Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has announced that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) circular on the revocation certificate being a valid document in lieu of a surrender certificate for obtaining an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card will be a relief to thousands of Goans.
Sawant made the announcement in a post on social media on Sunday, April 7, 2024. He also posted the MEA memorandum issued on April 4, 2024, which stated that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has decided to accept the Revocation Certificate as an alternative document in lieu of a surrender certificate for Indian nationals hailing from the former Portuguese territories of India (Goa, Daman, and Diu). These individuals acquired Portuguese nationality as per Portuguese Nationality Law and have been issued a 'Revocation Order' by the Regional Passport Offices (RPOs) instead of a Surrender Certificate.
The MEA has clarified that the revocation certificate will also be a valid document in lieu of a surrender certificate for obtaining the OCI Card.
Sawant expressed his gratitude to the Union Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar, and MEA Minister of State Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi for accepting the request of the State Government. He stated that this decision would provide huge relief to thousands of Goans and their families.