When an Indian citizen in Germany voluntarily acquires German citizenship, Indian citizenship ends automatically. You should surrender the Indian passport and obtain a renunciation or surrender certificate through the Indian mission, and then apply for an OCI card, which gives lifelong visa-free entry and most economic rights in India except voting, public office and buying agricultural land. Delays in surrendering the passport can lead to penalties.
- Document route
- German notary, pre-certification, then Indian mission attestation
- Time difference
- India is 3.5 hours (summer) to 4.5 hours (winter) ahead
- Law
- Citizenship Act 1955, sections 7A to 7D
- Spouse route
- Marriage registered, 2 years subsisting
OCI Card Issues from Germany: how it works
The usual sequence starts with your German naturalisation certificate (Einbürgerungsurkunde) and your new German passport. You apply online for renunciation or surrender of Indian citizenship, then submit the Indian passport and supporting documents through the mission's service provider for your state. The mission cancels the passport and issues a surrender certificate. With that certificate, you apply for the OCI card, again online and through the mission in Germany. Children born in Germany to Indian parents follow a different path, often applying for OCI on the basis of a parent's Indian origin.
Most legal problems arise from old mistakes: travelling to India on the Indian passport after naturalisation, holding Indian property or bank accounts as a resident citizen, or using inconsistent names across German and Indian records. We review your history, prepare explanations where needed and update your Indian bank, property and tax records to reflect your OCI status. If an OCI application is refused or an OCI card is cancelled under the Citizenship Act, we advise on representations and, where appropriate, a writ petition.
What clients in Germany should know
- OCI cardholders cannot buy agricultural land, plantations or farmhouses in India, though inherited agricultural land can be held; plan any Indian property purchases before you naturalise if this matters to you.
- Your Indian bank accounts must be designated as NRO or NRE accounts in line with your status, and the bank must be told that you are now a foreign national.
- German name formats, such as adding a spouse's surname, often differ from Indian records; an affidavit of identity may be needed for property and bank work in India.
Step by step from Germany
Video consultation
A call at a time that suits Germany, after we have read your documents.
Documents signed in Germany
German notary, pre-certification, then Indian mission attestation
Work in India
Our team files, appears and follows up in India, and shares scans of everything filed.
Result and handover
Certified copies and originals are couriered to you in Germany where needed.
The full guide
This page covers what changes when you are in Germany. For the law, the documents and the step-by-step procedure, read our main page on OCI Card Issues, or see all services for clients in Germany and the Cross-Border Family Law practice area.
Questions from clients in Germany
Can I keep my Indian passport once I am German?
No. Holding both is not permitted. Indian citizenship ends on naturalisation, and the Indian passport must be surrendered to the mission.
What if I used my Indian passport after becoming German?
This can attract penalties under the Passports Act. We help you disclose it correctly in the surrender application so the matter can be regularised.
Is an OCI card enough to inherit my parents' house in India?
Yes. An OCI cardholder can inherit residential and commercial property, and can also inherit agricultural land, although buying agricultural land is not allowed.