In brief
A permanent resident may remain in Australia but does not have the citizen’s automatic right of return from overseas.
Start with Department of Home Affairs: Travelling overseas as a permanent resident (opens in a new tab)
Your next steps
0 of 5 steps complete · Next: Check the actual travel facility
Check the actual travel facility
Next stepRead the visa grant and current travel conditions. Home Affairs warns that PR status alone does not guarantee re-entry: the travel facility must remain valid or an appropriate Resident Return Visa must be obtained. Check before leaving and again before return.
Prepare an RRV evidence review
Practical preparation: retain residence days, employment/business ties, close family ties and reasons for absence. Ask Home Affairs or a registered migration adviser which RRV category and supporting evidence fit your circumstances; do not assume every PR receives another five years.
Agree the India citizenship sequence first
Practical preparation: obtain case-specific written guidance from the Indian citizenship authority and the foreign nationality authority on eligibility, assurance, effective dates and travel documents. Do not renounce citizenship in anticipation of an unapproved Indian citizenship application. Moving to India or obtaining OCI is a separate decision.
Use the current renunciation instructions
Form 128, design date September 2026, requires identity and citizenship evidence and proof of another citizenship or acquisition on renunciation. Follow its certification, payment and submission instructions. Citizenship ends on approval, not merely when the form is posted.
Plan the immigration consequences
Renunciation approved in Australia creates an ex-citizen visa allowing continued stay but not re-entry after departure. Approval while overseas does not permit visa-free return. Review any implications for minor children and obtain the appropriate visa before later travel.
Suggested preparation sequence. Your authority may require a different order. Progress stays on this device.
Australia & India guidance · All countries
Evidence for these steps
Checked 20 October 2026. Links support the statements within their scope; preparation lists are editorial suggestions. Access limitations are disclosed below.
- Check the actual travel facility: Department of Home Affairs — Travelling overseas as a permanent resident Official indexed text reviewed; full page exposes only a dynamic shell.
- Prepare an RRV evidence review: NRIdisha preparation suggestion; confirm your own requirements.
- Agree the India citizenship sequence first: NRIdisha preparation suggestion; confirm your own requirements.
- Use the current renunciation instructions: Department of Home Affairs — Application for renunciation: Form 128
- Plan the immigration consequences: Department of Home Affairs — Application for renunciation: Form 128
What to have ready
0 of 3 preparedKeep documents in your own secure records. Tick what you have; nothing is uploaded.
Questions to take to an adviser
- Will my travel facility remain valid through the return date?
- Which RRV evidence applies?
- Where will I be when renunciation is approved, and what status follows?
Who can help
A qualified Australia adviser and an Indian cross-border tax or citizenship specialist, as appropriate. The responsible authority decides applications.
Check an adviser before paying or signingSources & review limits
Published by NRIdisha. Prepared with AI assistance. No individual author or qualified professional reviewer is credited for this guide.
Official sources support the statements they address. They do not certify this guide or your eligibility. Open the source and check current amendments before acting.
National Portal of India (opens in a new tab)
Travel facility and Resident Return Visa route.
Source access limit Official indexed text reviewed; full page exposes only a dynamic shell.
September 2026 form: eligibility, evidence, approval date, ex-citizen visa and travel.
Keep this page’s title, the exact statement and the official source. Email them to support@nridisha.com. Do not include personal documents.