India Announces Citizenship Rule Amendment For Afghan, Bangladeshi, Pakistani Applicants

India's home ministry has announced amendments to citizenship rules in the country, which now require applicants from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh to disclose their previous passports when applying for Indian citizenship.

The principal Citizenship Rules were originally notified on February 25, 2009 and were last amended on March 11, 2024.

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As part of the changes, a new clause has been inserted in "Schedule IC of the Citizenship Rules."

The new clause requires applicants to "declare whether they possess a valid or expired passport issued by the governments of Pakistan, Afghanistan, or Bangladesh."

Under the revised provision, "Applicants must either confirm that they do not hold such a passport or provide detailed information if they do, including passport number, date and place of issue, and date of expiry."

It adds that those who have such passports must "surrender them to the concerned postal authorities within 15 days of approval of their citizenship application."

Officials said the amendment aims to streamline documentation and strengthen procedural clarity in citizenship applications involving individuals from these countries.

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