you circumvent this situation.

My wife is in the same situation. Only surrender cert and no renunciation cert. Seems like a new requirement put in place only for collecting more monies.

[Art87ee]

Hi Kundan, please let us also know how you circumvent this situation.

My wife is in the same situation. Only surrender cert and no renunciation cert. Seems like a new requirement put in place only for collecting more monies.

The High Commission said that they won't approve OCI without renunciation, so probably the OP had to get that first

[BashirB]

Surrender of passport and Renunciation of Citizenship are two separate matters. Just because you are now a pardesi does not mean what doesn't make sense to you is automatically illogical.

There are numerous scenarios where only one of the above are applicable:

- Government of India can deprive someone of their passport but still allow them to retain their citizenship.

- Someone who is living in India and never had a passport can renounce their citizenship. Obviously they will need to do it in person and explain why. Example applicable to Goans who manage to get Portugese nationality by ancestry while still in India

- GoI, on rare compassionate grounds, grants Indian passport and travel documents to refugees and stateless persons. This doesn't grant them citizenship.

Point being, you need to first surrender your passport and then also renounce your Indian citizenship. Its valid to have these as separate process.

[thevar]

Surrender of passport and Renunciation of Citizenship are two separate matters. Just because you are now a pardesi does not mean what doesn't make sense to you is automatically illogical.

There are numerous scenarios where only one of the above are applicable:

- Government of India can deprive someone of their passport but still allow them to retain their citizenship.

- Someone who is living in India and never had a passport can renounce their citizenship. Obviously they will need to do it in person and explain why. Example applicable to Goans who manage to get Portugese nationality by ancestry while still in India

- GoI, on rare compassionate grounds, grants Indian passport and travel documents to refugees and stateless persons. This doesn't grant them citizenship.

Point being, you need to first surrender your passport and then also renounce your Indian citizenship. Its valid to have these as separate process.

BashirB - Very clear. Thanks for your pointers.

[Leo_1234]

I am unable to save the online application for renunciation of Indian Citizenship. I have been trying for the last 3 weeks and each time, the message says 'Unable to Save, Try again'.

I have tried several times, cleared cache and different browsers (as advised by friends who went through the process) but still unable to save the application. Tried calling the high commission- no response. I have an appointment with VFS for Surrendering the passport. Can I do the renunciation part later? I am not in a rush for the OCI.

Please advise.

[BashirB]

I am unable to save the online application for renunciation of Indian Citizenship. I have been trying for the last 3 weeks and each time, the message says 'Unable to Save, Try again'.

I have tried several times, cleared cache and different browsers (as advised by friends who went through the process) but still unable to save the application. Tried calling the high commission- no response. I have an appointment with VFS for Surrendering the passport. Can I do the renunciation part later? I am not in a rush for the OCI.

Please advise.

Yes, you can do renunciation at a later date. In fact, they process renunciation only after issuing surrender certificate, so although some do it "together", in background it happens one after another.

Once you have surrendered, you can apply eVisa on British Passport if you need to go to India