Travel with Indian Passport after US Citizenship

S

solicit

Registered Users (C)
As per the guidelines on Travisa website

'After acquisition of foreign citizenship, an Indian passport cannot be used for travel after three months of the naturalization date'
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Assuming you need to travel immediately after naturalization and do not have time to get your OCI/PIO/Visa

  • Is it ok to travel with Indian passport for entry to India and use the US passport for return travel back to US? ( within 3 months timeframe )
  • How do you deal with this scenario at Indian Immigration - One would be showing Indian passport on arrival and US passport for departure?
  • Anyone here who has been through this, please share your experiences.
 
It seems like they tolerate use for 3 months after naturalisation, but I would NOT do it because, as you know, the application of Indian law by officials is inconsistent.
 
You are no more Indian Citizen so you can not use Indian paasport and you must get visa/OCI/PIO to travel to India.
 
You will be in serious trouble when you try to leave India with your Indian passport. Immigration officials with want to see a US visa or green card which you won't have. If you try to leave with your US passport, it will not have a record of entry into India or an Indian visa. After this happens you will immediately be thrown into a jail.
 
... we assume. We don't really know how this works, as I don't think anyone has deliberately tried it, and those who have done it without knowing might be languishing in an Indian jail, hehe, though I think a fine will probably more likely. It's just a risk, unless you intend to go through a third country like Indonesia or Thailand that requires no prior visa for Indian citizens.
 
solicit said:
Is it ok to travel with Indian passport for entry to India and use the US passport for return travel back to US? ( within 3 months timeframe )
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Do not do this.

From my second hand experience (a friend experienced this)

During immigration at India, the office wanted to know if the person is entring India for good or going back. It has different implications for paying import duty.

On replying that he would go back, the office said he doesn't have valid visa or green card to enter US.
At this point, on showing the US Passport, the office said he could arrest the person for using invalid Indian passport to enter India. In the end money saved the day.
 
Indian officers are much more particular about stamps. Even though CBP has many horror stories here, there are many a times when they waive a citizen / GC holder in with minimal scrutiny. From what I have seen, Indian officers never ever waive people in. While you can still get by, it is very likely they will check for the entry stamp when you try to exit.
 
You absolutely should not think of trying this. The moment you became a US citizen is the moment you no longer were an Indian one and therefore your old Indian passport is no longer valid. What you're thinking of doing is illegal. It is people who have been doing this sort of thing that have wreaked havoc on everyone else because that is why the Indian govt came up with the wonderful surrender certificate, passport cancellation and fees process.
 
JPBoston said:
You absolutely should not think of trying this. The moment you became a US citizen is the moment you no longer were an Indian one and therefore your old Indian passport is no longer valid. What you're thinking of doing is illegal. It is people who have been doing this sort of thing that have wreaked havoc on everyone else because that is why the Indian govt came up with the wonderful surrender certificate, passport cancellation and fees process. And now they are going to ask if anybody still has voter ID Card of India and then they are going to ask surrender the Voter Card and pay $500 as surrender fees.:)
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The Bangladeshi enter illegally in India and get Ration Card by paying 1000Rupees and then Get Indian Passport by paying Rupees 5000 are not being deported or sent to jail as they are now Indian Citizens and Indian Voters and are members of the same class like MLA, MP, ministers who commit crimes then again get elected and many cases pending in Indian courts and nobody has sent them to jail and are still busy in Scams. if you have money and are ready to pay Bribe you will not go to Jail. If you are Honest and not ready to pay bribe then not to use Indian Passport after getting US citizenship.
 
ginnu said:
if you have money and are ready to pay Bribe you will not go to Jail. If you are Honest and not ready to pay bribe then not to use Indian Passport after getting US citizenship.
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If the bangladeshi came via the airport route, I am sure they will end up paying 10 times the amount.
The reason they get by is because "it is so much work" to find their origins and "it is so easy to take 1000".
I did not want to say it, but yes be prepared to pay bribe (or fine) if you want to use your Indian passport after naturalization.
 
sanjoseaug20 said:
If the bangladeshi came via the airport route, I am sure they will end up paying 10 times the amount.
The reason they get by is because "it is so much work" to find their origins and "it is so easy to take 1000".
I did not want to say it, but yes be prepared to pay bribe (or fine) if you want to use your Indian passport after naturalization.
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How about just booking a flight to Kathmandu, Nepal for which you don't need a passport, just any Indian ID like PAN card and then taking a flight out to the US from there? :)
 
That could work, but again, you're not playing by the rules. So, don't expect too much information from the forum, I'd say.
 
Well, I am just trying to see where the holes are. Not necessarily do it myself. Anyway, the above would work only if they also just have their US passport with them and did not have the time to apply for Indian Visa's or OCI/PIO. So they can use their Indian Passport to come to India and when they are leaving, just Delhi to Kathmandu and in Kathmandu, they would have to present their PAN card while boarding the flight in India and in Kathmandu present their US passport to get in so they would not have problems leaving Nepal.
 
Well, hypothetically, yes. One would use a US passport to get in and out of Nepal to and from the US, and a PAN card to get from Nepal to India and back.
 
This thread is old but I'm sure people still look it up so let me share my experience on this as travelled to India after getting my US passport. As I got my citizenship through my parents, I still had my green card so I just managed to come back to US without any trouble at all. The only thing that I faced was a $250 fine later when I renunciatied my Indian passport. I think it was worth it cause my mom is not educated enough and she had to go to India, she had no choice besides taking me along as everyone else in my family was either attending school or working.
 
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