Centre amends citizenship rules, applicants from 3 countries must declare passport status

The Centre has amended the Citizenship Rules, 2009, requiring applicants from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh seeking Indian citizenship to declare the status of passports issued by their native countries. The changes were notified by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) through a gazette notification issued on May 19.

Under the amended rules, applicants will now have to submit a declaration stating whether they possess a valid or expired passport issued by the governments of Pakistan, Afghanistan or Bangladesh.

The notification states that applicants “should not be in possession of a valid and/or expired passport” issued by these three countries while applying for Indian citizenship under the Citizenship Rules framework.

However, if an applicant is currently carrying an active passport, the person will be required to furnish details including the passport number, date of issue, place of issuance and date of expiry.

The latest amendment is linked to applications processed under provisions related to the Citizenship Act and comes amid the Centre’s continuing implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA).

The CAA provides a fast-track citizenship route for undocumented non-Muslim migrants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.

The government had formally notified CAA rules in March 2024 after several years of delay following the law’s passage in Parliament in 2019.

According to the existing framework, applicants under the CAA route must also submit declarations renouncing citizenship of their country of origin if their Indian citizenship application is approved.

The amended notification issued this week appears aimed at tightening documentation requirements and clarifying passport disclosure norms for applicants from the three neighbouring countries.

The Citizenship Rules, 2009 govern procedures relating to citizenship by registration, naturalisation and provisions linked to OCI and overseas applicants.

The Centre has introduced multiple amendments to these rules in recent months, including digital processes for Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders and online application systems.

Earlier this month, the government notified broader Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2026, introducing electronic application systems, digital renunciation procedures and revised passport-related norms for OCI cardholders and minors.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has not separately issued a detailed explanation on the rationale behind the latest amendment. However, officials said the change is intended to streamline scrutiny and verification of applicants seeking Indian citizenship.

The move comes amid continued political debate around the CAA and citizenship documentation rules in India. Opposition parties and civil society groups have previously raised concerns over the implementation of the citizenship law, while the government has maintained that the law only aims to provide refuge and citizenship to persecuted minorities from neighbouring countries.

Applications for Indian citizenship under the CAA framework continue to be processed through the official online citizenship portal managed by the government.