2 min readMay 18, 2026 10:01 PM IST
The Centre on Monday notified draft changes to the Citizenship Rules, 2009 that would require certain applicants to declare possession or surrender passports issued by Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
In a gazette notification issued on Monday, 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. “The new provision, paragraph (iiiA), obliges applicants to state whether they hold a valid or expired passport issued by any of the three neighbouring countries. Those who possess such passports must provide passport details – number, date and place of issue, and expiry – and agree to surrender the document to the Senior Superintendent of Post or Superintendent of Post concerned within 15 days of citizenship approval,” the notification said.
According to the notification, the rules will come into force on the date of publication in the official gazette.
An MHA official described the amendment as an administrative clarification aimed at strengthening verification and record-keeping in citizenship cases.
Earlier this month, the Union Home Ministry 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.
