India's ban on dual citizenship back in focus as leaders hold two passports

Recent cases of public figures holding and using more than one nationality have put the spotlight back on India's refusal to recognise dual citizenship. Indian law ends a person's Indian citizenship the moment they acquire the citizenship of another country, and an Indian passport is treated as a travel document rather than conclusive proof of citizenship.

Key facts

• India does not allow dual or multiple citizenship.
• Acquiring another country's citizenship ends Indian citizenship.
• An Indian passport is a travel document, not conclusive proof of citizenship.
• Many other countries do permit dual or multiple citizenship.

Why is this being discussed now?

Pope Leo XIV, who holds American and Peruvian citizenship and is head of Vatican City State, voted in the US mid-term election. In 2025, Moldova's President Maia Sandu voted in Romania's presidential election using her Romanian citizenship.

Neither case, on its own, is described as a breach of international law. Whether citizens abroad may vote is a matter for each country's own laws, and many countries around the world allow dual or multiple citizenship.

What does Indian law say?

India does not permit dual citizenship. Under Indian law, the moment a citizen acquires the citizenship of another country, their Indian citizenship ends. An Indian passport is a travel document and is not, by itself, conclusive proof that the holder is an Indian citizen.

What this means for travellers

Indian nationals who take up foreign citizenship should understand that, under the rules described here, doing so ends their Indian citizenship. Anyone in that position may want to confirm their status before relying on an Indian passport for travel, since the passport alone does not settle the question of citizenship.

No change to the rule has been announced. Whether India's approach still makes sense in an increasingly connected world is the question being put up for public debate.