Instructions on Passport Services
PASSPORT SERVICES- GENERAL GUIDELINES, INSTRUCTIONS & REQUIREMENTS
1. Application for reissue (new booklet) of passport can be submitted if the final validity of the passport is less than one year OR all pages have exhausted. If a passport is renewed after one year from the date of its expiry, an affidavit is to be filled and additional fees is payable
2. Now passports are prepared by centralized printing system in India, the process of delivery of the passport to applicants takes up to 3 weeks in general. New Passports issued are machine readable (MRP). Hence no handwritten passports are being issued in line with the orders of Government of India except in rare humanitarian cases.
3. The validity of a passport cannot be extended beyond the date of its final validity. An application for a new passport has to be submitted along with the old passport and copy of residence permit.
4. An applicant has the option to apply for an ordinary passport booklet of 36 pages or a Jumbo passport booklet of 60 pages of ten-year validity. Frequently travelling individuals are advised to apply for a Jumbo Passport booklet.
5. A separate passport must be obtained by every individual. A child's name can no longer be endorsed on a parent's passport.
6. The applicant should submit the application in person for identification or through a relative/ authorized representative preferably an Indian citizen.
7. Three Recent photographs showing frontal view of full face in civilian clothes taken in a studio with white background (Polaroid photographs and photographs with dark glasses or uniforms are not accepted) should be submitted along with the application. See photograph requirement document.
8. Documents in other than Hindi or English should be accompanied with typed English translation from authorized translator.
9. Supporting documents like marriage certificate (to be attested by the Secretariat or General Admin./Home Department of the same State Govt. where marriage took place), birth registration certificate, affidavits should either be issued by a Government body or attested by one. Original documents should also be brought for verification.
10. Applicants are advised to ensure that their application in the prescribed format is complete in all respects; that all columns are correctly and legibly filled up and no column left blank, unfilled/non responded to or vaguely filled with a dash, tick, etc. All signatures in the application should be with ballpoint pen. Thumb impression is accepted for those who cannot sign.
11. It is an offence under the Passports Act 1967 to furnish false information in the application. Passport facilities could be denied on grounds of suppression of material information, submission of incorrect particulars, willful damage/loss of passport or for unauthorized change/tampering. The Passport can be impounded or revoked for violation of one or more of the provisions of the Passport Act.
12. It is an offence to hold more than one valid passport at a time. Those Indian citizens acquiring citizenship/passport of another country should immediately surrender their Indian Passport to the Indian Embassy and apply for Surrender Certificate in return.
