High Commission of India, Wellington, New Zealand : Surrender Certificate / Renunciation of Indian Citizenship

Surrender Certificate / Renunciation of Indian Citizenship

Renunciation of Indian Citizenship and Surrender of Indian Passport

The Indian Citizenship Act, does not allow dual citizenship. The following acts constitute an offense under the Indian Passport Act, 1967, and may attract penalties, or may cause uncertain delays/rejections in processing of the applications for Surrender of Indian Passport and Renunciation of Indian Citizenship:

Reissue of Indian Passport after acquiring foreign citizenship.
Travel on Indian Passport after acquiring foreign citizenship.
Retention of Indian Passport beyond 3 years from the date of acquiring foreign citizenship.
Availing of /Applying for any Consular Service on Indian Passport (except Surrender of Indian Passport or Renunciation of Indian Citizenship) after acquiring foreign citizenship.

Therefore, Indian passport holder(s) in New Zealand, who have acquired foreign citizenship, are advised to apply with High Commission of India, Wellington for “Renunciation of Indian Citizenship” along with “Surrender of their Indian passport(s)” at the earliest.

Please read below mentioned instructions to apply for Surrender of Indian Passport and Renunciation of Indian Citizenship:

Procedure to Apply and documents required
Mode of Payment and Fee
Address for Delivery and Instructions for Courier Delivery
Status Enquiry
Approximate Processing time
Surrender Applications already lodged with High Commission

Procedure to Apply and documents required :

Serial No.	Documents Required	Procedure and specifications of the required document.
1.	Complete Online Declaration of Renunciation of Citizenship under Section 8 of the Act Made by a Citizen of India	Indian Passport holder is required to make a declaration in Form XXII specified in Rule 23 of the Citizenship Rules 2009. The declaration/application form for renunciation of Indian Citizenship has to be filled only at the online portal of MHA at following link: https://indiancitizenshiponline.nic.in/Renounce Read Detailed Instructions: Click here Step by Step Guide: Click here Once the application is submitted successfully online, Please take a printout of the application, sign the application in designated signature columns and send the physical application by courier to HCI Wellington or submit in person at HCI Wellington along with other required documents.
2.	Complete Online Application Form for Surrender of Indian Passport.	All applicants must complete online Application Form at: https://embassy.passportindia.gov.in/ (Best viewed in Internet Explorer 9.0 and above). Please select the country where you are applying (e.g. New Zeland, if applying at HCI Wellington) and then resigter and fill the application form. Once the application is submitted successfully online, Please take a printout of the application, sign the printed application form at designated signature columns (first and last page), paste one photograph of size 2X2 inches and send the physical application by courier to HCI Wellington or submit in person at HCI Wellington along with other required documents. If applicant is minor, either of the parents must sign on the last (declaration page) of the application form.
3.	Three photographs of size 2 X 2 inches	Each Applicant must provide three latest photographs, one photograph pasted on printed application form for Surrender of Indian Passport, and two additional photographs in an envelope to be sent with other required documents. Please do not staple/pin the photographs. The Photo should be latest (taken within last 6 months), bright and clear, with white or light background, without any shadow/dark area, 2 X 2 inches or 51 X 51 mm in size. For detailed photo specifications, please visit https://www.hciwellington.gov.in/page/passport/#13
4.	Original Indian Passport	Each Applicant must submit/send their Original Indian Passport for Surrender/Cancellation with other required documents. The Original Passport would be returned to the Applicant with cancellation stamp on it.
5.	In case of Indian Passport is lost	If the Indian Passport of the applicant is LOST, please provide following documents against lost passport: a) Photocopy of Indian Passport b) Travel Summary from Immigration NZ c) Lost Passport Police report /FIR copy with Lost Indian Passport number mentioned on it. The applications submitted without Original Indian Passport takes time to get approvals from authorities, therefore, the time frame for processing such applications is little longer.
6.	NZ / Foreign Citizenship Certificate Copy	Each Applicant must provide a Copy of NZ/Foreign Citizenship Certificate along with other required documents.
7.	NZ / Foreign Passport Copy, JP attested	Each Applicant must provide a coloured photo copy of his/her NZ /Foreign Passport duly attested from Justice of Peace or Notary or Deputy Registrar along with other required documents.
8.	Name Change Certificate	If Applicant’s name is different/changed on Foreign Citizenship Certificate or Foreign Passport from that of the Indian Passport, please provide a copy of name change certificate.
9.	Payment Proofs of Application Fee	The Fee for Renunciation of Indian Citizenship is NZ$ 155/- and Fee for Surrender of Indian Passport is NZ$ 38/-. Please make two separate payments for each application. Once both the payments are made, please take a printout of payment confirmation and attach both payment proofs (NZ$ 155/- & NZ$ 38/-) with the required documents. If your bank account number is not visible on the printed payment proof, pls write your bank account number with pen on the payment proof, so that payments are located easily. Please read detailed instructions to make the payments under option number "2. Mode of Payment and Fee"
10.	Affidavit (JP Attested) for cases of Retention/Travel of/on Indian Passport after acquiring foreign citizenship	The applicants who have retained Indian Passport beyond 3 years after acquiring the foreign citizenship or travelled on Indian Passport after acquiring foreign citizenship are required to provide duly signed and duly attested Affidavit with their application. To download the Affidavit, Click here, take a printout, fill the details along with brief reasons for retention/travel or both as the case may be, get the Affidavit attested from Justice of Peace or Notary or Deputy Registrar and send duly signed and attested Affidavit with the other required documents. If applicant is minor, the affidavit should be signed by either of the parents.
11	Return Courier Bag (if applying by post)	After completing the online applications of Surrender Certificate and Renunciation of Indian Citizenship, applicants must take a print out of applications, sign the applications and send it along with JP attested copies wherever necessary, along with mandatory documents as mentioned above and attach one self-addressed pre-paid return courier bag with tracking facility which is required to post back cancelled passport and the Renunciation Certificate. Surrender Certificate will be sent through e-mail to the mail Id provided in the application form. The postal address of the High Commission of India is as follows: Surrender / Renunciation of Indian Citizenship Section High Commission of India, 72 Pipitea Street, Thorndon, PO Box 12211, Wellington
12.	Check list	Please take a print out of the Checklist by clicking here. Each applicant must take a printout of check list, only tick in the columns for which you have provided the documents and send this complete check list with required documents.

Mode of Payment and Fee : Rates are effective from 11 January 2023

• Online Bank Transfer Click here

• Personal Cheques or Money Orders/Credit Card are not accepted.

• Fee once received will not be refunded under any circumstances, even if the application is withdrawn by the applicant or services are not provided to the individual if his/her case does not qualify for that particular services

• For renunciation of Indian Citizenship, please make a payment of NZ$ 155/- and put MHA reference/application number or NZ Passport number in the reference field. For Surrender of Indian Passport, please make a payment of NZ$ 38/- and put Surrender Application/ARN number in the reference field. Please do not make single payment for 2 or multiple applications. Please attach both payment proofs with the required documents, the bank account number of the applicant must be visible on the payment proof to locate the payments.

Address for Delivery and Instructions for Courier Delivery

The applicants can submit their applications in person between 9:30 am to 12:30 pm on any working day or may send the applications by courier with a tracking facility to at HCI, Wellington on the following address:

Surrender / Renunciation of Indian Citizenship Section, 72, Pipitea Street, Thorndon, Wellington 6011, New Zealand, PO Box 12211

For the Applications being sent to HCI, Wellington by courier, the applicants are requested to write Complete Sender Address (Applicant’s Address with contact number) and Complete Delivery Address (72, Pipitea Street, Thorndon, Wellington 6011, New Zealand, PO Box 12211) on the courier bags.
For the Return Courier bag to be provided with the documents, the applicants are requested to write before sending the Complete Sender Address ( Surrender / Renunciation of Indian Citizenship Section, 72, Pipitea Street, Thorndon, Wellington 6011, New Zealand, PO Box 12211) and Complete Delivery Address (Applicant’s Address and contact number).
The Courier bags being delivered to HCI, Wellington and the Return Courier Bags submitted with the applications to receive the documents, must be with tracking facility. Please do not send or attach a courier bag without tracking facility. It is the responsibility of the applicants to note down/retain the tracking details of their both (incoming/outgoing) courier bags. HCI Wellington would be unable to provide the tracking details of the couriers.

4. Status Enquiry

Please note that no separate acknowledgement email is sent for the applications delivered at HCI Wellington via courier or submitted in person over the reception.
No telephonic/e-mail queries regarding receipt or status of applications will be entertained before the time frame limit indicated for processing of the applications.
All the applicants are advised to track their courier bag to check the delivery date of their documents at HCI Wellington and wait for 30 days for initial processing of the application.
To track online status of your application for Surrender/Cancellation of Indian Passport, please click on the given link https://portal6.passportindia.gov.in/Online/index.html and login with your Registration ID and Password which was used to submit your online application form for Surrender of Indian Passport, to understand the status of your Surrender and Renunciation application better, please read the information given in the below table:

Sr. No.	ONLINE STAUS shown in the PSP Portal for Surrender of Indian Passport	The real time status, indicative time frame and next steps (Total Time Frame: approx. 90 days from the date of receipt of complete applications)
1.	Surrender Application form has been submitted.	Applicant has submitted the online application. All the applications received at HCI Wellington by courier or in person, are checked and entered in the system for further processing. The online Status will be changed in first 30 days after delivery of your complete documents at HCI Wellington. If the application is received incomplete, you may receive an email in first 30 days to send remaining documents or your documents may be returned in first 30 days. The time frame is counted only from the date, the complete/remaining documents are received.
2	Surrender application is under review at Indian Embassy/Consulate.	All the checks for your application and documents have been made, your Surrender and Renunciation application have been assigned to an Official and online processing have been started. The applications for Surrender of Indian Passport and applications for Renunciation of Indian Citizenship would be processed simultaneously in r/o each applicant.
3	Surrender application is granted.	The application has been granted, the Surrender Certificate is ready for print.
4	Surrender Certificate is Printed.	The Surrender Certificate has been issued and would be e-mailed on mail ID provided in the application form. The applicants who have requested for the collection of their documents in person, will receive the email for collection in next 5-7 days after this status. If no email is received by the applicant from this status, they can come to collect their cancelled passports in person after 7 days.

Approximate Processing time

Processing time for Surrender of Indian Passport and Renunciation of Indian citizenship is approx. 90 days after receipt of complete documents at HCI, Wellington either by courier or submitted in person over the reception.
The processing times mentioned above are indicative only. The above processing time is for the clear cut cases, whose clearance has been received from competent authorities
Processing time for cases involving retention of Indian Passport beyond 3 Years after acquiring foreign citizenship and/or travel on Indian Passport after acquiring foreign citizenship cannot be prescribed. These cases would be processed consequent upon following due procedures and are subject to approval from the competent authorities.

Surrender Applications already lodged with High Commission

The Applicants who lodged their applications for Surrender of Indian Passport earlier, may read the below instructions to apply:

Sl. No.	Application Stage/Category	Required Procedure to follow
1.	Surrender Certificate is received by the Applicant and OCI Application is received at HCI Wellington but OCI Card is not issued yet	The Applicants will receive an email in next one to two weeks if further documentation is required.
2.	Surrender Certificate is received by the Applicant but OCI Application is not lodged with the HCI Wellington.	The Applicants would be required to apply for Renunciation of Indian Citizenship before applying for OCI. The applicant need to send his/her application for Renunciation of Indian Citizenship only and attach a copy of the Surrender Certificate or Cancelled Indian Passport in this case.
3.	Surrender Certificate Application is Received at HCI, Wellington but Surrender Certificate is not dispatched to or received by the applicants.	The Applicants will receive an email in next one to two weeks if further documentation is required.