“Number of Goans Surrender Indian Passports in 5 Years, Portuguese Citizenship Top Choice: CM”
PANAJI: On an average six Goans surrendered their passports in 2023 and 2024 per day and accepted foreign nationalies. The number declined in 2025 and came down five Goans surrendering the Indian nationality and accepting foreign nationalies, stated Chief Minister.
The Chief minister, Mr Pramod Sawant told the Assembly that around 8,398 people from Goa surrendered their Indian passports between 2021 and 2025 after taking foreign citizenship.
Out of these, 8,370 people (99.6%) took Portuguese citizenship. A small number of people took citizenship of countries like the US, UK, Canada, Ireland, France, Mexico, Poland, Germany, Russia, Kazakhstan, Romania, Thailand and Tanzania.
The data also shows that about 2 people per day gave up Indian citizenship in 2021. The number almost doubled in 2022. In 2023 and 2024 around 6 people per day surrendered their passports, while in 2025 the number dropped to about 5 people per day.
This information was shared in reply to questions asked by MLAs Vijai Sardesai and Carlos Ferreira. The government also said no study has been done to understand the background or reasons why these people chose foreign citizenship.
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