Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) — applying for Indian citizenship
Government of India (Ministry of Home Affairs)
Overview
The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) provides a pathway to Indian citizenship for people from specified religious minorities — Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians — from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who entered India on or before 31 December 2014 without valid travel documents, or stayed beyond the permitted period.
The Act reduces the period of residence in India needed for citizenship by naturalisation from 11 years to 5 years. People covered by the Act are also protected from prosecution related to illegal immigration. The Act does not apply to certain protected tribal areas (such as Sixth Schedule areas) or to regions under the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system.
Applications are made online on the Ministry of Home Affairs citizenship portal, with personal, origin, entry and residence details, uploaded documents and the prescribed fee. After document checks and a background review, approved applicants receive a citizenship (naturalisation) certificate.
At a glance
- Administering authority
- Government of India (Ministry of Home Affairs)
- Scheme type
- Other
- Place of posting / area
- All India
- Application mode
- Online
- Important dates
- Applications accepted year-round
Benefits
- A formal route to Indian citizenship by naturalisation
- Residence period needed for citizenship reduced from 11 years to 5 years
- Protection from prosecution related to illegal immigration for those covered by the Act
Eligibility
- Country of origin: Pakistan, Bangladesh or Afghanistan
- Religious identity: Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian
- Entered India on or before 31 December 2014
- Entered without valid travel documents, or stayed beyond the permitted period
- Lived in India for at least 5 years before applying
- The Act does not apply to certain protected tribal areas (such as Sixth Schedule areas) or to Inner Line Permit (ILP) regions
Required documents
- Proof of identity
- Proof of country of origin
- Proof of date of entry into India
- Proof of length of stay in India
How to apply
- Apply online on the official Ministry of Home Affairs citizenship portal
- Enter personal, origin, entry and residence details
- Upload proof of identity, origin, entry date and length of stay
- Pay the prescribed fee online
- Your documents are checked and a background review is done
- If approved, you receive a citizenship (naturalisation) certificate
Last updated: 1 Nov 2026
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