CAA applicants must disclose old passport details: MHA
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued new amendments to the Citizenship Rules, 2009, making it mandatory for applicants seeking Indian citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019, to disclose any valid or expired passports issued by Pakistan, Afghanistan, or Bangladesh.
Those possessing such documents must also give an undertaking to surrender them within 15 days of their citizenship being approved. The changes, titled the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2026, were published in the official gazette on Monday and took effect immediately. A new clause has been added to Schedule IC of the application form. Applicants must now declare via affidavit whether they are “not in possession of a valid and/or expired passport(s)” from the three neighbouring countries. If they hold such a passport, they are required to provide full details, including passport number, date and place of issue, and expiry date. They must surrender the document to the Senior Superintendent of Post or the concerned Superintendent of Post within 15 days of approval.
The move aims to eliminate any possibility of dual citizenship, which Indian law does not permit. Officials stated that the amendment provides greater procedural clarity to the CAA process, under which non-Muslim minorities, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians, from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who fled religious persecution and entered India before December 31, 2014, are eligible for fast-tracked citizenship.
The notification also warns that providing false information can result in the deprivation of citizenship.
The MHA has clarified that this step is purely administrative and will not affect the humanitarian intent of the CAA. The online portal for CAA applications, launched in 2024, has already received numerous claims, and the new requirement is expected to enhance verification without changing the core eligibility criteria of the 2019 law. The amendment is part of the ongoing implementation of the CAA, which remains a contentious political issue.
Supporters see the passport disclosure requirement as a practical safeguard that promotes transparency and helps prevent misuse. Critics, however, have raised concerns that it could create hurdles for persecuted minorities arriving without proper documentation, especially members of communities such as the Matua Hindus in West Bengal.
Applications will continue as before, with the new declaration now part of the standard paperwork. The government has reiterated its commitment to providing refuge and citizenship to those persecuted for their religion in the three countries, while maintaining the integrity of India’s citizenship framework.
