India’s Home Ministry has amended citizenship rules requiring applicants from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh to declare any previous or valid passports from those countries when applying for Indian citizenship.

The principal Citizenship Rules, originally notified on February 25, 2009 and last amended on March 11, 2024, have been updated with a new clause inserted in Schedule IC.

Under the revised provision, applicants must declare whether they possess a valid or expired passport issued by Pakistan, Afghanistan or Bangladesh.

Applicants are required to either confirm that they do not hold such a passport or provide full details, including passport number, date and place of issue, and expiry date if applicable.

The amendment further states that individuals holding such passports must surrender them to the concerned authorities within 15 days of approval of their citizenship application.

Officials said the change is intended to streamline documentation and improve procedural clarity in citizenship applications involving applicants from these countries.