Blogs Frequently Asked Questions

No, you can connect with the national call center from 8:00 A.M to 10:00 P.M.

In the UK, surrendering an Indian passport generally takes 4 to 5 weeks after the submission of the application at the VFS centre. In case you are also renouncing your Indian citizenship, the surrendering Indian passport may take longer, i.e., 3 to 6 months for the State Department of Washington, D.C. to adjudicate and consider your passport application.

Generally, the passport renewal process in the UK takes 3 weeks. However, this time may vary depending on factors like individual circumstances, the requirement of additional documents, or increased volume of passport applications.

In general, passport surrender takes more time than passport renewal, which is primarily done for acquiring citizenship of another country and renouncing of Indian citizenship.

You can get an Indian passport within 3-4 working days, excluding the application processing time of VFS, and if the police verification report is clear and all documents are submitted in proper order. In case the report is pending or not clear, the processing time may take 30 or more days to process, excluding the VFS application processing time.

Yes, if you are an American citizen of Indian origin, you need a surrender certificate to apply for an OCI card in the USA. It is because India does not permit dual citizenship to its residents, and to apply for an OCI card, you need to provide a surrender certificate that serves as proof that you do not hold Indian citizenship.

If you made a mistake in your OCI or surrender application, you need to contact the appropriate officials or the Indian Mission to correct your errors. Depending on the mistake you made, you might need to provide the supporting documents or reapply for the application.

Yes, minors can apply for an OCI card after their parents surrender Indian citizenship. However, the eligibility for the OCI card depends on whether the minor meets the other requirements or not including prior citizenship of India or lineage to an Indian citizen.

Yes, you can use the copy of the surrender certificate for OCI application submission. However, if you get foreign citizenship after May 2010, as per the Ministry of External Affairs, you may be required to submit the original document.

If you apply for an OCI card without surrendering your Indian passport, your application will get rejected by the Indian embassy or consulate. There are two key reasons for this, i.e., India does not allow dual citizenship, so it is mandatory to surrender your Indian passport after acquiring foreign citizenship. Secondly, to get an OCI card, you need to submit the surrender certificate. It is one of the vital documents required during the OCI application process.

Yes, you can travel to India while waiting for your OCI card after your Indian passport surrender. However, you need to apply for a valid visa as per your traveling purpose to enter and exit the country. Once you get your OCI card, you can travel to Indian without applying for a visa.

No, you cannot apply for an OCI card in the USA immediately after renouncing your Indian citizenship. Before applying for the OCI card in the USA, you need to have an Indian citizenship surrender certificate. The renunciation process generally takes 45 days, so till then you have to wait for your certificate, and after getting that, apply for your OCI card.

To get a renunciation certificate for an OCI card in the USA, you need to apply online at the VFS Global center. By visiting the official site, fill out the Indian passport surrender certificate, submit the required documents, pay the fee, and book an appointment at your nearest VFS center for biometric data and physical submission of the documents. If everything goes well, you will get your renunciation certificate within the given processing time.

Yes, it is mandatory to surrender your Indian passport before applying for OCI in the USA, as India does not allow dual citizenship to its residents, and the OCI card is provided to foreign citizens of Indian origin. Additionally, the surrender certificate is one of the vital documents needed during the OCI application in the USA. It is used as proof that the applicant no longer holds Indian citizenship.

Renunciation of Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) means a foreign citizen of Indian origin, who holds an OCI card, formally gives up their OCI status and discontinues to be a registered overseas Indian citizen. It is a voluntary process where an individual declares to no more hold the OCI status and the Indian Central Government registers his/her declaration.

Whether you download your PAN card from NSDL, UTIITSL, or the Income Tax website, it is necessary to enter the OTP. So, you cannot download a PAN card online without an OTP.

Yes, e-PAN is considered a legal and valid proof of PAN, and it is accepted for all purposes whenever a physical PAN card is needed. It is issued by the income tax department and digitally signed in a PDF format.

Yes, you can download your PAN card PDF online from the official portals of NSDL, UTIITSL, or the Income Tax website by selecting "Request e-PAN card" or "Download PAN card."

You can download a digital PAN card by visiting the e-filing portal and clicking on the Instant e-PAN card. Enter all the details like Aadhaar number, PAN number, date of birth, etc., and write the captcha code displayed on the screen. After that, you will be able to download a digital PAN card.

No, updating your Aadhaar card online is not free of cost. You need to pay a fee for updation in Aadhaar. For any demographic update, the fee is Rs 50, for biometric updates, the fee is Rs 100, and for biometrics with demographic updates, the fee is Rs 100. This fee includes all the taxes.