With 22,993 passports surrendered from 2014 to 2022, Gujarat has the third-most numbers of people who have renounced the Indian citizenship.

On the other hand, Delhi has the most number of passports surrendered in these eight years, i.e. 60,414. Following Delhi was Punjab, with 28,117 passports surrendered during this period, according to data provided by the government in the Rajya Sabha.

In 2024 alone, 181 people in Gujarat surrendered their passports. However, this number was still three times lower than in 2023.

As many as 12.88 lakh people across India surrendered their passports during this time.

As per the Passport Act, 1967, people who want to acquire the citizenship of another country need to renounce their Indian citizenship.

One can renounce their passport without a penalty under the act. However, if they are late by three or more years, a fine of ₹10,000-₹50,000 may be levied.

Abhijit Shukla, the Regional Passport Officer at Ahmedabad, said, “In 2023, post-Covid, there was a jump in people surrendering their passports. However, that number has gone down in 2024.”

The Regional Passport Office at Ahmedabad has issued 36 lakh passports in the last six years, including 8.12 lakh issuances in 2024.

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