Renunciation Certificate mandatory for OCI application?

[sjagadeesan]

I recently got this email from VFS. Does it mean Renunciation certificate is mandatory for applying OCI? I had applied for OCI prior to 8th Sep by using only Surrender certificate. Will i be asked to apply for Renunciation certificate also? I am yet to receive the OCI certificate.

With effect from 08th of September 2023, for all adult (18 years or above) OCI applicants previously holding Indian Citizenship is mandated to provide both Surrender & Renunciation Certificate to submit an OCI application. Indian nationals who have obtained foreign citizenship after 1st of June 2010 are now required to apply for the Renunciation of Indian Citizenship. Please note that this new process does not apply to minor (under 18 years) applicants; they are exempted.

[sathyauk]

I recently got this email from VFS. Does it mean Renunciation certificate is mandatory for applying OCI? I had applied for OCI prior to 8th Sep by using only Surrender certificate. Will i be asked to apply for Renunciation certificate also? I am yet to receive the OCI certificate.

With effect from 08th of September 2023, for all adult (18 years or above) OCI applicants previously holding Indian Citizenship is mandated to provide both Surrender & Renunciation Certificate to submit an OCI application. Indian nationals who have obtained foreign citizenship after 1st of June 2010 are now required to apply for the Renunciation of Indian Citizenship. Please note that this new process does not apply to minor (under 18 years) applicants; they are exempted.-Surrender & Renunciation Certificate both are same

[tomarbabacat]

The 2 certificates are not the same.

You probably won't be asked for it since you applied prior to the change. However going foward people will have to submit both the documents

[pmahajan86]

yes, correct they are not the same.
I went for my OCI appointment today and I have been told to apply for RENUNCIATION OF INDIAN CITIZENSHIP here: https://indiancitizenshiponline.nic.in/Renounce
It costs an additional Rs.8000 and it has to be paid online in INR as per the website.

[sathyauk]

Thanks for the information. Good to know this. I am planning to apply for OCI soon, what's the timeline for
RENUNCIATION OF INDIAN CITIZENSHIP?

[pmahajan86]

It can take a few weeks as the website says 60 days but the VFS representative said that we can apply OCI once we have applied and completed the process by visiting VFS Goswell. The receipt of the submission is legit.

[sathyauk]

Thanks for the information. Just to confirm

1. We need to apply and complete the process for RENUNCIATION OF INDIAN CITIZENSHIP which may take 60 days to receive the certificate
2. Once the process of RENUNCIATION OF INDIAN CITIZENSHIP is completed(witness signing), I can apply for OCI in parallel as a separate process.

Please can you confirm

[kali2023]

I applied for an OCI card on 4th September 2023 with a surrender certificate and no one at the kiosk/desk informed me renunciation certificate would be required.

Yesterday, I received an email asking me to submit the renunciation certificate until then application would be pending.

This is utterly ridiculous, The rule came into effect on 8th September but the application was submitted on 4th September. It is frustrating to deal with Indian government offices.

[sathyauk]

https://visa.vfsglobal.com/one-pager/in ... cklist.pdf

[raththam]

i filled (for myself )my renunciation of indian passport form and paid the fee. i have doubt as the form asked my minor child details who is indian passport holder. does my request for renunciation of indian citizenship impact my daughters indian citizenship or not .. i am not applying for my daughter and i am applying only for myself.. i have indian passport surrender certificate and received email from vfs i need to apply for renunciation certificate also in order to apply for oci .. the doubt is that why the form asked for the minor child details but i am not applying for her but myself.. the hcl website displays the minor child indian citizenship cease to exist if the person (father or mother) citizenship cease to exist..

[kali2023]

Dear raththam,

I am trying to fill out the renunciation application form online through the portal (https://indiancitizenshiponline.nic.in/ ... nt_Details), but after filling in the applicant details there is only to submit after uploading the photo and signature.

Once I click it and then it goes to the home page. It is not displaying the other tab for details like children's details/address/document uploads to enter the details.

And also I have not received any email mentioning my application number or sort of details.

May I know how you have filled out the form?


Thank you.

[raththam]

it happened to me as well.. i have filled it three or four times ( just the first page) and clicking to next takes me to home page.. i got no application number.. on fourth time or so it allowed me to go to next tab…

[sathyauk]

Looks like every existing OCI / PIO card holders has to do the renunciation process. This is really crazy

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

[kali2023]

Disgusting, to say the least!

I've been at it since morning, a full day gone, switching between 3 different web browsers , all in a futile attempt to complete a simple form.

Sometimes, hitting that "Submit" button feels like talking to a brick wall - it just doesn't work.

Other times, it's a never-ending cycle of frustrating errors when I try to modify the application.

And, just to add insult to injury, there are those moments when the whole thing just freezes on me.

, whether we're landing on the moon or striving to become a 100 trillion-dollar economy. Some things never seem to improve.

[raththam]

Looks like every existing OCI / PIO card holders has to do the renunciation process. This is really crazy

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

Doubt in this wording on this website : (https://indiancitizenshiponline.nic.in/renounce)

Indian citizens desiring to renounce the citizenship of India may please note that if any person(either FATHER OR MOTHER) ceases to be a citizen of India under sub - section (1) of Section 8 of the Citizenship Act, 1955, every minor child of that person shall cease to be a citizen of India under sub - section(2) of Section 8 of the Citizenship Act, 1955.However, such child may, within one year after attaining full age, make a declaration in the prescribed form and manner that he/she wishes to resume Indian Citizenship.

[raththam]

Looks like every existing OCI / PIO card holders has to do the renunciation process. This is really crazy

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

Doubt in this wording on this website : (https://indiancitizenshiponline.nic.in/renounce)

does it mean if i do renunciation of citizenship, my child who is indian and indian passport holder's citizenship ceases as well.. got confuse..

Indian citizens desiring to renounce the citizenship of India may please note that if any person(either FATHER OR MOTHER) ceases to be a citizen of India under sub - section (1) of Section 8 of the Citizenship Act, 1955, every minor child of that person shall cease to be a citizen of India under sub - section(2) of Section 8 of the Citizenship Act, 1955.However, such child may, within one year after attaining full age, make a declaration in the prescribed form and manner that he/she wishes to resume Indian Citizenship.

[kali2023]

Looks like that is true as per section 8 of the India Citizenship Act. This is really mad

8. Renunciation of citizenship.―(1) If any citizen of India of full age and capacity, 1
***, makes in
the prescribed manner a declaration renouncing his Indian Citizenship, the declaration shall be registered
by the prescribed authority; and, upon such registration, that person shall cease to be a citizen of India:
Provided that if any such declaration is made during any war in which India may be engaged,
registration thereof shall be withheld until the Central Government otherwise directs.
(2) Where 2
[a person] ceases to be a citizen of India under sub-section (1), every minor child of that
person shall thereupon cease to be a citizen of India:
Provided that any such child may, within one year after attaining full age, make a declaration 3
[in the
prescribed form and manner] that he wishes to resume Indian citizenship and shall thereupon again
become a citizen of India.
4
* * * *

[sathyauk]

Please read the below, I think minor kids are safe

other-countries/section-8-2-in-indian-c ... 37261.html

[kali2023]

As someone mentioned in the post, we can't always rely on the words or emails from officials, because it seems like many Indian officials aren't entirely clear on the rules and they go with their assumptions.

If you take a look at the link below, you'll find the official definition of citizenship.

https://indiancitizenshiponline.nic.in/ ... e%20months)

Code: Select all

(1) By Birth (Section 3)

A person born in India on or after 26th January 1950 but before 1st July, 1987 is citizen of India by birth irrespective of the nationality of his parents.

A person born in India on or after 1st July,1987 but before 3rd December, 2004 is
considered citizen of India by birth if either of his parents is a citizen of India at the time of his birth.

A person born in India on or after 3rd December, 2004 is considered citizen of India by birth if both the parents are citizens of India or one of the parents is a citizen of India and the other is not an illegal migrant at the time of his birth.

So as per above, if either parent or both parents acquire citizenship in future, it does not take away the citizenship rights of the children.

However, it's worth noting that Section 8 of THE CITIZENSHIP ACT, 1955, may present a different perspective on this matter

[sathyauk]

Dear Rathinam,

Are you able to fill the form successfully

Thanks,
Sathya

[sathyauk]

Dear Kali2023,

Have you completed the renunciation? Do you know what's the timeline?

It would be grateful for any information provided because I need to do for myself.

Thanks,
Sathya

[kali2023]

Yes, I did. They told me that the processing time to receive the certificate is about 2 months.

[sathyauk]

Thanks Kali2023. Please let me know when you get the certificate

[lotus1234]

Hi,

Has anyone received renunciation certificate update the time line please.

Thanks

[akr2500448]

Can renunciation applicants post timelines in the below post (not here)
other-countries/renunciation-of-indian- ... 40547.html