Getting back to Canada after travelling to India on an Indian passport

[Shiv9122]

@vic2015 is it ok if we apply exit permit with Indian passport in hand and surrender Indian passport once in Canada Or the only solution is the one you recommended?

 

[Shiv9122]

Yes, I'm back in Canada. I had a helluva time getting back. Do a 'walkin' to the Passport RPO in Delhi if you can't get an appointment to surrender your passport. 1) Surrender your Indian passport at RPO Delhi, (Not, Post Office Passport Seva Kendra). Do it in Delhi or a big RPO. They know what they are doing. 2) Apply online for an exit permit or a Visa (if you want to stay longer) on the FRRO website. 3)Print and carry the exit permit with you. Exit permit will give you couple of weeks to leave India.

The Canadian Embassy in Delhi is useless. They will just take 50 CAD from you to write a useless letter which is not needed by the Indian authorities.

Yes, I'm back in Canada. I had a helluva time getting back. Do a 'walkin' to the Passport RPO in Delhi if you can't get an appointment to surrender your passport. 1) Surrender your Indian passport at RPO Delhi, (Not, Post Office Passport Seva Kendra). Do it in Delhi or a big RPO. They know what they are doing. 2) Apply online for an exit permit or a Visa (if you want to stay longer) on the FRRO website. 3)Print and carry the exit permit with you. Exit permit will give you couple of weeks to leave India.

The Canadian Embassy in Delhi is useless. They will just take 50 CAD from you to write a useless letter which is not needed by the Indian authorities.

@vic2015 How long did it took you for the complete process since the day you surrendered passport application?

 

[vic2015]

@vic2015 is it ok if we apply exit permit with Indian passport in hand and surrender Indian passport once in Canada Or the only solution is the one you recommended?

For adults, No. They won't allow it. You have to surrender 1)Passport 2) Voter Ids(No mechanism for checking this). They won't give you exit permit without surrendering the Indian passport. I wish I knew this too. I would have surrendered in Canada and then left. Ask the RPO person if the baby's passport also needs to be surrendered. I don't know if it does. I remember reading something about it in the FRRO documentation when I filled the form for obtaining the surrender certificate. Please look into the FRRO form. It does mention something about baby's. But for adults, I'm positive that you HAVE to surrender the Indian Passport before leaving India.

 

[vic2015]

@vic2015 How long did it took you for the complete process since the day you surrendered passport application?

After getting the surrender certificate from the RPO, the FRRO took a week to give me the the exit permit. Tell the FRRO officer, if he contacts you that you can come in, in person to expedite the process. (It's probably not necessary and the FRRO website says that but they might give you exit permit on the spot).

Make sure you keep multiple copies of the passport before you surrender it because they kept my passport after surrender. So I don't have the actual passport to submit in the OCI card application.


I just want to add that it's a shame that we had to surrender our Indian passports. I felt really bad about it.

 

[Shiv9122]

For adults, No. They won't allow it. You have to surrender 1)Passport 2) Voter Ids(No mechanism for checking this). They won't give you exit permit without surrendering the Indian passport. I wish I knew this too. I would have surrendered in Canada and then left. Ask the RPO person if the baby's passport also needs to be surrendered. I don't know if it does. I remember reading something about it in the FRRO documentation when I filled the form for obtaining the surrender certificate. Please look into the FRRO form. It does mention something about baby's. But for adults, I'm positive that you HAVE to surrender the Indian Passport before leaving India.

@vic2015 In my case, my baby is born in India, me and wife don’t have any issues travelling back to Canada except for my little baby girl. If you have a link to FRRO regarding minors, can you please share it. I am worried coz i am in Canada and my family is in India.
I sincerely thank you for the info man.
Thank you

 

[vic2015]

@vic2015 In my case, my baby is born in India, me and wife don’t have any issues travelling back to Canada except for my little baby girl. If you have a link to FRRO regarding minors, can you please share it. I am worried coz i am in Canada and my family is in India.
I sincerely thank you for the info man.
Thank you

Send an email to whichever FRRO is closest to you asking about your situation. They will reply in 1-2 days. They take a long time, but they do reply:

FRRO Delhi 011-26711384 frrodli@nic.in FRRO Mumbai 022-22620446/022-22621167 helpdesk.mum-ivfrt@gov.in FRRO Chennai 044-28251721 chiochn@nic.in FRRO Bengaluru 080-22218183 Fax No. 080-22218196 frroblr.feedback@nic.in, frroblr-ka@nic.in FRRO Ahmedabad 079-26306606 afrro-boi.ahd@nic.in FRRO Amritsar 0183-2500464 frroasr@nic.in

FRRO Hyderabad 040-29880374, 040-29880375 frrohyd@nic.in FRRO Kolkata 033-22818640 frrokol@nic.in FRRO Lucknow 0522-2432431 frrolko@nic.in FRRO Trivandrum 0471-2333515/2573512 Fax No. 0471-2333514, 2573514 frrotvm@nic.in FRRO Kozhikode(Calicut) 0495-2323550 frro-clt@nic.in FRRO Cochin 0484-2611652 frro.cochin@nic.in

 

[forw.jane]

After getting the surrender certificate from the RPO, the FRRO took a week to give me the the exit permit. Tell the FRRO officer, if he contacts you that you can come in, in person to expedite the process. (It's probably not necessary and the FRRO website says that but they might give you exit permit on the spot).

Make sure you keep multiple copies of the passport before you surrender it because they kept my passport after surrender. So I don't have the actual passport to submit in the OCI card application.


I just want to add that it's a shame that we had to surrender our Indian passports. I felt really bad about it.

Won't you face issue in OCI card application without the passport?

 

[Shiv9122]

Yes, I'm back in Canada. I had a helluva time getting back. Do a 'walkin' to the Passport RPO in Delhi if you can't get an appointment to surrender your passport. 1) Surrender your Indian passport at RPO Delhi, (Not, Post Office Passport Seva Kendra). Do it in Delhi or a big RPO. They know what they are doing. 2) Apply online for an exit permit or a Visa (if you want to stay longer) on the FRRO website. 3)Print and carry the exit permit with you. Exit permit will give you couple of weeks to leave India.

The Canadian Embassy in Delhi is useless. They will just take 50 CAD from you to write a useless letter which is not needed by the Indian authorities.

Do we have to book an appointment with RPO in delhi or any other state?
Or can we walkin?
Thanks friend

 

[grps0012]

Hello

@Shiv9122 and @vic2015

I am also in similar situation. I came to India on Indian passport as Indian citizen then last month I got Oath invitation. Yes i did Oath outside Canada because they approved my request for outside oath. I applied for Canadian Passport in Chandigarh. now i am waiting for Canadian passport.

I contacted Amritsar FRRO regarding exit. They told me to surrender Indian passport and then apply for exit permit. I went to Amritsar RPO for surrender certificate but they did not issue me surrender certificate. they are saying we need affidavit with all travel history and when i got citizenship plus renunciation certificate for MEA. Renunciation certificate is very hard as process is u have to apply online and then visit DC for that. takes more then 60 days and i dont have that much time here in India.

so my questions is @vic2015

1. did RPO dehli ask you anything like this?
2. what are my options to travel back to Canada as i do have US visa too on indian passport plus its also not more than 3 months

Please if anyone can help

 

[vic2015]

Hello

@Shiv9122 and @vic2015

I am also in similar situation. I came to India on Indian passport as Indian citizen then last month I got Oath invitation. Yes i did Oath outside Canada because they approved my request for outside oath. I applied for Canadian Passport in Chandigarh. now i am waiting for Canadian passport.

I contacted Amritsar FRRO regarding exit. They told me to surrender Indian passport and then apply for exit permit. I went to Amritsar RPO for surrender certificate but they did not issue me surrender certificate. they are saying we need affidavit with all travel history and when i got citizenship plus renunciation certificate for MEA. Renunciation certificate is very hard as process is u have to apply online and then visit DC for that. takes more then 60 days and i dont have that much time here in India.

so my questions is @vic2015

1. did RPO dehli ask you anything like this?
2. what are my options to travel back to Canada as i do have US visa too on indian passport plus its also not more than 3 months

Please if anyone can help

1. No, the RPO that I got my surrender certificate from didn't ask me for renunciation certificate from MEA or an affidavit, that's insane. The documents that they require is online, I believe. This is why I said to go to RPO Delhi. Maybe this kind of nonsense won't happen there.

2. After obtaining your Canadian citizenship, you have a 3 month grace period to surrender your passport. Ask the Canadian Embassy in Delhi if they can issue you some travel document that will allow you to enter Canada via the US land border?

 

[abbas.pasha]

1. No, the RPO that I got my surrender certificate from didn't ask me for renunciation certificate from MEA or an affidavit, that's insane. The documents that they require is online, I believe. This is why I said to go to RPO Delhi. Maybe this kind of nonsense won't happen there.

2. After obtaining your Canadian citizenship, you have a 3 month grace period to surrender your passport. Ask the Canadian Embassy in Delhi if they can issue you some travel document that will allow you to enter Canada via the US land border?

After obtaining your Canadian citizenship, you have a 3 month grace period to surrender your passport.
https://eoi.gov.in/eoisearch/MyPrint.php?0834?001/0005
No Penalty: Passport not surrendered up to three years and not used for travel after obtaining foreign passport.

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. Therefore, no penalty will be leviable for travel on an Indian passport within three months of acquisition of a foreign passport.

 

[somak2001]

@vic2015 @grps0012

I have a few questions too on the situation. I became a Canadian citizen last week in Canada and my son (below 14 years) got the citizenship certificate too being in India, as he was exempted from oath ceremony. Can you guys pls let me know the steps I should take? My plan was as follows -

1. Apply for his Canadian passport. Can I do it from Canada as I have his certificate and original photo taken in the last 3 months.
2. Go to PSK and surrender Indian passport. Why are you guys suggesting RPO instead?
3. Get OCI from PSK (He is going to stay in India atleast another year). Or should we go for visa from FRRO?

Kindly guide on the steps I should take.

Thanks

 

[Srikanth99]

Yes, I'm back in Canada. I had a helluva time getting back. Do a 'walkin' to the Passport RPO in Delhi if you can't get an appointment to surrender your passport. 1) Surrender your Indian passport at RPO Delhi, (Not, Post Office Passport Seva Kendra). Do it in Delhi or a big RPO. They know what they are doing. 2) Apply online for an exit permit or a Visa (if you want to stay longer) on the FRRO website. 3)Print and carry the exit permit with you. Exit permit will give you couple of weeks to leave India.

The Canadian Embassy in Delhi is useless. They will just take 50 CAD from you to write a useless letter which is not needed by the Indian authorities.

Hey Vic,

I fell in the similar situation after India decided to suspend the visa services from today. But I have plans of going to India in November. I got my citizenship certificate today. If I get my Canadian passport now and go to India on Indian passport and spend let's say 4 months, I can still go to RPO and apply for surrender and get exit permit and come back to Canada without any issues ? also did you apply for OCI in Canada with Surrender certificate that you got from India, any issues with that as they took your passport?

Thanks in advance.

 

[forw.jane]

Hey Vic,

I fell in the similar situation after India decided to suspend the visa services from today. But I have plans of going to India in November. I got my citizenship certificate today. If I get my Canadian passport now and go to India on Indian passport and spend let's say 4 months, I can still go to RPO and apply for surrender and get exit permit and come back to Canada without any issues ? also did you apply for OCI in Canada with Surrender certificate that you got from India, any issues with that as they took your passport?

Thanks in advance.

The time @vic2015 applied things were pretty normal. Just be doubly sure exit permit for a Canadian citizen would still work.

 

[Bunny2590]

Yes, I'm back in Canada. I had a helluva time getting back. Do a 'walkin' to the Passport RPO in Delhi if you can't get an appointment to surrender your passport. 1) Surrender your Indian passport at RPO Delhi, (Not, Post Office Passport Seva Kendra). Do it in Delhi or a big RPO. They know what they are doing. 2) Apply online for an exit permit or a Visa (if you want to stay longer) on the FRRO website. 3)Print and carry the exit permit with you. Exit permit will give you couple of weeks to leave India.

The Canadian Embassy in Delhi is useless. They will just take 50 CAD from you to write a useless letter which is not needed by the Indian authorities.

Hi Bro can you help me what documents you have uploaded for exit permit on Frro and when should i surrender my passport as i am going in oct and coming back in November
If you reply will great help