Documents required for a passport appointment in India

An Indian passport is an essential document that serves as a legal identification proof of citizenship for all Indian nationals travelling abroad. It contains vital information such as the holder’s name, date of birth, photograph, signature, and other relevant details. The applicant provides this information by submitting multiple documents, making the process seem bureaucratic and complex and full of paperwork hurdles. Thus, to help navigate this complex process, we have outlined the complete set of documents required for a passport appointment in India.

Documents required for a fresh passport appointment

A fresh passport is one issued to an individual for the first time. It’s typically obtained by individuals who have never held a passport before. A fresh passport requires the most documentation compared to a reissue or renewal and has the longest processing time. Applicants furnish original documents and a set of self-attested photocopies of these documents at the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) during their appointment.

Here are the documents required for a fresh passport appointment in India:

Proof of Date of Birth (DOB)

1. Birth Certificate issued by the Registrar of Births and Deaths, Municipal Corporation, or any other prescribed authority
2. Transfer, school leaving, or matriculation certificate issued by the last attended school or a recognised educational board
3. Policy Bond issued by the Public Life Insurance Corporation showing the DOB of the insurance policyholder.
4. Copy of an extract of the applicant’s service record in case of Government servants and Pay Pension Order in case of retired Government Servants — duly attested/certified by the officer or in charge of the Administration of the concerned Ministry/Department of the applicant.
5. Election Photo Identity Card (EPIC) issued by the Election Commission of India
6. Permanent Account Number (PAN) Card issued by the Income Tax Department of India
7. Driving Licence issued by the Transport Department of the concerned State Government
8. A declaration by the Head of the Orphanage/Child Care Home on the organisation’s official letterhead confirming the applicant’s DOB

Proof of present address

1. Water Bill
2. Telephone (landline or postpaid mobile) bill
3. Electricity bill
4. Income Tax Assessment Order
5. Election Commission Photo ID card
6. Gas Connection proof
7. Certificate from Employer of reputed companies on letterhead
8. Spouse’s passport copy (First and last page including family details mentioning the applicant’s name as the spouse of the passport holder, provided the applicant’s present address matches the address mentioned in the spouse’s passport)
9. Aadhaar Card
10. Rent Agreement
11. Photo Passbook of running Bank Account (Scheduled Public Sector Banks, Scheduled Private Sector Indian Banks and Regional Rural Banks only)

Proof of non-ECR

Non-ECR passports are issued to individuals who do not require emigration checks before travelling to select countries for various purposes such as tourism, business, education, and medical treatment. To be eligible for a non-ECR passport, applicants must provide document proof of the non-ECR category.

In addition to the standard documents required for a fresh passport, specific circumstances necessitate some additional documents. You can check out the necessary documents for your particular case here.

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Documents required for reissue of passport

A passport reissue takes place when the passport booklet is replaced for specific reasons, such as:

• Exhaustion of pages
• Renewal of Short Validity Passport (SVP)
• Lost/Stolen Passport
• Damaged passport
• Change in existing personal particulars

In such cases, the list of documents required for the reissue of the passport are:

1. Previous passport.
2. A printout of the application receipt.
3. Self-attested copies of the first and last two pages of the passport.
4. A self-attested copy of the Emigration Check Required (ECR)/ Non-ECR page.
5. A self-attested copy of the page of observation, if any, was made by the Passport Issuing Authority.
6. A self-attested copy of the validity extension page, if any, regarding the Short Validity Passport (SVP).
7. Proof of present address in case of address change.
8. Document proof for the relevant non-ECR category, if applicable.

Documents required for passport renewal

A typical Indian passport is valid for ten years for adults and five years for minors until they reach the age of 18. After this period, if the holder wishes to continue using the passport, they need to get it renewed. Thus, passport renewal refers to extending the validity period of an existing passport within three years or one year before its expiry.

A passport renewal is different from a passport reissue. In case of a reissue, the passport office issues a new passport with the same validity period as the old one. In case of renewal, the validity period is updated.

However, the general documents required for passport renewal are similar to those needed for reissue.

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Documents required by minors

During the issuance of passports, applicants under 18 years of age are considered minors. For minors, the general documents required for a passport in India are as follows:

1. Proof of birth of the minor.
2. Address proof documents in the name of the parent(s) can be submitted.
3. A recent passport-size photograph of the minor.
4. A declaration by parents affirming the particulars furnished in the application about the minor.
5. Original and self-attested copies of parents’ passports, if available.

Other than these, depending on the circumstances, some additional documents may be required for a minor's passport. You can check them out here.

Documents required for a Tatkal passport

A ‘tatkaal’ passport is for those who urgently need a passport. Once successfully applied, a tatkaal passport is issued and dispatched within 7-8 business days. The document submission requirements are different when applying for a Tatkal passport.

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The documents required for a passport under the Tatkal scheme are as follows:

For adults, any 3 of the documents listed below can be submitted.

1. Aadhaar Card or e-Aadhar issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India(UIDAI) containing the 12-digit Aadhaar number
2. Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC)
3. Service Photo Identity Cards issued by Central/State Government, Public Sector Undertakings, local bodies or Public Limited Companies
4. Scheduled Caste (SC) or Scheduled Tribe (ST) or Other Backward Class (OBC) Certificate
5. Arms Licence issued under the Arms Act, 1959(54 of 1959)
6. Pension Documents such as ex-servicemen’s Pension book or Pension payment order issued to retired government employees, ex-servicemen’s Widow or Dependent Certificates, Old Age Pension Order
7. Permanent Account Number(PAN)
8. Bank Passbook, Post Office Passbook, or Kisan Passbook
9. Student photo ID cards issued by recognised educational institutions
10. Driving Licences (valid and within the jurisdiction of the State of submission of applicant)
11. Birth Certificates issued under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969
12. Rations Cards
13. Last Passport issued (in case of reissue only)

For minors, any 2 of the documents listed below can be submitted.

1. Aadhaar Card/e-Aadhar containing the 12-digit Aadhaar number issued by the UIDAI
2. Student photo ID cards issued by recognised educational institutions
3. Birth Certificates issued under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969
4. Ration Card
5. Permanent Account Number(PAN)
6. Last passport issued (in case of reissue only)

For more specific documents required for a passport in India suiting your situation, check out the passport document advisor by Passport Seva.