India Citizenship Requirements
India's ordinary naturalisation qualifications separate the immediately preceding year from a longer residence or government-service history, with statutory exceptions.
Immediately preceding period
Residence in India or service of a government in India throughout the preceding 12 months, or a combination; special circumstances can permit limited relaxation.
Earlier qualifying history
At least 11 years of residence or qualifying government service in the 14 years before that final 12-month period, subject to statutory exceptions.
Language
Adequate knowledge of a language in the Constitution's Eighth Schedule is required. The Act does not express this as a CEFR level.
Other qualifications
Good character, qualifying future residence/service intentions and the other Schedule conditions apply. A certificate and oath are needed; qualifying time alone does not confer citizenship.
Renunciation procedure
This pilot does not establish the current document-level renunciation procedure. Do not treat this route as permission to keep another citizenship or an OCI card as Indian citizenship.
Scope and limitations
- The ordinary route is not a universal 12-year countdown. Registration, OCI-related eligibility, CAA and distinguished-service waivers require their own legal and procedural checks.
Next review due . An official update can change these requirements sooner.
Check multiple-citizenship policy and its review dateOfficial sources
- Citizenship Act 1955 — consolidated textIndia Ministry of Home Affairs · Retrieved 2026-09-17 · EN