Indian Passport New Rules in 2017

by James Lincoln Technology Advisor

In a bid to provide fast and efficient passport services, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) regulated by the Government of India, has implemented various amendments to the passport application rules. The changes to the policy have resulted in an increased demand for passport and visas across the nation. Many of the changes are implemented at the initial stage of the application process itself. Earlier, passport application was sought to be one of the complicated and time-consuming tasks, the recent changes have eased the entire application process to such an extent that applicants can expect their passport to be dispatched in one working day (subject to applicant’s location and other factors). Additionally, the government has also expanded the passport service coverage through many Post Office Passport Seva Kendra and Laghu Kendra. Following are few of the recent changes to the passport rules in India:

Indian Passport

Applying without a Birth Certificate

In order to carry out the passport application process, all applicants were required to submit their Birth Certificate as the proof of D.O.B., however, the recent changes enable applicants to carry out the application process without the need of a Birth Certificate, instead, and any of the following documents can be submitted:

● Aadhaar Card/E-Aadhaar - Aadhaar can be used as the proof of D.O.B. for the passport application process. The government has also made it mandatory to submit Aadhaar along with the application form. Considering the fact that Aadhaar contains demographic and biometric details of the individual, it also helps in expediting the application processing time.

● School leaving/Transfer/Matriculation Certificate – Passport applicants can also use their university/college transfer certificate, matriculation certificate or school leaving certificate as the D.O.B. provided the document indicates the applicant’s D.O.B.

● PAN Card - A valid PAN Card issued by the Income Tax (IT) Department is also one of the acceptable proof of D.O.B. for the application.

● Voter ID Card – Applicants are also allowed to use their Election Photo Identity Card (EPIC) issued by the Election Commission of India as proof of D.O.B., however, the Voter ID Card must indicate the D.O.B. of the applicant for it to be considered valid.

● Service Record – If the applicant is a Government employee, he/she can use the copy of the extract of the service record or the Pay Pension Order as the proof of D.O.B. Irrespective of which document is submitted, it must be duly attested/certified by the authorized person in-charge of the administration of Ministry/Department. The document must indicate the D.O.B. of the applicant for it to be termed valid.

● Driving License (DL) - A valid DL issued by the Transport Department/Authority of the State Government is also accepted as proof of D.O.B. for the application process.

● Policy Bond – If the applicant is a policyholder, he/she can use the Policy Bond issued by the Public Life Insurance Corporations/Companies as the proof D.O.B., however, the document must contain the D.O.B. of the applicant.

Documents required for the Indian passport application process

Applicants require any of the following documents under each category and additional documents to carry out the application process for Indian Passports:

● Proof of Present Address

o Aadhaar/e-Aadhaar (subject to authentication)

o Certificate from Employer (for public limited companies only)

o Electricity Bill

o Election Commission Photo ID Card

o Gas connection Bill

o Photo passbook of running Bank Account

o Income Tax Assessment Order

o Registered Rent Agreement

o Parent’s passport copy (for minors)

o Telephone (landline or postpaid mobile bill)

o Spouse’s passport copy

o Water Bill, etc.

● Proof of Birth

o Birth Certificate issued by a recognized authority

o Aadhaar Card/E-Aadhaar

o Election Photo Identity Card issued by the Election Commission of India

o Policy Bond (with date of birth) issued by Public Life Insurance Corporations or Companies

o PAN Card issued by the Income Tax Department

o Driving licence issued by the Transport Department of the concerned State Government

o Transfer/School leaving/Matriculation Certificate issued by the school last attended

o A declaration from the Head of the Orphanage/Child Care Home on their official letterhead of the organization confirming the DOB of the applicant

Online Passport Application Method - Moving from paper-based application to the online methods has turned out to be useful for the applicants as well the government. The online application method is not only fast but efficient as well, moreover, it provides transparency and avoids clerical errors.

Name of parent/legal guardian - Applicants are no longer required to mention the name of both the parent/legal guardian, instead, they can mention the name of only one parent. This initiative will ease the passport application process for children with single parents or orphans. Moreover, Sadhus/Sanyasis are allowed to mention the name of their spiritual leader instead of biological parents.

Reduced Annexes – The government has also reduced the total Annexes from 15 to 6 which will assist applicants in carrying out a fast application process. Few of the Annexes have been merged and removed to provide a smooth and efficient application experience.

Document Attestation – Earlier, applicants were required to get the documents attested from a notary, executive magistrate or a first-class judicial magistrate, which is no longer applicable. Henceforth, applicants can self-attest the document on plain paper.

Married/Divorced Applicants – Marriage certificate is no longer a mandatory document for married/divorced clients. Additionally, the applicants are not required to mention the name of their spouse in case of divorce.