Digital Goa, April 21 – Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) has issued a memorandum on April 4 stating that the Ministry has decided to accept ‘revocation certificate’ as an alternative document in lieu of ‘surrender certificate’ from those applying for Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) status. The move is likely to provide relief for Goans whose Indian passports were revoked as they had acquired Portuguese citizenship. According to office memorandum issued by the MEA to all the passport issuing authorities, they have been instructed to issue ‘revocation certificates’ in all surrender applications where Indian passports were issued by suppression of material information. A ‘surrender certificate’ issued by passport-issuing authorities has so far been a requirement for those who want to apply for OCI cards. After a November 30, 2022 MEA memorandum, authorities began revoking the passports of people from Goa, who had acquired Portuguese citizenship, for “suppressing material information” about acquiring foreign nationality. Passport authorities then stopped handing out surrender certificates to such people, thereby rendering them ineligible to obtain an OCI card.
MEA’s decision will provide relief to thousands of Goans & their families: CM
Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) has issued clarification that Revocation Certificate will also be a valid document in lieu of Surrender Certificate for obtaining OCI Card, informed CM Pramod Sawant. Thanking the Center for accepting the request of the State Government and taking the decision, Sawant said it would provide huge relief to thousands of Goan and their families. Ministry of External Affairs had issued a memorandum to Passports Authorities in India and abroad stating, “MHA has now decided to accept “Revocation Certificate as an alternative documents in lieu of Surrender Certificate in case of Indian nationals hailing from erstwhile Portuguese territories in India (Goa, Daman & Diu), who have acquired Portuguese nationality as per Portuguese Nationality Law, and who have been issued “Revocation Order” by the RPOs Instead of Surrender Certificate.”
