NT Reporter
Panaji
Since 2014, a substantial number of individuals in Goa have renounced their Indian citizenship, with over 32,000 people surrendering their passports according to the state government data.
Between January 1, 2014, and March 3, 2024, a total of 25,939 individuals surrendered their Indian passports, as per the government data. The latest official figures build on this trend, showing that an additional 6,960 people surrendered their passports between January 2023 and June 30, 2026.
According to the government records, annual surrender of passports reached peak levels in the middle of the previous decade before moderating. A total of 2,037 people surrendered their passports in 2014, followed by 3,940 in 2015, 4,121 in 2016 and 3,623 in 2017. Figures remained elevated with 3,516 cases in 2018 and 2,958 in 2019.
As the United Kingdom government was planning a referendum on British membership of the European Union, more people began applying even as uncertainty continued over its result. The referendum was held in June 2016. Around 4,000 people each took Portuguese passport in 2015 and 2016. Brexit came into effect in January 2020, and during the transition also, over 3,500 individuals each gave up their Indian citizenship to work in the UK in 2017 and 2018. Around 3,000 individuals renounced their Indian citizenship in 2019.
The pace fell sharply during the pandemic period, which also coincided with the Brexit taking effect, with 976 passports surrendered in 2020 and 954 in 2021, according to the government data. In 2022, the number of people in Goa who surrendered their Indian passports stood at 1,285.
The state recorded 2,094 individuals surrendering their passports in 2023, 2,295 in 2024 and 1,797 in 2025. In the first six months of 2026 alone, another 774 persons surrendered their Indian passports.
Although these figures demonstrate a steady continuation of citizenship renunciations across Goa, the available government data does not provide a constituency- or taluka-level breakdown.
