CONSULATE GENERAL OF INDIA, CHICAGO
PRESS RELEASE
Renunciation of Indian Citizenship and
'Surrender Certificate' for visa, OCI/PIO Card & Misc. Consular Services
It is a punishable offence (attracting penalty as well as imprisonment) to apply for Indian passport and get another Indian passport and travel on Indian passport after acquiring US (Foreign) citizenship as well as obtaining an Indian Passport suppressing information about his/her nationality or holding a forged Indian Passport or travel document. The violator shall be punishable for imprisonment up to five years and with fine up to US$ 1250/- under Passports Act 1967. The Penalty for each such travel to India on Indian Passport after acquiring foreign nationality is US$ 250/-. You can see the provisions of the Passports Act 1967 on our website www.indianconsulate.com .
Indian citizens acquiring US (or other foreign) citizenship has to renounce Indian citizenship and are required to surrender their Indian passports for cancellation and obtain a “Surrender Certificate” from the Consulate. They can obtain this Certificate after payment of fees of US$ 175/-, while surrendering their Indian passports to the Consulate. These passports are cancelled and returned to the passport holder for the future reference along with the surrender certificate.
It is mandatory to renounce your Indian citizenship within three months of acquiring foreign citizenships.
Surrender Certificate is essential while applying for the first time for Indian visa/PIO card or OCI card or any other miscellaneous consular services. The applicants should also state clearly the circumstances in which they have acquired US (foreign) Citizenships.
Detailed procedure for acquiring “Surrender Certificate” is given in our website.
(i) The Declaration of Renunciation of Citizenship of India shall be made in the form (as given in the website) and this form should be submitted to the Consulate.
(ii) The applicants may kindly send the above mentioned form, along with their
- original Indian passport with one copy of first three and last two pages accompanied by fees of US$ 175/- in the form of Cashier cheque/Postal Order or Money order addressed to the “Consulate General of India, Chicago”
- Copy of the naturalization certificate.
- Copy of first two and last two pages of the US Passport
- If you are seeking surrender certificate by mail then US$ 20/- towards mailing fees.
You can give one cashier cheque or money order or postal order towards (a) & (d) above.
The fees can be given in cash while submitting application at the counter. However OCI applicants should pay only in the form of Cashier cheque/Postal Order or Money order addressed to the ‘Consulate General of India, Chicago’. The fees towards surrender certificate should be paid separately by the OCI applicants. The Consulate does not accept the Credit or debit cards.
(iii) The “Surrender Certificate” will be issued before issuing the visa/OCI card or PIO card or providing any miscellaneous services for the first time. This is essential for processing of your visa/OCI/PIO application as well as any miscellaneous services. The Declaration of Renunciation will be registered with the Government of India.
(iv) In case, the Indian passport at the time of acquiring of US (foreign) Citizenship is not available with the applicant now, an affidavit/proof explaining the circumstances of the loss/damage, detailed police report of lost passport along with the passport number & date of issue/expiry is to be provided.
However the Consulate as per the provisions of Passport Act 1967 may ask for more penalty fees considering the period of not surrendering the passport to the Government of India and number of visits to India on Indian passport after acquiring foreign nationality and any other consular service obtained on the basis of referred Indian passport.
If you have “Cancelled” stamp in your Indian Passport and if you do not have “Surrender Certificate” or “Renunciation Form” duly attested by the Indian Government authorities, then you need to follow the procedure mentioned-above irrespective of holding US (foreign) passport for several years.
All OCI/PIO/valid Indian visa holders (naturalized foreign citizens) must renounce their Indian citizenship and acquire “Surrender Certificate”.
It is essential to keep the copy of the Surrender Certificate very carefully as that will be required for future services.
Please note that if you have acquired US (foreign) Citizenship on or before 31 May 2010 and if you have "Cancelled" stamp on your Indian passport, then there is a no requirement of acquiring "Surrender Certificate". If you do not have a cancelled stamp on Indian passport then you need to get the "Surrender Certificate".
However fees for that is US$ 20 only.
However US (foreign) citizens of Indian origin who naturalized on or after 1 June 2010, they have to follow the above-mentioned procedure with requisite fees of US$ 175/- for "Renunciation and Surrender Certificate".
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2.
RARE 1959 ALL INDIA RADIO BROADCAST BY DR. MARTIN LUTHER KiING, JR. REDISCOVERED
A few days before the Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Holiday in the U.S., researchers in India have rediscovered an electrifying message that Dr. King taped at the conclusion of his historic 1959 visit. The message underscored the legendary civil rights leader’s intellectual debt to Mahatma Gandhi and foreshadowed Dr. King’s deep commitment to “nonviolent resistance” in the civil rights movement yet to come.
The legendary American civil rights leader, assassinated in 1968, would have been 80 this month.
The message, found by the staff of All India Radio, is a rare historical document. “Since being in India,” Dr. King said, “I am more convinced than ever before that the method of non-violent resistance is the most potent weapon available to oppressed people in their struggle for justice and human dignity.”
Speaking at the height of the Cold War, Dr. King’s message called for universal military disarmament and warned of war’s growing threat to human civilization. “Today we no longer have a choice between violence and non-violence,” he said. “It is either non-violence or non-existence.”
In February, 1959, Dr. King and Coretta Scott King traveled in India in search of the roots of the nonviolent social action movement which led to Indian independence -- studying Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals and meeting his followers around the country. Upon return to the United States, the civil rights movement led by Dr. King and others helped transform American race relations, drawing on Gandhi’s philosophy.
A delegation led by Martin Luther King III, with planned participation by members of Congress, legendary musicians and other distinguished Americans, will meet with counterparts in India next month to underscore the enduring importance of these two great leaders.
1.Click here to Listen to the AUDIO RECORDING
