Legal opinion and detailed information regarding name change procedure for OCI holders.
RE: Request for detailed information regarding name change procedure for OCI holders.
Sir/Ma'am:
I, Sreekumar, from Kollam, Kerala and an Overseas Citizen of India and presently residing in Spain.
According to Spanish law and tradition, it was mandatory to change my surnames to my parents' surnames when I became a Spanish citizen.
In India, I haven't changed my name, so I'd like to change my new surnames. My previous name was recorded on all of my official records in India (such as pan card, bank accounts, Aadhar card and birth certificate, my school and university academic Records and property title documents in India)
These are my questions:
1. Can an Indian (an OCI card holder) who has their own overseas citizenship changed their name in the Gazette in India?
2. Could you guide me as to how I should proceed with that name change in India?
3. Is there any application available for Non-resident Indian (NRI) to get their name change published in the central gazette? If yes, kindly send to me by email.
I am writing to you because I have not received a proper reply to my letter from any lawyers and even those who specialize in immigration. Kindly see the different opinions and advice from the top lawyers.
1) I have to follow the same procedure like the others for a name change to be published in the Central Government Gazette.
2) I can use the status as it was in my past when I was in India
3) Under OCI scheme 2006 an OCI is entitled to change his/her name. The procedure is same except the change of name is published in the Central Gazette.
4) I have to file a name change Non-resident Indian (NRI) application while filling it in the Gazette office.
5) The official gazette notification is possible only for “INDIAN CITIZENS". A person who has taken overseas citizenship renouncing Indian citizenship cannot make a name change in India even though he is an OCI holder.
Thank you in advance for your time and attention to this matter and I await your valuable advice.