I am Dr Srinivasarao Ravipati, From Andhra Pradesh, currently working in United Kingdom.

I am a
person who follows and respects the law and I used to read the rules on Indian passport website and
follow the instructions given by Indian passport services. I have got the information about the grace
period of 3 months I can use to travel to India. Please see the below link for more information.
http://www.vfsglobal.com/India/UK/Surrender.html#tourist_main_provisions
I have also asked some of my friends who used this 3 months grace period option when they were in
urgency to travel India immediately after their British naturalisation if they were able to return within
grace period time. In addition, I have also double checked with VFS (UK) officers before I travel to
India. I travelled to India using grace period in an urgency situation where I didnt get time to get my
British passport in hand and arrange visa to travel India and I returned back within 3 months. In my
case I got my naturalisation on 5th of November and applied for British passport, I had conversation
with VFS officers from 16th to 20th of November about my situation to travel to India, where I have
already mentioned to them about my application for British passport , Once after confirmation from
VFS officers, I have booked my tickets on 20th of December and I travelled to India on 8th of
December returned back to England on 18th of January and surrendered my Indian passport on 22nd of
January. Now the problem is they asked me to pay penalty for traveling to India. When I asked them
about the reason initially they said you are not eligible to use this grace period when you have a
British passport issued date before your travel date, although they have not mentioned anywhere in
the website about it. They are particularly stressing on point 4 in clarifications from the above link
stating that There is a grace period of three months after acquisition of foreign nationality (to be
counted from the date of registration / Naturalisation Certificate and not from the date of foreign
passport) for using Indian passport for travel. In this statement they have not mentioned anywhere
about the grace period is not acceptable if someone applied for foreign passport and I have shown this
to the some of the Indian and English lawyers to understand meaning of it and they mentioned this is
only to count the grace period, if suppose someone got their naturalization date on 5 th of November
and they applied for british passport after 2months suppose say on 5 th of January, then grace period
ends on 5th of February not on the 5th of April. Then I filed a complaint with reference number
ACBR/22012016/0187/01 and added all the conversation what I had with VFS officers.
Now the consulate officers saying that VFS is contract agency placed by Government of India, so
there is no relation between consulate and VFS and you should have ask consulate before you travel
rather than asking VFS. How can public know about all these, why they placed VFS then, these are
typical questions raised from me and my best wishers. Even you can check the above link to surrender
the passport is stats with VFS global.
I have my family in India and I visit them and I love my birth country, but now I think that what has
happened is very unfair and out of principle. I am writing to you to seek your advice and to see if you
can please understand my position. I can pay penalty when I did mistake from my side but not in case
where I have not done any mistake intentionally.
Please check the following conversations to know the clear status about my application.
Kind regards,
Dr Srinivasarao Ravipati

Re: ACBR/22012016/0187/01
From: CGI Birmingham <info.cgibirmingham@gmail.com>
Date: 18 March 2016 at 09:46
Subject: Re: ACBR/22012016/0187/01
To: Srinu Ravipati <srnravipati@googlemail.com>
Dear Sir,
In the mails from the VFS - nowhere have they informed that you could travel on
Indian passport after obtaining the British Passport.
The Surrender Officer has informed that the penalty cannot be waved off. You need
to pay the penalty to the VFS in order to obtain the Surrender Certificate.

Kind Regards,
Public Response Unit
Consulate General of India

Birmingham.

T:-0121-2361556
(Working Hours: 10am-12.30pm/2pm-4.30pm)

On 18 March 2016 at 09:09, Srinu

Ravipati <srnravipati@googlemail.com> wrote:
Dear Passport Surrender officer,
Can you please let me know the status of my application for surrender certificate after we had
detailed conversation over the phone a couple of days ago.
Thanks & Best Regards,
Dr Srinivasarao Ravipati

On 2 March 2016 at 11:28, Srinu Ravipati <srnravipati@googlemail.com> wrote:

Dear Passport Surrender officer,
Can you please let me know the status of my application for surrender certificate
after considering all the explanation given by me last week.
Thanks & Best Regards,
Dr Srinivasarao Ravipati

On 26 February 2016 at 11:25, Srinu

Ravipati <srnravipati@googlemail.com> wrote:
Dear Surrender officer,
Thank you so much for your valuable time on phone.Before I leave to India, I made an application for
British passport which is needed to do to surrender my Indian passport but I have not received my British
passport before I go to India. It means I have not made my British passport, I have just applied for it before
I go to India and also you have not mentioned anywhere in website stating that you are not eligible to use
this grace period once after you applied for British passport or received British passport and also no
consular officers cleared about it when I asked them. It is not good to say but I know some of the cases did
same as me even after they got their British passports. I don't know why you are particularly stressing on
my application. I have surrendered my Indian passport within given time, I did mention about my
application for British passport and asked the Information desk services officers from VFS (UK) ltd, please
check the following conversation which i had officers.

From: Srinu Ravipati [mailto:srnravipati@googlemail.com]

Sent: 16 November, 2015 5:42 PM
To: Info On Passport & Consular Services India In UK
Subject: RE:Grace period after acquisition of foreign nationality for using Indian passport
for travel

Dear Consular,
I got British naturalization on 5th November 2015. Can you please let me know
how long I can use my current Indian passport to travel India.
Kind regards,
______________________
Dr Srinivasarao Ravipati
On 17 November 2015 at 04:15, Info On Passport & Consular Services India In
UK <Info.Ppt-Consularuk@vfshelpline.com> wrote:
Dear Dr Ravipati,
Thank you for your email.
As India does not recognise dual nationality, you are required to surrender your Indian passport when
acquiring a new nationality.
A grace period of three months is given from the issue date of Naturalization Certificate by the
government of India, before imposing any penalty. So if your travel plans are within Three months of
your Naturalization date then you can travel on your Indian passport.
Please be advised that you need to return back to UK before the three months grace period is over.
Best Regards,
Avit Singh
Information Service Desk
VF Services (UK) Limited
This e-mail is only for the use of its intended recipient. Its contents are confidential and privileged. If you have received this
email in error, please contact the sender and delete the e-mail and its contents from your computer. VFS does not guarantee
that this e-mail has not been intercepted and amended or that it is virus free.

On 17 November 2015 at 09:46, Srinu Ravipati <srnravipati@googlemail.com> wrote:

Dear Avith,
Thank you so much for your valuable information. It is so useful for me.
Best regards,
Srinivas Ravipati.
On 18 November 2015 at 13:34, Srinu Ravipati <srnravipati@googlemail.com> wrote:
Dear Avith,
Can I still use this grace period once after i receive my British passport? Suppose say i am expecting to get
my british passport by the end of this month and planning to travel by mid of December whereas my grace
period counts from 5th of November (naturalization date).
Kind regards,

___________________
Dr Srinivasarao Ravipati

On 19 November 2015 at 04:43, Info On Passport & Consular Services India In

UK <Info.Ppt-Consularuk@vfshelpline.com> wrote:
Dear Mr Ravipati,
Thank you for your email.
As per the law, there is a grace period of three months (90 days) after acquisition of foreign
nationality (to be counted from the date of registration / Naturalisation Certificate and not from
the date of foreign passport) for using Indian passport for travel.

The Indian Citizenship Act, 1955, does not allow dual citizenship. Holding Indian
passport/acquiring Indian passport/travelling on Indian passport after acquisition of foreign
citizenship constitutes an offence under the Indian Passport Act, 1967, and attracts penalties.

Under Indian law, Person whose previous nationality was Indian before acquiring any foreign
Nationality, are required to surrender their Indian passports to the nearest Indian Mission/Post
immediately after acquisition of foreign citizenship and obtain a surrender certificate. All
applications for renunciation/surrender of Indian passports can be at the Indian Visa and
Consular Application Centres in the UK.
Best Regards,
Anjali Naik
Information Service Desk
VF Services (UK) Limited

On 19 November 2015 at 11:52, Srinu Ravipati <srnravipati@googlemail.com> wrote:

Dear Anjali Naik,
Thanks for your response, my question is this grace period (three months from the naturalization) is still
applicable once after I receive my British passport?. The reason why I am asking is I got my naturalization
certificate on 5th of November and then further i applied for British passport. Now i have a plan to go India
around 15th of December. I may get British passport before that time, not sure but it is difficult for me to
arrange OCI. So can I use my Indian passport to travel India for a month (Which will comes within 3 month
grace period from naturalization)
Kind regards,

___________________
Dr Srinivasarao Ravipati

On 20 November 2015 at 12:00, Info On Passport & Consular Services India In UK <Info.PptConsularuk@vfshelpline.com> wrote:

Dear Applicant,
Thank you for your email.
As per the law, there is a grace period of three months (90 days) after acquisition of foreign nationality
(to be counted from the date of registration / Naturalisation Certificate and not from the date of
foreign passport) for using Indian passport for travel.
Best Regards,
Avit Singh
Information Service Desk
VF Services (UK) Limited
This e-mail is only for the use of its intended recipient. Its contents are confidential and privileged. If you have received this
email in error, please contact the sender and delete the e-mail and its contents from your computer. VFS does not guarantee
that this e-mail has not been intercepted and amended or that it is virus free.

Please check all the conversations I had with Info.Ppt-Consularuk@vfshelpline.com, they have not
mentioned to me i am not eligible for this grace period once after I applied for British passport, although I
mentioned about my application for British passport. Moreover, the British passport issued date mentioned
on my British passport is the date when I gave my interview with British passport issuing officer in
Leicester for issuing my British passport, I have the proof to show about it and then after i gave my
interview for my British passport, I went to Reading where my relatives live, from there only I traveled to
India. After my return from India only I have checked my British passport. I surrendered my Indian
Passport on 22nd of January. Please kindly consider all these facts and please issue my surrender certificate
without any penalty.
Best Regards,
Dr Srinivasarao Ravipati.