British citizen but travel on Indian passport

[specy_99]

Hello all,

Could anyone please advise on my daughters situation:

My daughter was in India when I applied for her British naturalisation in 2013. It was very difficult to obtain a British passport from India so I applied for Right of abode which was stamped on her Indian passport. She came to the UK in November 2014 and I subsequently applied for her British passport December 2014 which we have now received.
I have applied for her Indian passport to be surrendered would the penalty be applied in this case?

Please help!

[ban.s]

@specy_99

Did your daughter acquire citizenship though MN1 route? When was it approved?

[specy_99]

Apologies for the delay in response.

Yes, I applied for my daughter through MN1 approved in October 2013.

[ban.s]

yes a penalty is payble. pls do keep posted with the outcome of the surrender application.

[stripathi]

Hi Ban.S - based on the information in this thread, i understand that despite obtaining British citizenship (but not obtaining the British passport) an Indian passport holder can return to the UK (from either India or any other country) within three months of the date of acquiring UK citizenship on the basis of his or her Indian passport as long as they also still have their valid UK visa or ILR.

Is this because the UK Government does not "cancel" the ILR/visa such that when the UKBA officer looks at your UK visa upon arrival in the UK, it still shows the visa/ILR as valid?

I suspect that if you can show that you are a British citizen (either with or without a British passport), UKBA will have to let you into the country? but i was wondering if there is any fine etc for not carrying the correct travel document (i.e. a British passport as opposed to a UK visa/ILR?).

Can the previous people who after having acquired UK citizenship traveled outside the UK on the basis of an Indian passport, tell us about their experience with UKBA upon arrival? was it an issue with them at all that you did not have a British passport?? do they realize at all (based on their online records) that you have acquired british citizenship?

[ban.s]

Hi Ban.S - based on the information in this thread, i understand that despite obtaining British citizenship (but not obtaining the British passport) an Indian passport holder can return to the UK (from either India or any other country) within three months of the date of acquiring UK citizenship on the basis of his or her Indian passport as long as they also still have their valid UK visa or ILR.

Is this because the UK Government does not "cancel" the ILR/visa such that when the UKBA officer looks at your UK visa upon arrival in the UK, it still shows the visa/ILR as valid?

There are two aspects into this
a) travel from an overseas port and arrival into an UK border
b) entry into UK

a) if you are travelling by air then the carrier would need to see a valid travel document that would allow entry to the UK. In absence of a British Passport, an Indian passport with a valid visa/ILR serves this purpose.

b) a british citizen has right of above and once arrived in an UK border, would be allowed entry, even without any travel document once identity and nationality are established. in the above scenario, once the person arrives at UK border and presents Indian passport/ILR, the HO computer records would reflect the nationality status as naturalised british citizen. the person gains entry on that basis.

hth.

[grathi]

Hello,

Request advice in regards to a medical emergency. My British passport naturalisation and other travel details are as follows:
1. British passport naturalisation-4th Feb 2015
2. Travel to India in March
3. Scheduled return to London-21st April 2015
4. Date to surrender Indian passport- 4th May 2015

I had planned to surrender my Indian passport on my return to London but post reaching India I got to know that I am pregnant and due to some complications the doctors have advised me complete bed rest till 15th may.

Kindly advise regarding how do I travel back to London post my Indian passport surrender date?Do i apply for Indian visa and then travel on British passport?

Thanks in advance.

[pragneshmpatel]

I think if you have not surrendered your passport then you can use it, you will have to pay penalty when you go for surrender.
Did you travelled to india on indian passport? If yes then just travel back on same and don't mention about your british passport at the immigration in india. when you come back to uk apply for surrender certificate. you will have to pay some fine for using indian passport after 3 month grace period.

[dilip_gem]

I think if you have not surrendered your passport then you can use it, you will have to pay penalty when you go for surrender.
Did you travelled to india on indian passport? If yes then just travel back on same and don't mention about your british passport at the immigration in india. when you come back to uk apply for surrender certificate. you will have to pay some fine for using indian passport after 3 month grace period.

I think you will have to pay the penalty anyways ( even for using within 3 month grace period )..

[pragneshmpatel]

I think if you have not surrendered your passport then you can use it, you will have to pay penalty when you go for surrender.
Did you travelled to india on indian passport? If yes then just travel back on same and don't mention about your british passport at the immigration in india. when you come back to uk apply for surrender certificate. you will have to pay some fine for using indian passport after 3 month grace period.

I think you will have to pay the penalty anyways ( even for using within 3 month grace period )..

No. you will not pay penalty if you use within 3 month.
I got naturalisation in jan. then visited india 2 weeks later and after return got passport & surrender certificate.

[dilip_gem]

I think if you have not surrendered your passport then you can use it, you will have to pay penalty when you go for surrender.
Did you travelled to india on indian passport? If yes then just travel back on same and don't mention about your british passport at the immigration in india. when you come back to uk apply for surrender certificate. you will have to pay some fine for using indian passport after 3 month grace period.

I think you will have to pay the penalty anyways ( even for using within 3 month grace period )..

No. you will not pay penalty if you use within 3 month.
I got naturalisation in jan. then visited india 2 weeks later and after return got passport & surrender certificate.

Thanks for the reply Pragnesh. But when I checked with VFS and the website, I get the impression that we DO have to pay for each visit that we make during grace period. Also a friend of mine said to me that he paid 170 pounds for the visit that he made.

Have you recieved your OCI yet? They might take the money when you go for OCI I think.

[pragneshmpatel]

No . i am going to apply oci next week. lets see.
I think I am not going to submit my cancelled passport details in oci. And i don't think anything is mentioned in surrender certificate.

[dilip_gem]

No . i am going to apply oci next week. lets see.
I think I am not going to submit my cancelled passport details in oci. And i don't think anything is mentioned in surrender certificate.

Any updates Pragnesh?

[pragneshmpatel]

Yes i applied yesterday.
I think there is no connection between my passport and oci application. Only original surrender certificate sent.
And the fine is only at the surrender time.
- Also worth to note ask them to opt out for sms otherwise they will add by default for useless tracking sms. i did not check the amount and they charged me on my both application.

[dilip_gem]

Yes i applied yesterday.
I think there is no connection between my passport and oci application. Only original surrender certificate sent.
And the fine is only at the surrender time.
- Also worth to note ask them to opt out for sms otherwise they will add by default for useless tracking sms. i did not check the amount and they charged me on my both application.

Lucky you..So you didn't have to pay the fine ! I'm happy for you man.
I called VFS yesterday and they are like trained parrots. Just reading out whats already there on their useless website.
I was told NOT to use my Indian passport as I have already got my British passport
She told me the feels ranges from 145-5000, but she didn't even know that 145 pounds is per visit for first three months.
I was kind of irritated talking to her cause she couldn't answer my query. The vfs call center is located in Chennai.
Tried calling HCI-London many a times, No one at HCI-London office attend the phone calls..

I'm thinking of applying for surrender certiricate, visa and OCI by next week before I make a trip to India in the third week of May. Cause I need OCI before I move to any other country in the EU. I've been getting job offers from companies based in Germany, Not sure if I can get my OCI processed from there.

[secret.simon]

There is no fine involved if you travel on your Indian passport within the first 90 days after naturalisation, provided that your travel ends before the 90 day grace period.

Desiboys was advised the same in his call to VFS.

[jitenb]

Hi,

I have read through the whole thread & understood that if you travel to India within 3 months of acquiring Naturalisation you don't have to pay a fine.
Date of Naturalisation: 1st Dec 2015
Travel to India : 6th Feb 2016
Travel back to UK: 28th Feb 2016
Surrender application filed: 4th March 2016

Just got an email from VFS that I'll have to pay £145 for travelling on Indian passport. I believe my travel is within the grace period.

Can anyone please shed some light?

Thanks

[paulstar008]

Okay, here is my experience

You can travel on Indian passport within three months after naturalization and there will not be any fine during surrender.The three month grace period is not applicable once you obtain foreign passport.

I confirmed this with CGI Birmingham. Today I will be paying £290 penalty for travelling twice (within the 3 month period) after obtaining British Passport. My wife traveled with me on her Indian passport (after naturalization, but before obtaining her British passport) and there in no penalty for her.

I was provided wrong advise from VFS and the fine is decided by the Indian High Commission. Also you don't pay the penalty while you submit the surrender application at VFS.

Cheers

[alien.uk]

. My wife traveled with me on her Indian passport (after naturalization, but before obtaining her British passport) and there in no penalty for her.

Cheers

Does this mean that you have not sent your BRP back to Home Office within 5 days of Naturalisation?

[alien.uk]

Can someone confirm that Receiving the British Passport will cancel the 90 days Grace Period to visit India on Indian Passport (without Penalty? )

If that is the case, Nobody can use this 90 days grace period as they will face issues without the BRP in hand. Remember failing to surrender BRP within 5 days of ceremony will attract 1000£ fine from HO.

[Kapoorsw]

My husband got his naturalisation on the 07th Feb , he has to travel to India last week to return today 21st Feb but the airport immigration officers stopped him from leaving and asked him to obtain an exit permit , he was asked to cancel his flight and then the place where this exit permit was apparently suppose to be issued said there is no such permit they can issue that he will have to surrender his Indian passport before he can leave India and do it in the place he obtained the passport .
What can be done since we thought travelling within 90 day grace period on an Indian passport would be ok ? Please help since he is in India now and we have other travels planned for next week. Not sure how long the surrender of his passport would take . Also he can't go back to the airport now since they asked him to cancel his flight ticket .

[caheda]

Hello, I tore up the BRP card in four pieces and surrendered to the UK Border as is the requirement.
Can I still travel without the BRP? I have both the Indian passport and British passport and I am travelling within the 90 days grace period .

Thanks,
Sandeep

[CR001]

Hello, I tore up the BRP card in four pieces and surrendered to the UK Border as is the requirement.
Can I still travel without the BRP? I have both the Indian passport and British passport and I am travelling within the 90 days grace period .

Thanks,
Sandeep

You have a British passport, you don't need a BRP to travel out of the UK.