Overview
As per the Passports Act 1967, it is mandatory for all Indian passport holders to surrender their passports to the nearest Indian Mission/Post immediately after acquisition of foreign nationality.
Applicants can do this through any ICAC in Spain.
Categories of surrender are as below:
- Surrender Certificate: If foreign citizenship was obtained before June 2010
- Renunciation: If foreign citizenship was obtained after June 2010. Applicants would be required to apply for Surrender and Renunciation if they are holding an Indian passport and acquired Foreign Citizenship after 01 June 2010
The renunciation / surrender certificate procedure and fee structure is based on the date, the person of Indian origin, has acquired Spanish/Foreign Citizenship.
| If the Date of Spanish/ Foreign Citizenship is on or before 31 May 2010 |
If the Date of Spanish/ Foreign Citizenship is after 01 June 2010 |
Misuse of Indian passports constitutes an offence under Section 12(1A) of the Passports Act 1967. A grace period of three months is allowed from the date of acquisition of foreign citizenship, for the purpose of travel on an Indian Passport and no penalty will be levied.
Government of India has decided that the declarations of renunciation (Form XXII) of Indian citizenship is to be done through online system only. The steps of the new procedure are as follows:
The applicant would fill his/her details online and upload the relevant documents on the online portal of MHA viz. https://indiancitizenshiponline.nic.in/.
Minor applicants are not required to fill an online declaration for Renunciation of Indian citizenship through the MHA portal. They are only required to complete the online application for Passport Surrender Certificate at URL - https://portal3.passportindia.gov.in/Online/index.html and submit a print-out of this application at a BLS service centre along with the required documents:
The applicant would take print-out of his online application and visit the BLS’s Office, for interview, signing the declaration and to submit the print-out of the application with supporting documents.
A person who has ceased to be Indian citizen is required to surrender the documents which he had acquired on the basis of his Indian Citizenship (e.g. Voter ID Card etc.) to the authorities concerned.
Important: Please click here to view updated Advisory on Surrender or Renunciation Certificate
Important: The Embassy will not be in a position to render services like OCI cards or visa until the Indian passport has been duly surrendered on acquisition of foreign nationality.
Fees
Please note
The latter can be accepted, refused or modified by the Embassy of India in its full right. Once fees have been paid, they cannot be refunded, even in a case of an application refusal or cancellation.
The price of your application is made up of fixed service charges and variable consular charges. Please consult the fees chart below in order to calculate the total amount to pay.
Fees Brochure: Click here
Documents Required
Kindly print the check list which corresponds with the service you wish to apply for and attach it with your application. It must be filled in and signed. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
Print Surrender Or Renunciation Certificate Checklist
Photo Specifications
In case of passport or OCI card applications applicants must strictly follow the below guidelines. Note that your application may be refused due to incorrect photos.
A photo service is available in our centres however this may not be suitable in the case of new born babies and young children. We therefore advise you to obtain the photos before visiting the centre in these cases.
- The photograph should be in colour and of the size of 2 inches x 2 inches (51 mm x 51 mm)
- The photo-print should be clear and with a continuous-tone quality.
- It should have full face, front view, eyes open.
- Photo should present full head from top of hair to bottom of chin.
- Centre head within frame.
- The background should be a plain white or off-white.
- There should not be any distracting shadows on the face or on the background.
- Head coverings are not permitted except for religious reasons, but the facial features from bottom of chin to top of forehead and both edges of the face must be clearly shown.
- The expression on the face should look natural.
Do's and Dont's for a Proper photo:
(i)Front View
- The photo should capture full face, front view, with eyes open. The head should be in the centre of the frame.
- There should be no distracting shadows on the face or background.
- Make sure photo presents full head from top of hair to bottom of chin; height of head should measure 1 inch to 1-3/8 inches (25 mm to 35 mm).
- Make sure eye height is between 1-1/8 inches to 1-3.
(ii)Lighting on face and background
- The light should be even and balanced to avoid shadows on the face.
- Background behind the face should be properly illuminated to avoid shadows in the background.
(iii) Photograph Print Properties
- The photograph should be in size 2 inch x 2 inch (51 mm x 51 mm) and in colour.
- Print photo on thin photo paper or stock.
- Ensure the print is clear and has a continuous-tone quality.
- Do not retouch or otherwise enhance or soften the photo.
(iv) Resolution and Printing Quality
- High-resolution photography and printing are strongly recommended.
- Both conventional and digital photography are acceptable, and conventional or digital printing methods may be used.
- Resulting print should exhibit a continuous - tone quality regardless of the print method used (dye sublimation, ink jet, laser, etc.)
- Digitally printed photos should be produced without visible pixels or dot patterns and should be of high quality colour.
- Fine facial features should be discernible.
(v) Contrast and Colour
- Brightness and contrast should be adjusted to present the subject and background accurately.
- Photos without proper contrast or colour may obscure unique facial features. Colour should reproduce natural skin tones.
- Fluorescent or other lighting with unbalanced colour may cause unwanted colour cast in the photo. Appropriate filters can eliminate improper colour balance.
(vi) Head & Eyes- Position and Background
- Head should face the camera directly and should not tilt or turned(portrait style).
- Photo must show both edges of the face clearly.
- The eyes must be open, level and clearly visible and must not be covered by hairs or eye-glass frames.
(vii) Eyeglasses
- Glare on eyeglasses should be avoided with a slight upward or downward tilt of the head. No tinted or dark glasses.
(viii) Head coverings
- Glare on eyeglasses should be avoided with a slight upward or downward tilt of the head. No tinted or dark glasses.It is not permitted except for religious reasons, but the facial features from bottom of chin to top of forehead and both edges of the face must be clearly shown.
(ix) Exposure and Lighting
- There should not be any over-exposure or under-exposure which results in an unusable photo.
- There should be a three-point balanced lighting. Facial features
- should be clearly evident in the photo.
- Lighting should be adjusted to avoid shadows on the face or background. Diffuse sources of light, such as umbrella lights, are preferable to point sources.
(x) Flexibility in Children's photographs
- Babies under one year do not have to have their eyes open.
- As regards the photograph of the children under ten years of age, requirements can be somewhat relaxed in respect of height of the face, and the position of the eyes in the photographs; and in case of babies and infants also, the position of the face, the facial expression, the eyes and the line of sight can have some relaxation. However, a frontal photograph with clarity is required for children. It should show the child alone (no chair backs, toys or other people visible), looking at the camera with a neutral expression and the mouth closed.
Processing Time
Kindly note that obtaining consular service documents is not automatic; your application may be accepted, modified or refused by the Embassy of India in its full right.
Applications processed individually
Each application is processed individually by the Embassy of India: as a result processing times may vary between applications that appear to be similar.
Minimum processing times
The company BLS has no influence over the processing times of a consular services application: these depend essentially on the Embassy of India and to a lesser extent on the postal services (in case you have opted for a return courier service). We are therefore not in a position to guarantee maximum processing times. We are only able to communicate minimum processing times, provided for information purposes only.
| Minimum processing times for a Consular Services application |
| Mode of Submission |
Minimum Processing Time |
| In Madrid |
Minimum 2-4 months but may take longer |
| In Barcelona |
Minimum 2-4 months but may take longer |
| In Tenerife |
Minimum 2-4 months but may take longer |
| The Embassy of India reserves the right to withhold any application submitted for an in-depth examination |
Download Form
As a private outsourcing partner of the Embassy of India, Madrid, BLS has no influence over the content of the application forms and are not in a position to modify their content or structure.
Instructions to fill in the application form
- Applicants must fill the form in block capitals
- The form should be signed and dated accordingly
Please note that if the supporting documents provided are not satisfactory, the applicant will be asked to provide more documentary evidence.
