Is There a Fee for Surrendering an Indian Passport in the USA?

One other thing to watch is the terminology. Some of the VFS material refers to the fee table under the broader renunciation/surrender section, which can make the process confusing if you're searching for "surrender certificate fee" separately.

If you became a U.S. citizen after previously holding an Indian passport, you generally need to surrender the Indian passport and obtain the appropriate surrender documentation. VFS currently states that an Indian passport holder who acquires foreign nationality should surrender the Indian passport.

For the standard U.S. surrender application, the current listed charges are:

• $40 surrender/renunciation-related fee
• $3 ICWF
• $19 VFS service fee
• Possible 3.75% payment convenience charge
• Any applicable courier/return shipping cost

So I would budget more than exactly $62 if you're submitting by mail.

Processing is also separate from the fee. The current VFS information says approximately 7–21 working days once the application reaches the Embassy/Consulate, although individual cases can take longer if additional documents are requested.

I had a slightly different experience because I was looking at the total cost rather than just the government/consular fee.

The $40 + $3 + $19 = $62 calculation is correct based on the current fee table I found. But there can be other costs depending on how you submit the application, particularly return shipping and payment charges.

I paid by card, so my amount was a little higher than the advertised $62 because of the payment convenience charge.

Also, don't confuse surrendering the passport with the later OCI application. If you are planning to apply for OCI after becoming a U.S. citizen, that's a separate application and has its own fees.

I made that mistake initially and thought the surrender fee somehow covered the OCI application too.

For anyone applying now, I'd check the VFS USA surrender page immediately before paying because these fees and service arrangements can be revised.

I surrendered mine recently and the fee breakdown was $40 + $3 ICWF + $19 VFS, so the basic total was $62.

I paid online, and there was also a card convenience charge. The VFS information currently mentions a 3.75% convenience charge for online/card payments.

I also had to account for the return/courier part separately. So I would not assume that $62 is your final out-of-pocket amount if you are mailing the application.

My situation was pretty straightforward because I had my original Indian passport. I submitted the surrender application, U.S. naturalization document and the other documents listed on the VFS checklist.

One thing I would definitely recommend is checking the checklist for your particular situation rather than relying on someone's old forum post. There are different checklists depending on whether you still have the passport, whether it is lost, and whether the applicant is a minor.

The fee information can change, so I would use the current VFS USA page when you're actually ready to make payment.

Under the Indian Citizenship Act, 1955, a person of Indian origin cannot have dual citizenship at the same time. If they want to have citizenship in a different country, then they have to apply for the surrender of their Indian passport by completing the government application form with correct details, and attach all the supporting documents for the application, then pay the fees for Surrender your Indian Passport in USA $25 + $19 for VFS and $3 for, and mail your application to the Indian consular application center or book an appointment with the VFS application center and submit your application in person.