Citizenship Rule Change: Applicants Must Declare, Surrender Passports From These 3 Nations

Key points

• Citizenship Rule Change: Applicants Must Declare, Surrender Passports From These 3 Nations Published By, Last Updated: May 19, 2026, 10:33 IST CAA applicants from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh will have to declare and surrender their foreign passports within 15 days of citizenship approval.
• File image of Indian passport.
• (Source: PTI) Applicants seeking Indian citizenship under the Citizenship Rules, 2009 and belonging to Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh will now be required to declare the status of passports issued by their native countries and surrender them after being granted Indian citizenship, according to a notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday.
• This means applicants will have to disclose whether they possess or have surrendered passports issued by Pakistan, Afghanistan or Bangladesh.
• As per the MHA’s gazette notification, applicants must submit details of any valid or expired passports issued by the governments of the three neighbouring countries.