Do I Need to Book an Appointment to Surrender My Passport in the USA?

If you are someone like me who is planning to apply for an OCI card after surrendering your Indian passport, then in my opinion, you should book an appointment. While you have the option to mail, having your surrender certificate issued on the spot and verifying everything is accurate is vital to speed up the whole process because you are less likely to have issues with any documents or details.

I lost my Indian passport, and for me, booking an appointment was a must. Even though I had the option to mail in everything, I chose to visit in person because I wanted to make sure that all my affidavits and police reports were correctly submitted and understood. The staff at VFS Global in New York were invaluable; they guided me with everything. Although it is not mandatory, if your case is like mine, then an appointment would help you a lot to have peace of mind.

Yes, you may have to book an appointment, but I opted for the mail-in service provided by VFS Global, and that was the best decision I made. I carefully followed their checklist and used their courier label to send everything. I got my surrender certificate within 3-4 weeks, and this way I saved a lot of money and time.

I recently surrendered my Indian passport in the USA, and yes, you definitely need to book an appointment if you plan to submit your documents in person.