Centre mandates passport declaration for Pakistani, Afghan and Bangladeshi applicants seeking citizenship
NEW DELHI: In a move to further clarify the provisions, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday notified the changes to the Citizenship Rules, 2009 that would require certain applicants to declare possession or surrender of passports issued by Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
The MHA, through a gazette notification said that “In exercise of the powers conferred by section 18 of the Citizenship Act, 1955 (57 of 1955), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules to further amend the Citizenship Rules, 2009, which include ‘I am not in possession of a valid and/or expired passport(s) issued by the Government of Pakistan/ Afghanistan/ Bangladesh or I am in possession of a valid and/or expired passport(s) issued by the Government of Pakistan/ Afghanistan/ Bangladesh.”
It further said that if somebody is in possession of a valid or expired passport issued by the government of Pakistan, Afghanistan or Bangladesh, he or she has to declare the date of issue, the place of issue and the date of expiry.
It also noted that the person has to agree to surrender his or her valid or expired such passport to the Senior Superintendent of Post or Superintendent of Post concerned within 15 days of approval of citizenship application.
In the notification the MHA 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.”
A senior MHA official, while giving reasons for the fresh changes in the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2026, said, the rules will come into force on the date of publication in the official gazette. He described that the changes made are just an administrative clarification aimed at strengthening verification and record-keeping in citizenship cases.
Notably, earlier this month, the MHA had notified the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2026, 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.
