Surrender Certificate CGI NY

[hlathia]

I would like to start a new thread to share experiences of people obtaining a Surrender Certificate from CGI NY. Has any one applied and received one having lost the old Indian passport and no records of its particulars? Making an affidavit and getting a police report is not difficult, but getting the passport particulars is not easy if you do not have any records.

I just got my SC for an expired old (1975) passport. Luckily I had the old passport so it was a pretty straight forward process. It took about three weeks to get a Surrender Certificate from CGI NY. They sent me a Surrender Certificate (bottom of application form stamped and signed, with some numbers hand written on the top of application) and my old passport returned as it was (no cancellation stamp).

[shahkr]

surrender certificate by NYC consulate clerification

Please check this text from indian embassy NYC
Does it mean no certificate is necessary?
please help to interpret it.

Important Advisory regarding 'Cancellation of Indian passport/Obtaining Surrender Certificate
Please be informed that there is no mandatory requirement for Persons of Indian Origin to carry their Surrender Certificates or cancelled Indian passports while travelling to India. However, if the Indian immigration authorities find Persons of Indian Origin entering into India in possession of valid and non-cancelled Indian passports, they will seize such passports

immihelp please any comment from you

[hlathia]

Surrender Certificate Requirement

A Surrender Certificate is not required to travel to India, but it is required to apply for an OCI or a PIO card, get a new visa, renew an existing visa, transfer an existing visa to a new passport or for any service required from the Indian consulate. Since this issue of Surrender Certificate has recently created so many problems for lot of PIOs, these Indian consulates should come up with a comprehensive document on this subject and post it on their web sites. Obtaining a Surrender Certificate is not a complicated process if one has an Indian passport. It is a hassle for those who became US citizens long time ago and have not kept the old Indian passort or its details. I am currently working with a person who is trying to get a Surrender Certificate who does not have the old passport. I will update on this forum on how this process goes.