Surrender certificate + OCI

[PG1983]

Hi All,

I've just received my British passport and I intend to apply for OCI now and have a few questions:

1. Is there any way that I can apply for surrender certificate and OCI at the same time? The reason I'm asking is that I may need to travel to India on short notice due to a family issue.
If not then I intend to apply for SC by post as I can't travel to one of the VFS offices due to work.

2. Do they only accept postal orders/bank drafts for payment or can I pay by credit card? According to the VFS website you can pay by credit/debit card but there is no form anywhere.

http://in.vfsglobal.co.uk/surrender_fees.html

3. What is the fees? On the VFS website it mentions £113.24 as the fees. Is this correct?

4. Do I need to send all my old passports or only the most recent Indian passport?

[gidoc]

>> Is there any way that I can apply for surrender certificate and OCI at the same time? The reason I'm asking is that I may need to travel to India on short notice due to a family issue>>

Usually not possible but worth a try, however you will need to go personally to VFS

>>If not then I intend to apply for SC by post as I can't travel to one of the VFS offices due to work.>>

Postal route takes about 2 month

>>Do I need to send all my old passports or only the most recent Indian passport?>>

The valid passport needs surrendering

[PG1983]

Is that usual or is it just because it is a busy period? 2 months seems to be a long time!

And can anyone help with the fees and method of payment?

Thanks

[rentmeda]

Is that usual or is it just because it is a busy period? 2 months seems to be a long time!

And can anyone help with the fees and method of payment?

Thanks

Surrender certificate should not take more than a week either for postal/VFS
OCI is about 6 weeks from what I heard.

[PG1983]

I have got a reply back from VFS re my query.

Dear Sir/Madam,

Thank you for your email.

Please note that applicants cannot apply for a surrender certificate and OCI application at the same time. However, they need to first obtain the Surrender Certificate as surrender certificate is a mandatory document required while applying for OCI.

You can send your surrender of Indian passport application by post to our centralized postal visa application centre in Hayes (http://in.vfsglobal.co.uk/surrender_pos ... ation.html). Postal applications need a minimum of 10 working days to be processed. This does not include the period they are in transit to and from the High Commission or the Consulate General.

Please note that payments for surrender of Indian passport application can be made by any of the following options:

>> Cash accepted at the India Visa Application Centre excluding Cardiff, Glasgow & Manchester application centres.

>> Applicants can also make payments via bank drafts or postal orders at the visa application centres favouring "VF Services UK Ltd”

>> Credit cards & Debit Card - Visa Electron (UK & Non UK issued, Visa Debit (UK issued), Maestro (UK & Non UK issued) and Solo are also accepted at the visa application centres.

Mode of Payment for Postal Applications
Kindly include a postal order as the mode of payment favouring "VF Services UK Ltd" while applying through Royal Mail. Do not send cash or credit card details along with your application via post. If a family or a group is applying together, they can pay the fees and the service charges for all the members by one draft or postal order.

PAYMENT BY CHEQUE

According to the rules of the High commission, an applicant cannot make his/her payment by cheque.

>> Fee for surrender of passport/ renunciation of Citizenship (for applicants who acquire foreign citizenship with effect from 1.6.2010) is £113.24. For information on fees kindly refer to the following link: http://in.vfsglobal.co.uk/surrender_fees.html

>> Please note that you only need to submit your Original Indian Passport (Last/Valid Indian passport at the time of Naturalization). For information on documents required kindly refer to the following link: http://in.vfsglobal.co.uk/surrender_checklist.html

[gidoc]

This info is from the website, so you would have looekd at it anyway.

SC takes 7-10 days, OCI will take about 8 wks, on postal application. This is standard. If you apply in person this decreases by2-4 wks as the maximum delay is in registering.

[PG1983]

I have received my SC now. It took exactly 10 days from application. Now my question is regarding OCI application, is the SC enough to establish Indian origin or do I need to submit photocopy of the cancelled Indian passport? Here is my list of douments with my postal application:

1. Application Form (with 1 photo)
2. Copy of photo page of British passport
3. Copy of naturalization certificate
4. Copy of Surrender certificate
5. Postal order for £175

[manoj123]

I submitted SC and no passport photocopies.

[PG1983]

Thanks that's what I'm going to do.

[jasonin]

I have received my SC now. It took exactly 10 days from application. Now my question is regarding OCI application, is the SC enough to establish Indian origin or do I need to submit photocopy of the cancelled Indian passport? Here is my list of douments with my postal application:

1. Application Form (with 1 photo)
2. Copy of photo page of British passport
3. Copy of naturalization certificate
4. Copy of Surrender certificate
5. Postal order for £175

You do not need to submit passport copies. The surrender certificate is enough. If you were born in India you will need to submit a birth certificate from an Indian Muncipality/Village Panchayat. There is another thread under this section for OCI. Visit it, it is very helpful.

[t1seeker]

You do not need to submit passport copies. The surrender certificate is enough. If you were born in India you will need to submit a birth certificate from an Indian Muncipality/Village Panchayat.

Are you sure that a birth certificate is needed. I would have thought the Indian passport and consequently the SC is a proof of Indian origin as well a proof of date of birth. Also when I submitted my OCI application the guy at the counter didn't ask for it.

[jsr2016]

Hi
Id like to know if i need to surrender my Indian passport in uk, do i need to have a British passport n Oci?

[PG1983]

Once you have acquired citizenship (ie naturalization certificate) you can surrender your Indian passport

[jsr2016]

Hi
Thanks for your reply. But the form ask for copy of British passport n also for Oci registration number

Hence not too sure

[secret.simon]

Once you have acquired citizenship (ie naturalization certificate) you can surrender your Indian passport

Incorrect.

Surrender of Indian passport requires you to have a British passport. Naturalisation certificate is not sufficient. However, OCI itself requires Surrender Certificate.

So, the order of documents is
Naturalisation certificate > British passport > Surrender of Indian passport Certificate > OCI.

As the surrender certificate comes before OCI, it does not ask for OCI number.

Click here for the surrender form.

[saanju9]

Hi
Thanks for your reply. But the form ask for copy of British passport n also for Oci registration number

Hence not too sure

OCI number is the File number on the last page of the Indian passport
Last page - last row

[secret.simon]

OCI number is the File number on the last page of the Indian passport
Last page - last row

Firstly that is incorrect. An Indian passport holder (who should also be an Indian citizen) can not simultaneously hold OCI.

Secondly, where in the form, which I have linked to, does it ask for any details on OCI?

[FayEng]

Hi

When you book appoint to Surrender the Indian Passport . The forms asks you enter OCI registration number. But if you read the notes below it clearly states that you should enter Passport Number in this column for Surrender of Passport

Hope this has cleared the confusion

Fay

[jsr2016]

Thanks Fay but cannot see where it is mentioned.. To use passport number.. And is it Indian passport number.

[vishpb35]

Thanks Fay but cannot see where it is mentioned.. To use passport number.. And is it Indian passport number.

It clearly says that "For applicants applying for Passport or Consular Services, please enter your passport/identity document number in the field ‘OCI Registration Number’."

Pls mention your indian passport number in oci field.

[chiku1980]

When applying for the OCI if we have surrender certificate plus the surrendered passport is it necessary to submit any additional proof of indian origin such as birth certificate, domicile certificate etc? Or should the surrender certificate/old passport suffice?

[theaviator380]

When applying for the OCI if we have surrender certificate plus the surrendered passport is it necessary to submit any additional proof of indian origin such as birth certificate, domicile certificate etc? Or should the surrender certificate/old passport suffice?

No. AFAIK, don't need all that...surrender cert, naturalization cert, new passport, old passport, photos are enough.

According to great Indian system, out birth cert always stays with school? which is pathetic...so I guess majority of Indian people won't have their birth certs any way? correct me if I am wrong.

[chiku1980]

Thanks.

Can anyone who has applied for OCI confirm if the cancelled indian passport is required to be submitted along with the OCI application or just the surrender certificate is enough?

The question is since we now need to upload documents - whether I need to upload a single document with the surrender certificate and cancelled Indian passport for the proof of Indian origin or whether I can just upload the surrender certificate [and cancelled Indian passport is not required]?

[PG1983]

Just the surrender certificate should be sufficient.

[londumpster]

Can someone who has applied for OCI recently in London confirm that Domicile certificate is not required for the application. The website is so confusing. Any other details, that I need to be aware of?

Thanks for your time.