Indian Renunciation certificate fee

[helpoci]

I got my OCI card in the year 2008, but I never applied for any renunciation certificate. At the time of obtaining OCI card, they returned Indian passport without any "cancel" stamp. Now I need to apply for Renunciation certificate which is required to transfer OCI sticker from old passport to new passport for my kid, but it looks like there is $250 penalty besides with $40 regular fee. Is this penalty is mandatory? I have not been notified about any rule changes and I also never looked at website. Is there any way we can avoid not paying the penalty to get the renunciation certificate.
Does any one paid this penalty to obtain the Renunciation certificate?

[milli]

I got my OCI card in the year 2008, but I never applied for any renunciation certificate. At the time of obtaining OCI card, they returned Indian passport without any "cancel" stamp. Now I need to apply for Renunciation certificate which is required to transfer OCI sticker from old passport to new passport for my kid, but it looks like there is $250 penalty besides with $40 regular fee. Is this penalty is mandatory? I have not been notified about any rule changes and I also never looked at website. Is there any way we can avoid not paying the penalty to get the renunciation certificate.
Does any one paid this penalty to obtain the Renunciation certificate?

If it says you have to pay the penalty there is no way around it. Surrendering the indian passport after obtaining citizenship in another country was always a requirement. They have recently started enforcing it.

[buddyboy]

I am in the same boat. Got my OCI in 2008. Sent the Indian passport along with the application which was returned without being cancelled. If it was always a requirement why did they not cancel it then when I did send it to them. And if they decide to enforce it now, they should be informing people. Not my fault that I didn't keep checking for all these "sudden" brain waves that these jokers get.

[milli]

I am in the same boat. Got my OCI in 2008. Sent the Indian passport along with the application which was returned without being cancelled. If it was always a requirement why did they not cancel it then when I did send it to them. And if they decide to enforce it now, they should be informing people. Not my fault that I didn't keep checking for all these "sudden" brain waves that these jokers get.

Cancellation/Surrender is a different service than getting an OCI. When you got it in 2008 there was no requirement for OCI to include your surrender certificate but however surrendering your passport after acquiring foreign citizenship is always mentioned in the passport. Now all they are trying to do is to enforce it and make some revenue for the country.

[cafeconleche]

The fact that you have OCI means you have been honest about your new citizenship, and the embassy/consulate knows you are no longer an Indian citizen, so you do NOT have to pay the penalty. You will, however, have to pay the lower renunciation fee amount.

[buddyboy]

Can I surrender passport while visiting India

Hi. Does anyone have any experience with renouncing Indian citizenship while visiting India. I am just trying to avoid the $250 penalty charged by the missions here in the US. If so, where (in Chennai) can I go and surrender the passport and cert a surrender cert? And what are the fees associated with this? Thanks.

Just to be clear, I will be entering India with my US passport and OCI. Now, I would like to surrender my Indian passport and get a surrender cert while in India. Is that possible. In my case, I got my US citizenship back in 2008 and I got my OCI done at that time as well. So, now its well over 5 years, so the $250 penalty applies. I am trying to find out if I can avoid this penalty if I get the renunciation done in India.