Giving up citizenship

[Rifte]

My take on this.

I live around 6 to 9 months of the year in India.

I am white guy with a British passport and an OCI card. My main business is also in immigration and migration, so I deal with this issue a lot.

Generally speaking most Indian people would swap their Indian citizenship for citizenship in a developed country in a heartbeat, and they are willing to pay what it takes for this to happen.

As you will know the Indian passport is fundamentally useless for travel. There are only a handful of countries which you may be interested in going to which offer visa on arrival. The inconvenience of this cannot be understated. Its a ballache of the highest order and it can get expensive.

Indian citizens are also seen as being a demographic that are highly likely to migrate, so embassies etc around the world view them with a certain level of skepticism.

If you have the chance to get a British passport and ditch your Indian passport and keep an OCI this is a no brainer. IMO there is ZERO advantage by carrying that black passport, its useless.

In respect of convenience citizenship? If he has the right to apply for citizenship then he can, irrespective of anyone's thoughts. The moral issue of should or shouldn't is not relevant IMO. Also the issue is India , not the UK. Its India that takes issue with dual citizenship. I am sure if the OP could have both passports he would do.

What will you lose aside from the money in applying for a British passport, surrendering your Indian passport (yes this has a cost unbelievably and its not cheap!) and applying for an OCI?

1)Basic voting right and the right to stand in a electoral post.
2)Cant hold a constitutional post in India
3)Cant purchase FARM land.

I own property in India in Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Udaipur so its not an issue to settle yourself here if you want to either.

 

[Destination]

I am a dual national (british and non EU), have been British for about 10 years now but hold both passports. I only declare whichever citizenship is most helpful in every day life. I have often arrived in a country where my birth nationality is more useful using its passport coming back home to the UK using my British (which I believe is a legal requirement).

I thought it would be an issue with getting some jobs, but the real problem is not having citizenship with another country but being born else where.

that part highlighted is interesting, where do you think this legal requirement comes from?
Oddly enough, i thought you should leave and arrive using the same documentation, preferaably the passport you booked your tickets under. As it is a requirement of most airlines to lodge a passport type and number when booking international travel now.

Have you been booking under one set of documents then producing a different set at the border control?

 

[Sudden]

My take on this.

I live around 6 to 9 months of the year in India.

I am white guy with a British passport and an OCI card. My main business is also in immigration and migration, so I deal with this issue a lot.

Generally speaking most Indian people would swap their Indian citizenship for citizenship in a developed country in a heartbeat, and they are willing to pay what it takes for this to happen.

As you will know the Indian passport is fundamentally useless for travel. There are only a handful of countries which you may be interested in going to which offer visa on arrival. The inconvenience of this cannot be understated. Its a ballache of the highest order and it can get expensive.

Indian citizens are also seen as being a demographic that are highly likely to migrate, so embassies etc around the world view them with a certain level of skepticism.

If you have the chance to get a British passport and ditch your Indian passport and keep an OCI this is a no brainer. IMO there is ZERO advantage by carrying that black passport, its useless.

In respect of convenience citizenship? If he has the right to apply for citizenship then he can, irrespective of anyone's thoughts. The moral issue of should or shouldn't is not relevant IMO. Also the issue is India , not the UK. Its India that takes issue with dual citizenship. I am sure if the OP could have both passports he would do.

What will you lose aside from the money in applying for a British passport, surrendering your Indian passport (yes this has a cost unbelievably and its not cheap!) and applying for an OCI?

1)Basic voting right and the right to stand in a electoral post.
2)Cant hold a constitutional post in India
3)Cant purchase FARM land.

I own property in India in Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Udaipur so its not an issue to settle yourself here if you want to either.

Thanks for that. Interesting take. Agree with the passport being pretty bad for travel. Main reason I wanted to move. The money part is minimal (relatively speaking). Was just the emotional/sentimental part of it which made me doubt the decision. But practically, it does make a lot more sense. Yes, plan to apply for OCI once I get my UK citizenship and surrender the Indian one.

 

[Mr Jack]

I'd wait to see what happens on June 23rd. If Brexiters get their way, UK citizenship may be about to get much less valuable.

 

[dowie]

I am white guy with a British passport and an OCI card. My main business is also in immigration and migration, so I deal with this issue a lot.

Did you marry a citizen or OCI card holder or something? Or are you some kind of rare white British-Indian who's grandparents/parents stayed there after independence?

 

[OllyM]

that part highlighted is interesting, where do you think this legal requirement comes from?
Oddly enough, i thought you should leave and arrive using the same documentation, preferaably the passport you booked your tickets under. As it is a requirement of most airlines to lodge a passport type and number when booking international travel now.

Have you been booking under one set of documents then producing a different set at the border control?

It's not a legal requirement for UK citizens at the moment. You can enter the UK using a foreign passport even if you have UK citizenship.

Some countries do require their citizens to enter and leave with the corresponding passport though - the US is one, and Australia too I think.

If you're a dual UK and US citizen flying from the US to the UK you'd probably check in using your UK passport, but on the return trip you'd have to use your US passport to be able to board the flight.

 

[Tefal]

If you were on a plane that gets hijacked by terrorists and they confiscate everyone's passport, I'd rather hand over an Indian passport than a British one.

I HATE it when that happens.

 

[Rifte]

Did you marry a citizen or OCI card holder or something? Or are you some kind of rare white British-Indian who's grandparents/parents stayed there after independence?

My wife was born in India and through this was able to apply for an OCI, the children and me were able to piggy back on this.