**Executive Summary**
The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2026, to further amend the Citizenship Rules, 2009. Published on May 18, 2026, these rules mandate that applicants for citizenship declare and subsequently surrender any valid or expired passports from specific neighboring countries. The surrender of such documents must be completed within 15 days of the approval of the citizenship application.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Amendment Authority and Commencement**
* The rules are framed under Section 18 of the Citizenship Act, 1955, and are titled the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2026.
* These rules come into force immediately upon their publication in the Official Gazette (May 18, 2026).
* **Changes to Schedule IC**
* A new paragraph (iiiA) is inserted into Schedule IC of the Citizenship Rules, 2009.
* Applicants must now formally declare if they are in possession of valid or expired passports issued by the governments of Pakistan, Afghanistan, or Bangladesh.
* **Required Passport Documentation**
* If an applicant possesses such a passport, they must provide specific details: Passport Number, Date of Issue, Place of Issue, and Date of Expiry.
* **Surrender Mandate and Timeline**
* Applicants must provide a signed undertaking to surrender their valid or expired Pakistani, Afghanistani, or Bangladeshi passports.
* The surrender must be made to the concerned Senior Superintendent of Post or Superintendent of Post.
* The mandatory timeline for this surrender is within 15 days of the approval of the citizenship application.
**Impact Analysis**
**Applicants for Indian Citizenship (from Pakistan, Afghanistan, or Bangladesh)**
**Impact**
They are now subject to stricter disclosure requirements regarding their previous or current foreign travel documents. They are legally bound to relinquish these documents upon the approval of their Indian citizenship.
**Action Required**
Disclose all valid or expired passport details from the specified countries in their application and surrender those passports to the designated postal authority within 15 days of application approval.
**Senior Superintendent of Post / Superintendent of Post**
**Impact**
These officials are designated as the receiving authorities for surrendered foreign passports under these rules.
**Action Required**
Facilitate the receipt and processing of surrendered passports from applicants whose citizenship has been approved.
Key Entities Referenced
Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2026: The specific rules introduced to amend the Citizenship Rules, 2009, regarding passport disclosures for citizenship applications.
Citizenship Act, 1955: The primary legislative act (specifically Section 18) that grants the Central Government the power to frame and amend citizenship-related rules.
Citizenship Rules, 2009: The principal set of rules being modified to include new requirements for surrendering foreign passports under Schedule IC.
Ministry of Home Affairs: The primary government ministry responsible for issuing this notification and overseeing citizenship regulations.
Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh: The specific countries of origin for which applicants must declare and surrender valid or expired passports within 15 days of citizenship approval.
रजिस्ट्री स.ं डी.एल.- 33004/99 REGD. No. D. L.-33004/99
सी.जी.-डी.एल.-अ.-18052026-272660
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असाधारण
EXTRAORDINARY
भाग II—खण् ड 3—उप-खण्ड (i)
PART II—Section 3—Sub-section (i)
प्राजधकार स ेप्रकाजित
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY
स.ं 334] नई दिल्ली, सोमवार, मई 18, 2026/विै ाख 28, 1948
No. 334] NEW DELHI, MONDAY, MAY 18, 2026/VAISAKHA 28, 1948
गहृ मत्रं ालय
अजधसचू ना
नई दिल्ली, 18 मई, 2026
सा.का.जन. 369(अ).— केंद्रीय सरकार, नागररकता अजधजनयम, 1955 (1955 का 57) की धारा 18 द्वारा प्रित्त
िजियों का प्रयोग करते हुए, नागररकता जनयम, 2009 का और संिोधन करन ेके जलए जनम्नजलजखत जनयम बनाती ह,ै अर्ाात्:-
1. सजं िप्त नाम और प्रारंभ- (1) इन जनयमों का संजिप्त नाम नागररकता (संिोधन) जनयम, 2026 ह।ै
(2) य ेरािपत्र में उनके प्रकािन की तारीख को प्रवृत्त होंगे।
2. नागररकता जनयम, 2009 म,ें अनुसूची-IC के अतं गता , पैरा (iii) के बाि जनम्नजलजखत परै ा सजममजलत दकया िाए:-
“ (iiiक) मैं पादकस्ट्तान/अफ़गाजनस्ट्तान/बांग्लािेि सरकार द्वारा िारी दकए गए वैध और/या वैधता समाप्त हो
चुके पासपोर्ा(पासपोर्ों) का धारक नहीं ह।ूँ
या
मैं पादकस्ट्तान/अफ़गाजनस्ट्तान/बांग्लािेि सरकार द्वारा िारी दकए गए वैध और/या वैधता समाप्त हो
चुके पासपोर्ा (पासपोर्ों) का धारक ह,ूँ जिनका जववरण जनम्नानुसार ह:ै-
पासपोर्ा संख्या: ……………
3535 GI/2026 (1)2 THE GAZETTE OF INDIA : EXTRAORDINARY [PART II—SEC. 3(i)]
िारी करन े की जतजर्: …………
िारी करन े का स्ट्र्ान: …………
वैधता समाजप्त की जतजर्: …………
मैं यह स्ट्वीकार करता/करती ह ूँदक नागररकता आवेिन की स्ट्वीकृजत के 15 दिनों के भीतर अपना
वैध और/या वैधता समाप्त पादकस्ट्तानी/अफ़गाजनस्ट्तानी/बांग्लाििे ी पासपोर्ा संबंजधत वररष्ठ
अधीिक डाक या अधीिक डाक को िमा कर िूँगू ा/िूँगू ी”
[फा. स.ं 26030/34/2025-आई.सी.-I]
गया प्रसाि, संयुक् त सजचव
रर्प्पण : प्रमुख जनयमों को भारत के रािपत्र, असाधारण, भाग II, खंड 3, उप-खडं (i) म ें अजधसूचना सा.का.जन. 124 (ई)
दिनांक 25 फरवरी, 2009 द्वारा प्रकाजित दकया गया र्ा और इनमें अंजतम संिोधन अजधसूचना संख्या
सा.का.जन. 172 (ई) दिनांक 11 माचा, 2024 द्वारा दकया गया र्ा।
MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, the 18th May, 2026
G.S.R. 369(E).— In exercise of the powers conferred by section 18 of the Citizenship Act, 1955 (57 of 1955),
the Central Government hereby makes the following rules to further amend the Citizenship Rules, 2009, namely:-
1. Short title and commencement. - (1) These rules may be called the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2026.
(2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
2. In the Citizenship Rules, 2009, in Schedule IC, after paragraph (iii), the following paragraph shall be inserted,
namely: -
“ (iiiA) I am not in possession of a valid and/or expired passport(s) issued by the Government of
Pakistan/Afghanistan/Bangladesh.
OR
I am in possession of a valid and/or expired passport(s) issued by the Government of
Pakistan/Afghanistan/Bangladesh with the following details:-
Passport No. :…………..
Date of issue: …………
Place of Issue: ………….
Date of expiry: ………….
I hereby agree to surrender my valid and/or expired Pakistani/Afghanistani/Bangladeshi passport to
Senior Superintendent of Post or Superintendent of Post concerned within 15 days of approval of
citizenship application.”
[F. No. 26030/34/2025-IC.I]
GAYA PRASAD, Jt. Secy.
Note : The Principal rules were published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (i), vide
notification G.S.R. 124(E) dated the 25th February, 2009 and last amended, vide notification number
G.S.R. 172(E) dated the 11th March, 2024.
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and Published by the Controller of Publications, Delhi-110054.