445. Passport for newborn baby in

USA - Dual Citizenship?

Questions: Dear Sir, I have read the information on your website which is very good. My questions for you are : We have come to USA for a year on my husband's work related project. And I delivered our baby boy who became US citizen by birth. We have also applied for his US passport. Can we reapply for my son's Indian passport as we both are Indian citizens and have Indian Passport. What is the process for that as we will return to India after a year. Or should we apply for PIO after we get his US passport. What is the procedure to apply for Indian citizenship as he is minor after we return to India. Do we need to inform some authority after we return to India . Please guide us . Thanks & Regards, Madhuli Answer: Since you have already applied for a US passport for your baby boy, you cannot get a Indian passport for your child. As mentioned on this website already in response to questions such as yours, parents who hold Indian citizenship and wish to get Indian passports for their new born baby in the United States, must NOT apply for a US passport for the baby. They can get a US birth certificate, register the birth at the Indian consulate and apply for a Indian passport for their baby. For more clarification see *note at the end of this page. The options you now have are: • As you state in your email, when you get your baby’s US passport, apply for a PIO card for the baby. • When you return to India, visit the FRRO office in your area of residence and register your baby as staying in India. There is a requirement that PIO card holders staying more than 180 days need to register. This registration needs to be done only once, unless your baby leaves India. • Once your son, reaches the age of majority, he would have a choice of getting Indian citizenship or continue with his US citizenship. If he decides to get Indian citizenship, he will have to renounce his US citizenship at that time. • You should register the birth of your baby also with the Indian consulate in the US.

* Indian citizens in US who wish to

ensure that their baby born in the

United States gets Indian

passport:

1. Must NOT apply for a US passport for their newborn baby. 2. Register the birth at the Indian Consulate 3. Get US birth certificate for baby In such cases, the newborn baby will be able to get an Indian passport, there will be no need to register in India and the parents may avoid paying higher school fees that are sometimes demanded by schools from foreigners. Here also, once the child reaches the age of majority, the right to acquire US citizenship and give up Indian citizenship is always an option.