Travel to India after oath on Indian passport

[adarshadatta]

Hello There - really looking forward to your support here if someone can help:
1. My citizenship oath date is on Nov 19th
2. My PR Card has expired ( renewal PR is in process - not yet got)
3. Travel Date to India is Dec 2nd

I am exploring options that are available for me to travel:
Option a) If I get my Citizenship Certificate before my travel date, should I apply for my canadian passport on urgent processing and travel to India on my India passport and return on Canadian passport?
Option b) If I get my Citizenship Certificate before my travel date, take it with me to India, enter India on my Indian passport, apply for my Canadian passport from the Canadian High Commission in India and then travel back on my Canadian passport?

Essentially, questions I need help with:
1. Can I travel to India after my oath on my Indian passport having my Canadian passport or should I go to India and then apply for Candian passport?

I read this "Even after acquiring the Canadian citizenship, the Indian passport can be used to travel for 3 months from the day of getting the Canadian citizenship. The grace period is only for such cases where foreign citizenship has been acquired but a foreign passport is not available to the person. It is also mentioned that it is illegal to travel on an Indian passport, where a person has obtained a foreign passport. " and I feel I should apply for Canadian passport from India once I am there. and not before I travel.

I am not keen on postponing my travel date as there is a family emergency. Would really appreciate your help if anyone knows how to navigate this.

Thanks,
Adarsha

 

[nerd]

you can travel on indian passport and come back on canadian passport. I have a friend who did this.
At immigration in india, just tell them it is within 3 months grace period. They let him travel without any issues.
hope this helps.
nerd.

 

[adarshadatta]

you can travel on indian passport and come back on canadian passport. I have a friend who did this.
At immigration in india, just tell them it is within 3 months grace period. They let him travel without any issues.
hope this helps.
nerd.

Thank you so much for the response - appreciate it. Do you know if he applied for Canadian passport from India or from Canada before leaving?

 

[lifein360]

you can travel on indian passport and come back on canadian passport. I have a friend who did this.
At immigration in india, just tell them it is within 3 months grace period. They let him travel without any issues.
hope this helps.
nerd.

@rajkamalmohanram seems you can use your Indian passport to travel and Canadian passport to exit without issues as long as it is within 3 month grace period.

@adarshadatta FYI, please confirm this with BLS or Indian consulate instead of relying on this forum alone before you travel.

 

[rajkamalmohanram]

@rajkamalmohanram seems you can use your Indian passport to travel and Canadian passport to exit without issues as long as it is within 3 month grace period.

@adarshadatta FYI, please confirm this with BLS or Indian consulate instead of relying on this forum alone before you travel.

Thanks. I guess we have to confirm this with the consulate before deciding to try it out. This could be a YMMV kind of situation; have to be very careful.

 

[cecapplied]

The response is partially correct and if the member were to follow this, he will have problems in exiting india.

It is true, one can use the indian passport for travel (including to india)

However, to exit out of india, you will need a indian exit permit. You will have to first surrender your indian passport, and then apply for exit permit

here is the website to get an exit permit.

https://indianfrro.gov.in/eservices/home.jsp

Without an exit permit, you will not be allowed out of india.

 

[rajkamalmohanram]

The response is partially correct and if the member were to follow this, he will have problems in exiting india.

It is true, one can use the indian passport for travel (including to india)

However, to exit out of india, you will need a indian exit permit. You will have to first surrender your indian passport, and then apply for exit permit

here is the website to get an exit permit.

https://indianfrro.gov.in/eservices/home.jsp

Without an exit permit, you will not be allowed out of india.

That's right. Change in passport would mandate that the traveler has to get an Exit Permit from the concerned FRRO office responsible for the jurisdiction the person is residing.

 

[Suh1756]

I am in the same situation and called my respective FRRO directly. They said - Exit permit is required in this situation where I would be exiting India on a Canadian passport acquired in India. Before I could apply for the exit permit I have to have the Indian passport surrendered.

 

[lifein360]

you can travel on indian passport and come back on canadian passport. I have a friend who did this.
At immigration in india, just tell them it is within 3 months grace period. They let him travel without any issues.
hope this helps.
nerd.

This is misleading information FYI

 

[rajkamalmohanram]

I am in the same situation and called my respective FRRO directly. They said - Exit permit is required in this situation where I would be exiting India on a Canadian passport acquired in India. Before I could apply for the exit permit I have to have the Indian passport surrendered.

This might work for people who are planning to stay in India for a relatively long period of time (like 1.5 to 2 months) so that they have time to surrender their passport and then get their exit permit.

 

[cecapplied]

This might work for people who are planning to stay in India for a relatively long period of time (like 1.5 to 2 months) so that they have time to surrender their passport and then get their exit permit.

You are right. I went through a similar process, it took me about 45 days.

The challenge comes down to this.

1. you enter india on a indian passport, they stamp the entry date on the indian passport.
2. when you leave india, they ask you for passport
a. you provide the indian passport (which has the entry stamp) and they ask you for your immigration/visa document of the country you go to - and you dont have any because they take away the PR card from you. Without a valid immigration/visa, the indian immigration will not let you through.
b. you provide the canadian passport, and the immigration officer will ask - where is your entry stamp - and you dont have any. If you present now the indian passport with the entry stamp, they will ask you the exit permit.
3. you cannot get an exit permit, if you are indian passport holder, so you have to surrender it first.
4. after surrender is complete, you can apply for stay visa (they also call it an entry visa i think) - because now that you have surrendered your indian passport, you are a "foreign" passport holder and you will need a permit to stay in india.
5. after your get your stay permit, you are now eligible for the exit permit.

Very very painful, considering nothing is formally documented.

Good luck OP @adarshadatta

 

[Suh1756]

You are right. I went through a similar process, it took me about 45 days.

The challenge comes down to this.

1. you enter india on a indian passport, they stamp the entry date on the indian passport.
2. when you leave india, they ask you for passport
a. you provide the indian passport (which has the entry stamp) and they ask you for your immigration/visa document of the country you go to - and you dont have any because they take away the PR card from you. Without a valid immigration/visa, the indian immigration will not let you through.
b. you provide the canadian passport, and the immigration officer will ask - where is your entry stamp - and you dont have any. If you present now the indian passport with the entry stamp, they will ask you the exit permit.
3. you cannot get an exit permit, if you are indian passport holder, so you have to surrender it first.
4. after surrender is complete, you can apply for stay visa (they also call it an entry visa i think) - because now that you have surrendered your indian passport, you are a "foreign" passport holder and you will need a permit to stay in india.
5. after your get your stay permit, you are now eligible for the exit permit.

Very very painful, considering nothing is formally documented.

Good luck OP @adarshadatta

Good information. I won't have 45 days in India. That said, my travel plans are now in jeopardy.

 

[cecapplied]

Good information. I won't have 45 days in India. That said, my travel plans are now in jeopardy.

I hear you, and congratulations on your citizenship

 

[footyluv]

I hear you, and congratulations on your citizenship

Hello @cecapplied and others - Your suggestsions/advice is much appricieated as I am in a similar unique position (perhaps more complicated than OPs)

I(Canada PR holder) had to relocate to India for unavoidable circumstances in October last year while my Canada Citizenship process was in place.

So currently , I have moved to India and living and working here since last 6 months.

I received my online Canada citizenship test invite and I have completed it successfully last week.

So now , is there a way I can proceed with the rest my Canada citizenship process while being in India? Perhaps the only thing remaining is the oath ceremony and application of the Canadian passport. Can I do that while being in India?

 

[akbardxb]

Hello @cecapplied and others - Your suggestsions/advice is much appricieated as I am in a similar unique position (perhaps more complicated than OPs)

I(Canada PR holder) had to relocate to India for unavoidable circumstances in October last year while my Canada Citizenship process was in place.

So currently , I have moved to India and living and working here since last 6 months.

I received my online Canada citizenship test invite and I have completed it successfully last week.

So now , is there a way I can proceed with the rest my Canada citizenship process while being in India? Perhaps the only thing remaining is the oath ceremony and application of the Canadian passport. Can I do that while being in India?

You will NOT be able to take Oath if you are outside Canada. That is one of the first questions asked during the online Oath ceremony.

Once you become a citizen with the certificate you can relocate to India with your Indian passport and get your Canadian passport made there but coming back to Canada will be a little more tedious - you will have to consider cancelling your Indian passport locally, getting a stay in India visa and finally get an exit permit to leave India with your Canadian passport.