An Indian citizen who naturalises in Germany automatically ceases to be an Indian citizen and must surrender the Indian passport, obtain a surrender certificate and then apply for an OCI card. Using the Indian passport after naturalisation is an offence and attracts penalties. OCI gives a lifelong visa and broad parity with NRIs for property and finance, except for agricultural land and political rights.
- Document route
- Indian Embassy or Consulate attestation
- Time difference
- 3.5 to 4.5 hours behind IST
- Handled in India at
- Indian mission, FRRO and Indian record offices
- Travel to India
- None
How it works from Germany
We guide the sequence so that there is no gap in your ability to travel. After receiving the German naturalisation certificate, you apply to the Indian mission for your federal state to renounce and surrender the passport. With the surrender certificate, the OCI application is filed online with the naturalisation certificate, German passport, proof of address and, for children, the parents' documents. Minor children born in Germany to Indian parents, and foreign spouses married for two years, are handled alongside.
The legal work usually lies in what follows. Bank accounts, demat accounts and PAN records must be updated from resident or NRI to OCI status. Property already owned may be retained. Agricultural land you owned as an Indian citizen can be kept but can be sold only to a resident Indian citizen. We also act where an application is delayed or refused, where a parent's consent for a child's OCI is withheld after separation, where names differ between Indian and German documents, and where OCI must be re-issued after a new passport.
What is different for NRIs in Germany
- German reform changed German law only. The Indian Citizenship Act still provides that acquiring a foreign citizenship voluntarily terminates Indian citizenship.
- OCI re-issue is required once after a new passport issued after the age of 20; holders must also upload a new passport and photo at other renewals as the rules require.
- An OCI cardholder can inherit any property in India, including agricultural land, from a person resident in India.
Step by step from Germany
Free review call
Calls are held in the German morning, while offices in India are open. We read your papers on an OCI matter first, so the call is about your options and not a repeat of the facts.
Authority from Germany
Where a representative must act for you in India on an OCI matter, you sign before the consular officer at the Indian mission for your federal state, since a German apostille is not accepted in India. We draft the document and send signing instructions.
Work in India
In India, we trace and certify the Indian records, prepare the affidavits and answer any objection raised on the application. Updates for clients in Germany go by email and WhatsApp with scans of whatever is filed.
Result and handover
At the end you receive a complete, consistent file and help until the card is issued. Originals are couriered to your address in Germany if you need them.
The law in full
This page covers what changes when you handle an OCI matter from Germany. For the Indian law, the complete document checklist, common mistakes and more questions, read our main page on OCI Card Legal Issues. For other matters, see all legal services for NRIs in Germany or the Family, Marriage & OCI practice area.
Questions from NRIs in Germany
Can I keep my Indian passport now that Germany allows dual citizenship?
No. India does not allow it. You must surrender the Indian passport after German naturalisation and apply for OCI.
What is the penalty for late surrender?
The mission charges a penalty that increases if the passport was used for travel or renewed after naturalisation. Surrender promptly and do not travel on it.
Will I lose my flat in India when I become German?
No. You may continue to hold residential and commercial property, and buy more as an OCI cardholder.