How to Apply For A Passport

There are quite a few governmental formalities and procedures that one has to go through to obtain the Passport. Let us see what they are:-

While applying for a fresh passport one has to attach two copies of the following documents:

A)     Proof of address  – Attach one of the following

Your ration card, certificate from Employer of reputed companies on letter head, water /telephone /electricity bill/statement of running bank account/Income Tax Assessment Order /Election Commission ID card, Gas connection Bill, Spouse’s passport copy, parent’s passport copy in case of minors. (NOTE: If any applicant submits only ration card as proof of address, it should be accompanied by one more proof of address out of the above categories).

B)      Proof of Date of Birth – Attach one of the following

Birth certificate issued by a Municipal Authority or district office of the Registrar of Births & Deaths; Date of birth certificate from the school last attended by the applicant or any other recognized educational institution. For illiterate or semi-illiterate applicants there is an additional procedure. Such applicants need to obtain and submit an Affidavit sworn before a Magistrate/Notary stating date/place of birth. Please note that In the case of applicants born on or after 26.01.89, only Birth Certificate issued by the Municipal Authority or the Office of the Registrar of Births & Deaths is acceptable.

C)      Citizenship Document if you are a citizen of India by Registration or Naturalization.  This is not required for Natives.

D)     All the Government/Public Sector/Statutory body employees should submit “Identity Certificate” in original along with Standard.

E)      If the applicant is eligible for “ECNR” attach attested copy of supporting document. What is ECNR. It stands for Emigration Clearance Not Required. While travelling out of India, if one is not a Graduate or a Diploma Holder (This is a recent year’s addition) then a couples of days before the start of the travel one has to visit the Emigration Office & prove ones bonafides, and the purpose of travel. Upon obtaining clearance which is called as Emigration Clearance, you are cleared for travel to the country of your destination.

F)      If the applicant was repatriated ( Sent back to India by a Foreign Government. This could be for various reasons) at Government cost, enclose documents to show that the expenditure, if any, incurred by the Government of India on his/her repatriation has been fully refunded to the Government of India, Ministry of External Affairs.

G)     If the applicant was ever deported to India, such a person must submit details of Emergency Certificate/Passport.

Later, policemen from your area’s local Police Station, come home and verify all your submissions & give the clearance to Passport Office that you are indeed holder of all the documents submitted by you, paving the way for the Passport Office to Issue the much awaited Passport.

Content updated in January 2023
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