Documents Required for Passport
Seneca, the Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman and dramatist once said, “Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.”
The passport is an official document, issued by government of a country to its citizens, which makes you eligible to travel to foreign countries. It is an important identity proof which substantiates your citizenship.
You travel to make memories, spend quality time with your family/friends, take a business trip or go meet someone, either in your own country or somewhere abroad. If you are travelling abroad, then you must carry your passport with you, however you will not need your passport if you are travelling within your own country.
You should apply for a passport well in advance if you have to travel out of the country. The passport, once issued, is usually valid for 10 years, after which you have to re-apply for the same. There are a specific set of documents that you need to submit as address and age proof for the issuance of passport.
Documents Required
You can submit any one of the official records from the following list of valid documents:
- Proof Of Present Address
- Aadhaar Card
- Rent Agreement
- Electricity bill
- Telephone (landline or postpaid mobile bill)
- Election Commission Photo ID card
- Certificate from Employer of reputed companies on letter head
- Income Tax Assessment Order
- Photo Passbook of running Bank Account (Scheduled Public Sector Banks, Scheduled Private Sector Indian Banks and Regional Rural Banks only)
- Proof of Gas Connection
- Spouse’s passport copy (First and last page including family details mentioning applicant’s name as spouse of the passport holder), (provided the applicant’s present address matches the address mentioned in the spouse’s passport)
- Parent’s passport copy, in case of minors(First and last page)
- Water Bill
- Proof Of Date Of Birth
- Birth Certificate issued by the Registrar of Births and Deaths or the Municipal Corporation or any other prescribed authority, whosoever has been empowered under the Registration of Birth and Deaths Act, 1969 to register the birth of a child born in India
- Aadhaar Card/E-Aadhaar
- PAN Card issued by the Income Tax Department
- Driving License issued by the Transport department of concerned state Government
- Transfer/School leaving/Matriculation Certificate issued by the school last attended/recognized educational board
- Policy Bond issued by the Public Life Insurance Corporations/Companies having the DOB of the holder of the insurance policy
- Copy of an extract of the service record of the applicant (only in respect of Government servants) or the Pay Pension Order (in respect of retired Government Servants), duly attested/certified by the officer/in-charge of the Administration of the concerned Ministry/Department of the applicant
- Election Photo Identity Card (EPIC) issued by the Election Commission of India
- A declaration given by the Head of the Orphanage/Child Care Home on their official letter head of the organization confirming the DOB of the applicant
These documents are same for adults, senior citizens as well as minors (below 18 years of age). The only exception in case of minors is, you will have to submit a declaration affirming the particulars furnished in the application about the minor as per Annexure D. Also adults (above 18 years of age and below 65 years) will have to declare if they belong to Non-ECR (Emigration Check Required) category, for which a few more documents will have to be submitted by you. You can get the complete list of documents on the Passport Seva portal.
Besides the above mentioned set of records, you might need to submit a few additional documents in special cases such as:
- If you are a minor and were born through surrogacy, then in addition to the previously mentioned documents you will have to submit a declaration affirming the particulars furnished in the application about the minor as per Annexure I.
- If you are an adult and an employee of a government/PSU/statutory body, then you will have to provide Identity Certificate in original as per Annexure A.
- If you are a senior citizen and a retired government official, then you will be required to submit the pension payment order along with address proof and age proof.
We recommend that you check Passport Seva, an online portal established by Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India to get the complete details of the documents required for the application of passport.
While keeping these points in mind, it is best advised that you also get travel insurance when making your travel plans, as it can take care of your financial needs and cover you in case you lose/damage your passport in an unfamiliar country.
