Is It Legal to Have Dual Citizenship in India?

No, India does not permit dual citizenship under its laws. As per Article 9, a person who voluntarily acquires citizenship of another country ceases to be an Indian citizen.

This is reinforced by the Citizenship Act, 1955, which allows citizenship by birth, descent, registration, and naturalisation, but not dual nationality.

However, India offers Overseas Citizen of India status to foreign citizens of Indian origin. While OCI holders enjoy benefits like visa-free travel and property ownership, they are not citizens and cannot vote or hold public office.

In Sarbananda Sonowal v. Union of India, the Supreme Court emphasised strict enforcement of citizenship laws.