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Indian Passport Surrender Certificate after a legal name change

Hydwind

Member
Oct 1, 2023
12
0
In our Indian Passports, the last name was missing, when we migrated to Canada, we got our legal name changed, got the name change certificate, and updated all Canadian Govt. IDs.

Now since we need to surrender our Indian Citizenship / Passport by visiting BLS, I wonder do we need to fill in the details as per our Indian Passport (which has our old name) or Canadian Passport (which has a new name), as the names are different?

I personally think, since they will be issuing a surrender certificate, I should fill in the details as per the new Canadian passport so as the name on the surrender certificate is correct. We'll attach a name change certificate to support our claim. But I am not sure.

In case somebody has been through the same scenario, please advise. Thanks!
 

abab2022

Full Member
Aug 18, 2022
47
27
I managed to call them(BLS Toronto). Been told you will need Name Change Certificate when applying for OCI. For surrender certificate, all the details should match with the current INDIAN passport. Hope this helps.
 

OCanada!

Star Member
Apr 11, 2022
69
45
Waterloo
Going through a frustrating surrender certificate process myself. Curious if either of you went ahead with the name change before applying for surrender certificate? Did you end up filling your name as-is on the Indian passport with a name change certificate attached? I assume for OCI its more straightforward (as much as it can be when dealing with any Indian babus) - you just use the new name, provider surrender certificate and name change certificate?
 

milon45

Hero Member
Jul 10, 2023
233
11
In our Indian Passports, the last name was missing, when we migrated to Canada, we got our legal name changed, got the name change certificate, and updated all Canadian Govt. IDs.

Now since we need to surrender our Indian Citizenship / Passport by visiting BLS, I wonder do we need to fill in the details as per our Indian Passport (which has our old name) or Canadian Passport (which has a new name), as the names are different?

I think, since they will be issuing a surrender certificate, I should fill in the details as per the new Canadian passport so as the name on the surrender certificate is correct. We'll attach a name change certificate to support our claim. But I am not sure.

In case somebody has been through the same scenario, please advise. Thanks!
Font Generator -
In your case, it's advisable to fill in the details as per your new Canadian passport when submitting your surrender application for Indian citizenship. Since the surrender certificate will reflect your name change, it’s important to ensure that the correct, updated name appears on that certificate. Including your name change certificate as supporting documentation is a good step to clarify the name discrepancy. However, for exact guidance, it’s best to contact the BLS or the Indian embassy/consulate directly to confirm their process, as they may have specific instructions for such cases.