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Questions/Answers Page
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 Information
provided is for general knowledge only and should not be
deemed to be professional advice. For professional
advice kindly consult professional immigration advisors
or tax consultants depending on your personal situation.
This website is a one person operation, Please spell
check your questions as I normally just cut and paste
questions from emails. Answers to most questions asked
are usually posted within five days. Answers are posted
on this website and no personal emails are sent. |
Email questions to: V. K. Chand at:
question@nriinformation.com
Answers are normally posted in five days.
Renunciation Fee for NRI - Surrender old Indian Passport
Q: Dear Mr. Chand,
I recently visited Indian consulate site and saw a lot of
article about surrender certificate and renunciation of Indian
citizenship. I and my wife became US citizen many years ago. It
is highly unfair of Indian government to put such heavy fines on
people who did not surrender passports after foreign citizen
ship. When NRI dollars are needed, there is no mention of this.
Now, putting heavy fines on those of us who acquired US
citizenship a while back is just another gimmick by Indian govt
to get more money. Anyway, that is something to be very mad
about.
But my question is: I am traveling to India on a multiple
entry visa acquired a few years back. Would you know if there
would be any problem at the airport both ways since I don't have
a surrender certificate? I will appreciate any info since Indian
consulate is not quite straight in answering certain questions.
Thanks.
Sincerely,
NMishra
A: I can't see why Nri's visiting India with a valid Indian visa should have problems at Indian airports. From what I can understand on this issue is that in order to avail consular services of any kind, foreign passport holders of Indian origin will have to provide proof of cancellation of old Indian passport.
This issue has recently come up and there seems to be no clear answer yet on the renunciation fee. For instance here is an excerpt from the website of the Indian consulate in Ottawa, Canada: "Renunciation Fee shall be applicable to those who acquire Canadian citizenship on 1 June, 2010 or thereafter. Those who acquired the foreign citizenship on 31 May, 2010 or earlier need not pay the Renunciation Fee.." You can view this document HERE
This gets more interesting when you read the FAQ posted on this issue by the Indian Consulate Ottawa Canada. Here is an excerpt from their FAQ page question 3. :
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3.
My Indian passport has already been cancelled by
an Indian Mission but I was not issued a Surrender
Certificate. Do I need to obtain one?
No, provided you acquired foreign citizenship on or before 31 May, 2010. |
The link to the page of the faq from the Indian Consulate is hhttp://hciottawa.ca/docs/Renunciation_fee_faq.htm
The Indian Consulate in New York has something different on their website, here is the link to their page.
Note:The links I have posted are working as I write this on June 3, 2010.
____________________________________________________________________________________________ Indian Pension for NRI
Q: Dear Sir,
My Father aged 65 has a Indian Nationality. He was
Government Servant In India, retried and getting pension.
He is Living with his son in UK from last 6 years and he
want to apply for British Nationality.
Do that effect on his pension which he is getting from
Indian Government.
Regards
Vinay Naran
A: Pension rights of your father should not be affected by acquiring British Citizenship. A persons citizenship has no bearing on their pension rights nor does the country they live in.
Buy Agricultural land in Karnataka
Q: Dear Sir,
I am NRI , Indian citizen from Karnataka state. I am working
outside India since 7 years. Can I buy agricultural land in
my state in my name.?
can I buy agricultural land in my wife name? my wife is also
with me. Can I buy agricultural land in my fathers name and
is it possible transfer later to my name?
Please give me the solutions for my questions.
Looking forward for your reply
Med vennlig hilsen, Sincerely
Khan.Dangi
Oslo, Norway
A: Agricultural land can be purchased
only by farmer's In Karnataka State. I have heard that some
people (including lawyers) who claim they have ways to get
around such requirements. Whether they can act within the
frame work of the law I do not know.
Surrendering Indian Passport
Q: Dear Sir/Madam,
I am a US Citizen since 2005 and also have OCI card. Prior
to becoming a US Citizen; I had a demat account, bank
account and a PAN card as an Indian Citizen. Now I found out
about the surrender of Indian passport law; what happens to
my demat account and the money in my Bank once I surrender
my passport?
Thanks,
Dhaval
A: Surrendering your Indian passport
should have no affect on your PAN or Money in your bank
accounts.
Pan Card - Using foreign passport as
proof of address . . .
Q: Dear Sir/Madam,
I have obtained information from your website re:application
for PAN. I am a foreign national with OCI.
1) Is copy of passport and OCI sufficient for proof of
identity and address purposes?
2) Can I mail an HDFC cheque for the required amount of
$744?
3) If the HDFC cheque has to be deposited in an HDFC branch
what details would need to be provided to identify the
payer/applicant? The internet registration form requires
confirmation of presentation of cheque at a branch before
submitting the form and there is no application/reference
number till the form is submitted.
Please provide feedback urgently.
Thank you
Kalpana
A: Some foreign passports normally don't show residential address, at least not in an official capacity. For example, Canadian Passports don't show the residential address of the passport holder. They do provide a page on the passport for the passport holder to enter their address in case the passport is lost etc. This address is not considered to be proof of address as the holder can write in any address. Many people don't even bother to write an address on this page. Indian passports on the other hand require a residential address and are acceptable as proof of address as the address is inserted by the passport issuing authorities after verification.
Foreign passport holders who don't have an official residential address mentioned on their passports need to provide other documents as proof of address. Normally for Pan Card applications, your bank statement is acceptable.
Sending payment by way of a demand draft payable at Mumbai is the recommended method of paying for online pan card applicants.
Surrender Indian Passport in UK
Q: Hi, I'm aiming
to travel to India soon but now I have recently become a
British citizen and am due to receive my British passport
soon. But when looking on how to apply for an Indian visa on
my British passport, I realised I need a surrender
certificate as I used to hold an Indian passport. Therefore
I have been trying to find out how long the process of
applying for the surrender of the passport and receiving the
certificate can take. However, I have been unsuccessful in
finding this information on the High Commission of India
website. So I just wanted to ask what is the minumum time
period to get this certificate? Also, if you can apply by
post or by person by travelling to the embassy, and then how
much longer it may take if you apply by post and etc. Thank
you for your help.
Sonal Srivastava
UK
A: The fastest method to surrender old Indian passport would
be to do it in person. Just fill out the appropriate
surrender form.
(View Here) and with your old Indian passport go to the
High Commission of India, London or respective Indian
Consulates at Birmingham and Edinburgh.
According to the consulate website, "For applications made
at the High Commission of India in London, tokens will be
issued to all applicants without limit from 0830 hrs to 1200
hrs at the token counter of the High Commission" so try and
be there in time.
Readers comments & feedback. Post your comment or answer a question . . .
Rav
2010/11/25 12:51 am
Hi there,
I became a canadian citizen in April 2007. At that time, there
was no mention of surrendering indian passport after acquiring
the canadian citizenship. Now, i am a full time student, been in
university for last 4 years and can not pay that much fine. I
have never been to india ever since i became an indian citizen.
Please, do you offer any help to students??? I am very disturbed
with all this. I have too much stress as a student and on top of
that i have this problem. Your employees at the indian
counsellate here in Canada are no help at all. All they say is
that "It is not our rule". Please help. Thanks
Sharon Bains
2010/12/28 1:08 pm
Dear Sir, I'm holding British Passport since 1990 and my Indian
Passport had been cut/cancelled by the Indian Embassy . What I
have to do ? They are no longer valid to use . Thanks
jagdeep kaur
2011/1/7 6:32 pm
hi i recently got british passportand i am an indian and i dont
know any thing what is the proceadure to surrender old indian
passport
Roji 2011-04-15 08:36:32
Sir,I am a british citizen,Holding an Indian
Passport,But I am Having only 7 days time to travel India.Will
be any problem?or I can surrender my indian passport?I dont know
how much time it will take to process
Joe A 2011-05-06 18:30:42
Hi, I'm planning to travel to India this summer to volunteer
with an NGO. I realize I need an employment visa. I acquired my
UK passport long before May 2010. Do I need to surrender my very
long ago expired Indian passport? I have not traveled on it
since it expired. I currently live in the US. But I am not a
permanent resident yet.
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