New Passport Rules in India 2023
- Author :
- TATA AIG Team
- ●
- Last Updated On :
- 25/10/2023
A passport is a mandatory document that you need if you want to travel abroad. It is proof of your nationality when you travel to another country. The passport rules in India come under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of External Affairs. The MEA is a government body that is responsible for maintaining India’s relationship with other countries.
Recently, the MEA has announced several changes in the passport rules, and you must know the new passport regulations. Therefore, it is essential that you understand all the new passport rules carefully so that you can easily apply for a passport. If you wish to know all the new passport regulations, we have a list that can help you.
Before we get into the details of the new passport rules, it is essential to state the importance of having a travel insurance plan if you are planning to travel. An international travel insurance plan can help you financially if you face any adverse situations while you are in a foreign land. For example, if your passport gets stolen or you have to be hospitalised due to Covid-19, the travel insurance plan will help you financially so that you do not have to spend huge amounts of money.
With Tata AIG, you can buy an international travel insurance plan that is tailor-made to your needs. The plan can be bought online in a few easy steps. Also, the process of international travel insurance claim filing is efficient, and you will not have to face any hassles. In case you face issues, our customer support team will help you with any queries that you have.
Now, let us get into the new passport rules in India.
List of the New Passport Rules in India
Passport verification documents for date of birth
Earlier, it was compulsory for everyone who was born after January 1st 1989, to submit their birth certificate to apply for a passport. But, according to the new rules of passport document verification documents regarding date of birth, the applicant can submit substitutes of the birth certificate. These documents in the new rules for change of date of birth in passport:
- PAN Card
- Aadhar Card
- Driving License
- Voter ID
- Life Insurance plan that has your date of birth
- School leaving certificate/transfer certificate/matriculation certificate
In the case of orphans who do not have a date of birth certificate, directory court order, or matriculation certificate can now submit a written declaration provided by the head of the orphanage or the child care home regarding the date of birth of the person on the organisation’s letterhead. Thus, these are the new rules for a change of date of birth in a passport.
Ordinary applicants can opt for post-police verification
MEA has made the entire process of police verification simpler with this new passport rule for police verification. Earlier, only people who had applied for their passports under the Tatkal option could choose this. But, according to the new passport rule for police verification, the normal applicant can also opt for this service without paying any extra charges.
With the rules, you will get the passport after a week of the date of the appointment. The issuance of a passport, police verification, etc., takes 21 days. But, with this new passport rule in India, the passport will be issued, and police verification will happen after the issuance.
The name of one guardian or parent
In new passport regulations, the MEA has changed the rule of the requirement of the names of both parents. As a result, the applicant can now give the name of only one parent or guardian at the time of passport application. This has eased the process for people who are children of single parents or orphans.
Moreover, for people who are spiritually oriented, like the sadhus and sanyasis, provision has been made to mention the name of their spiritual leader instead of their parents. In case of request of the applicant, the name of either the mother or the father can be omitted. Thus, this is the new rule regarding passport verification documents for parents.
A divorced or married person
If you are married, you do not need to include a marriage certificate in the passport verification documents. In case you are divorced, it is not mandatory to name your spouse in your application. This is one of the most interesting new passport rules in India and is according to the changing norms in society.
Annexes
The number of annexes in total has been reduced to 9 from 15. In addition, Annexes A, D, C, J, E, and K have been eliminated, while others have been merged. Less number of annexes means you will have to collate lesser documents.
Attestation
Earlier, the annexes needed to be attested by an Executive Magistrate or Notary or a First Class Judicial Magistrate. This rule has been changed. Now, according to the new passport regulations, you can submit these annexes on plain paper in the form of a self-declaration. Thus, you do not need to run here and there to get the attestation done.
Work-related passports
In case of an urgent passport, if any government employee is not able to obtain a No Objection Certificate(NOC) or a certificate of identity from their employer, then they can submit an affidavit stating that they have intimated their employer that they are submitting an application for an ordinary passport to the Indian passport issuing authority.
Conclusion
These are the new passport rules in India that are meant to make the process of passport application simpler. If you need more details, then you can also visit the MEA website, which has all the information in detail. So, now that the MEA has made your travel plans easier with the ease of getting a passport, what are you waiting for? Before you take a flight to your dream destination, do not forget to secure your travel with an affordable travel insurance plan from Tata AIG. Also, use the travel insurance premium calculator to calculate the premium that you need to pay so that you can travel without any worries.
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