Renunciation (Surrender) of Indian Citizenship

Indian Citizenship

Indian nationality law follows the jus sanguinis (citizenship by right of blood) as opposed to the jus soli (citizenship by right of birth within the territory). Renunciation is covered in Section 8 of the Citizenship Act 1955. If an adult makes a declaration of renunciation of Indian citizenship, he loses Indian citizenship. In addition, any minor child of that person also loses Indian citizenship from the date of renunciation. When the child reaches the age of eighteen, he has the right to resume Indian citizenship. The provisions for making a declaration of renunciation under Indian citizenship law require that the person making the declaration be “of full age and capacity.”

Procedures to Renunciate (Surrender) Indian Citizenship

  1. You must provide two (2) copies of a completed renunciation form. Please visit http://www.indianembassy.org  
  2. You must provide a copy of the (1) first two pages and (2) endorsement pages of your foreign passport. Note: You can find the endorsement pages at the end of your foreign passport. Usually, there are four endorsement pages.
  3. If your foreign passport was issued on or after June 1, 2010 while naturalization took place on or before May 31, 2010, you will be required to provide a copy of your Naturalization Certificate.
  4. If minors were not issued a Naturalization Certificate, then  parents must write a statement indicating that minor’s citizenship was acquired though parents and must provide duplicate copy of each parents’ Naturalization Certificate.
  5. An individual must provide:
    1. An original Indian passport; and
    2. Photocopies of the first three pages and the last two pages of the Indian passport.
  6. Persons of Indian origin who have acquired foreign citizenship prior to May 31, 2010 will not be required to pay renunciation fee of $175, however, he/she will be required to pay $20 miscellaneous fee. If anyone acquired foreign citizenship after May 31, 2010, then he/she will be required to pay renunciation fee of $175.
  7. Money order shall be payable to “Embassy of India,” and you will required to issue a separate money order for each renunciation application.
  8. You will mail your renunciation of citizenship to proper India Embassy authority based on jurisdiction.

United States Jurisdiction

To find proper address based on your locale for mailing renunciation of citizenship packet, please visit these following websites:

India Embassy, Washington, DC: http://www.indianembassy.org  

Consulate General of India, New York, New York:  http://www.indiacgny.org  

Consulate General of India, Chicago, Illinois: http://www.indianconsulate.com  

Consulate General of India, Houston, Texas: http://www.cgihouston.org  

Consulate General of India, San Francisco, California: http://www.cgisf.org  

For more information on this issue, please visit www.tnimmigration.com or call Gopal & Pedigo, PC for assistance.