Renouncing Singapore Citizenship - Catch 22

bsyaja · Post by **bsyaja** » Sun, 19 Jul 2009 5:49 pm

Hi,
I am a registered Singapore citizen and I am currently residing in India and have decided to take up Indian citizenship and renounce the Singapore citizenship as I am about to retire and plan to get back my cpf monies for my childrens education. (I was originally from India and had taken up a singapore citizenship years back).

My application for Indan citizenship has been approved and I am now asked to submit the "certificate of the renunciation of foreign citizenship" from Singapore for getting my Indian citizenship certificate.

But I gather that to renounce Singapore citizenship, one is required to submit a copy of the foreign citizenship certificate and foreign passport which I do not have yet.

Now this is a catch22 situation as I need the renunication certificate to get my new citizenship certificate and the renunciation certificate is issued only upon submission of the new citizenship certificate.

Can anyone please advice, if there is a workaround or if anyone has ever faced or heard of this kind of situations.

Thanks for the help

PS: India also does not allow Dual citizenship at the moment.

Post by **sundaymorningstaple** » Sun, 19 Jul 2009 7:16 pm

It sounds like you wanted the best of both worlds, giving up your indian citizenship to take up Singapore Citizenship and now that you have retired you want your indian citizenship back again. Not a catch 22, but a dilemma of your own making.

Work around? None that I know about. But opinion wise, looks like a lot of kopi money is going to have to change hands (maybe all of your cpf?). Course I've heard most anything can be done there with enough money.

I don't think you need to have anything to renounce your Citizenship in Singapore other than having fulfilled all your obligations to the government here. It's just not a wise thing to do, renouncing your citizenship without having another citizenship. You could conceivably end up a stateless person.

bsyaja · Post by **bsyaja** » Sun, 19 Jul 2009 7:30 pm

"I don't think you need to have anything to renounce your Citizenship in Singapore other than having fulfilled all your obligations to the government here. "

I do not have any obligations whatsoever to the government back in Singapore. I have a clean slate there - No NS or any other pending issue.

"It's just not a wise thing to do, renouncing your citizenship without having another citizenship. You could conceivably end up a stateless person."

I believe its only a technical issue. My Indian citizenship application has already been approved. Its just that I do not have the certificate yet to provide to the ICA.

Post by **jpatokal** » Mon, 20 Jul 2009 6:42 pm

bsyaja wrote:"It's just not a wise thing to do, renouncing your citizenship without having another citizenship. You could conceivably end up a stateless person."

I believe its only a technical issue. My Indian citizenship application has already been approved. Its just that I do not have the certificate yet to provide to the ICA.

Do you have an approval letter that you can show to the ICA?

bsyaja · Post by **bsyaja** » Tue, 21 Jul 2009 1:33 am

Yes I do have an approval letter. But I am not sure if the ICA will accept the approval letter or rather insist on my Indian registration letter/passport.

I tried calling up the ICA but wasnt able to reach anybody.

Post by **sundaymorningstaple** » Wed, 22 Jul 2009 9:58 pm

You have to keep trying.

sivauma · Post by **sivauma** » Sun, 16 Aug 2009 12:33 pm

You can try the ICA website

sivauma · Post by **sivauma** » Sun, 16 Aug 2009 4:22 pm

Hi,
How long does it took you to get the Indian Citizenship approved?
Thanks

lkJosin · Post by **lkJosin** » Mon, 26 Apr 2010 1:25 pm

bsyaja wrote:Yes I do have an approval letter. But I am not sure if the ICA will accept the approval letter or rather insist on my Indian registration letter/passport.

I tried calling up the ICA but wasnt able to reach anybody.

Hello, have you got any solution for this issue and managed to get back indian passport?

Mad Scientist · Post by **Mad Scientist** » Tue, 27 Apr 2010 4:52 am

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Tau Beta · Post by **Tau Beta** » Wed, 28 Apr 2010 6:21 am

Mad Scientist wrote:
lkJosin wrote:
bsyaja wrote:Yes I do have an approval letter. But I am not sure if the ICA will accept the approval letter or rather insist on my Indian registration letter/passport.

I tried calling up the ICA but wasnt able to reach anybody.
Hello, have you got any solution for this issue and managed to get back indian passport?
BYSAJA, LKJOSIN

Renunciation of SG Citizenship cannot be obtain online.
You have to e-mail to Citizen Advise Bureau for the forms
You CANNOT SUBMIT APPROVAL Letter for renunciation. It must be a copy of your foreign citizenship and foreign passport signed by yourself infront of a PUBLIC NOTARY or Officials of the SG Mission in India.
YOu have to submit other docs too as required in the forms.
The right to renounce apart from being above 21 and having a sound mind and gaining foreign citizen, the onus to let you go is NOT YOURSELF BUT THE SG GAHMEN.
They will determine if you have a clean bill or NOT.
This is the protocol and follow this for solution

MS

Hi MS - But according to this guy he couldn't get his "official" Indian citizenship and passport...until SG GAHMEN respond with renunciation cert from SG. Hence, catch-22.

So... are u suggesting that he close the gap with the Indian Gahmen first through whatever means 'cuz the process doesn't jive well with standard proc?

Mad Scientist · Post by **Mad Scientist** » Wed, 28 Apr 2010 6:36 am

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Koalabear · Post by **Koalabear** » Wed, 28 Apr 2010 9:02 am

Mad Scientist wrote:TB

Have you ever wonder why Gahmen do this ?

Answer: It is to make it difficult for this category of "quitters"
There is no catch 22 in this circumstances. This docs has been there for ages. You want it , follow the step if not don't do it

can a man usually renounce his SG citizenship without serving any reservice cycles?

Mad Scientist · Post by **Mad Scientist** » Wed, 28 Apr 2010 9:38 am

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Koalabear · Post by **Koalabear** » Wed, 28 Apr 2010 9:23 pm

Mad Scientist wrote:
Koalabear wrote:
Mad Scientist wrote:TB

Have you ever wonder why Gahmen do this ?

Answer: It is to make it difficult for this category of "quitters"
There is no catch 22 in this circumstances. This docs has been there for ages. You want it , follow the step if not don't do it

can a man usually renounce his SG citizenship without serving any reservice cycles?
KB

LOOOOOOng time no hear. What have you been up to ???

ALL SORTED ???

The requirement is quite straightforward
1. Must be of sound mind
2. Must be above 21 years of age
3. Acquired foreign citizenship
4. All docs to notaries

But the grey area is where you will have problems. NS liabilities for NS reservist is not stated there as long as you have serve the compulsory 2 yrs , yes, technically you can renounce. But I am not sure how long it will take or will they make complication for you. Usually 2 months

MS

yeah! I was busy preparing for my pmp exam. Was able to use a few months of NS sai kang project hours into the hours requirement lol! Will update u on my issue as soon as i get any info

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Renouncing Singapore Citizenship - Catch 22

Renouncing Singapore Citizenship - Catch 22

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