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Dual citizenship allows the person to live in India
indefinitely, unlike the Person of Indian Origin (PIO) card, which
permitted a single stay for a period of six months. Dual citizens do not
have voting rights. Neither can they be elected to public office. As
per the amended law, persons of Indian origin who were citizens of
Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, the
Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Cyprus, Sweden, Switzerland, United
Kingdom and the United States were eligible to apply for dual
citizenship.
Today's announcement by the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh,
extends dual citizenship to all PIOs who migrated from India after
January 26, 1950. It addresses a major anomaly that restricted dual
citizenship to principally developed, Western nations. The Citizenship
(Amendment) Act now needs to be amended further because the previous
list specified 16 nations.
Taxation laws applying to dual citizens are similar to
those applicable to Non-Resident Indians (NRIs). Dual taxation avoidance
agreements signed by India with other countries are applicable. Any
person who has been at any time a citizen of Pakistan, Bangladesh or any
other country that the Central Government may notify in future is not
entitled to dual citizenship.
The process of registering dual citizens has already
commenced. Forms can be filled and submitted to the Indian collectorate
or consulate concerned. They are available on the websites of select
Indian missions abroad. So far, the process of registration is slow,
information with the External Affairs Ministry suggests.
Obtaining dual citizenship costs $275.
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