New Delhi: Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians and Parsis from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, who seek Indian citizenship, will have to declare possession or surrender passports issued by those countries.
The Centre, on Monday, notified draft changes to the Citizenship Rules, 2009 to make this happen, as reported by The Indian Express.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, in a gazette notification issued on Monday, said the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2026, published under Section 18 of the Citizenship Act, 1955, insert a new paragraph into Schedule IC of the 2009 rules.
“The new provision, paragraph (iiiA), obliges applicants to state whether they hold a valid or expired passport issued by any of the three neighbouring countries. Those who possess such passports must provide passport details – number, date and place of issue, and expiry – and agree to surrender the document to the Senior Superintendent of Post or Superintendent of Post concerned within 15 days of citizenship approval,” the notification said.
The rules will come into force on the date of publication in the official gazette, the notification says.
The amendment is an administrative clarification aimed at strengthening verification and record-keeping in citizenship cases, an MHA official said.
The Union Home Ministry had notified the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2026 earlier this month, introducing electronic Overseas Citizen of India (e-OCI) cards, fully online applications and stricter norms on dual passports for minors.
“The rules introduce a fully digital OCI framework, mandating online applications, electronic records and acknowledgements, while phasing out duplicative physical processes. A new provision allows issuance of electronic OCI (e-OCI) alongside physical cards, signalling a shift toward paperless identity for overseas Indians. Applicants must now consent to sharing biometric data for integration with fast-track immigration programmes, enabling possible automatic enrolment in the future,” the MHA official said.
