Q.953 Will I lose foreign citizenship if I apply for Indian Citizenship

Question: Dear Sir / Madam I have a question. Hope you can answer me. I am an OCI person with 2 foreign Passport. 1. I would like to apply for Indian Passport. Do I lose my current foreign passports when I apply for Indian Passport? Or can I keep a dual citizenship (Indian and foreign)? 2. How long do I have to stay in India before I can apply for Indian Passport? Thanks Vanda Answer: Many countries allow dual citizenship however, India does not.

If and when you apply for Indian citizenship, be prepared to give up any other foreign citizenship that you have. The

Indian constitution does not permit dual citizenship. A person cannot have another country's passport while

simultaneously holding an Indian passport.

How long must a person stay in India before they can apply for Indian citizenship?

Persons of Indian origin can apply for Indian citizenship if they have lived in India for 7 years. [Stay in India for 12 months before making citizenship application and 6 years in the aggregate in the EIGHT YEARS preceding the twelve months] OVERSEAS CITIZEN OF INDIA (OCI) holders can apply for Indian citizenship after five years. There is also a condition that the applicant for Indian citizenship must have resided in India for ONE YEAR before making their citizenship application.

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Information by Virendar Chand

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