The Hindu : Front Page : What is dual citizenship

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jan 08, 2005

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What is dual citizenship

By Amit Baruah

NEW DELHI, JAN. 7. On December 23, 2003, Parliament passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2003. Those eligible to become citizens of India as on January 26, 1950, could now apply for dual Indian citizenship. Rules giving effect to this were notified in March 2004.

Dual citizenship allows the person to live in India indefinitely, unlike the Person of Indian Origin (PIO) card, which permitted a single stay for a period of six months. Dual citizens do not have voting rights. Neither can they be elected to public office. As per the amended law, persons of Indian origin who were citizens of Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Cyprus, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States were eligible to apply for dual citizenship.

Today's announcement by the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, extends dual citizenship to all PIOs who migrated from India after January 26, 1950. It addresses a major anomaly that restricted dual citizenship to principally developed, Western nations. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act now needs to be amended further because the previous list specified 16 nations.

Taxation laws applying to dual citizens are similar to those applicable to Non-Resident Indians (NRIs). Dual taxation avoidance agreements signed by India with other countries are applicable. Any person who has been at any time a citizen of Pakistan, Bangladesh or any other country that the Central Government may notify in future is not entitled to dual citizenship.

The process of registering dual citizens has already commenced. Forms can be filled and submitted to the Indian collectorate or consulate concerned. They are available on the websites of select Indian missions abroad. So far, the process of registration is slow, information with the External Affairs Ministry suggests.

Obtaining dual citizenship costs $275.

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