Procedure for issuance/renewal of passports to Indian nationals.
The Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India has introduced issuance of Machine Readable Passports in all Passports Offices in India in 2002 and abroad w.e.f. 27.08.2007. Under this system, all applicants desiring to renew /obtain new passports in Indian Missions abroad would have to apply online in the prescribed format. The details would be fed into the computer and uplinked to the Ministry’s system in New Delhi wherein it would be downloaded and processed for printing. After printing of the passports, these would be sent to the respective Missions by courier. The procedure takes upto three weeks for issuance of Passports from the date of submission of applications. It may be noted that machine readable passports are secure, tamper-proof and in accordance with the guidelines of the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
Guidelines for Indian passport holders
|
1. |
Your passport is a valuable document. It should always in your custody or in the custody of a person duly authorised by you. Passports should not be sent out of the country of residence by post.
|
|
2. |
If lost or destroyed, the fact and circumstances should be immediately reported to the nearest Indian Mission and the local Police. In order to expedite issue of a new passport in such cases, you are advised to keep a photocopy or preferably a scanned copy of the data pages and valid visas in your passport.
|
|
3. |
Under the Passports Act 1967, it is an offence to give false information in the application. Passport facilities can be denied on grounds of suppression of factual information, submission of false particulars, willful damage of passport and for making unauthorized changes in the passports.
|
|
4. |
Your passport can be impounded or revoked by the Government of India under the provision of the Passports Act 1967 in which even you will have to surrender the passport to the nearest Indian Passport Authority. |
General Guidelines for issue/reissue of Passport
|
1. |
Application to be filled up online at https://passport.gov.in/nri/OnlineRegistration.jsp (select office: Vietnam-HochiminhCity) | |
|
2. |
Application for renewal of passport can be submitted if the final validity of the passport is less than one year.
|
|
|
3. |
Old Passport in original with photocopy of page 1, 2, 33, 35 and visa page and additional booklets, if any, should be submitted.
|
|
|
4. |
The applicant should submit the application in person for identification; however minors up to the age of 5 are exempted from this requirement.
|
|
| 5. | Guidelines for 4 photographs to be submitted with the application | |
| a) The image should be 2 inches by 2 inches;
b) The image must have adequate brightness and contrast; c) The skin tone should be natural. In case of over-exposure or under-exposure of the photo, the skin is either too dark or too light, photo will not be acceptable; d It should show a close up of the head and (partial) shoulders; e) The image should be straight looking, centred with neutral expression; f) Face should be in sharp focus and clear with no ink marks/creases/lines; g) The face (from forehead edge to bottom of chin) should be 70 to 80% of the photo or one inch height; h) The eyes msut be open and no hair obscuring the face; i) Prescription glasses if worn should be clear and thin framed and should not have flash reflection or obscure the eyes; j) Head coverings, hair, head-dress or facial ornaments should not obscure the face; k) The photo must have plain light background; l) There must be no other people or object in the photo; m) The lighting must be uniform with no shadows on the face or behind; n) Red eye photos are not allowed; o) No lines are allowed.
|
||
| 6. | Minors are issued passports for 5 years or up to attaining 18 years, whichever is earlier.
|
|
| 7. | Applicants are advised to ensure that their application in the prescribed format is complete in all respects; that all columns are correctly and legibly filled up and no column is left blank or unfilled/unresponded or vaguely filled with a dash, tick, etc. All signatures in the application should be with ballpoint pen of black or blue ink. Those who cannot affix their signatures like infants, minors or illiterate should put their thumb impression in the place of signature.
|
|
| 8. | It is an offence under the Passport Act 1967 to furnish false information in the application. Passport facilities could be denied on grounds of suppression of material information, submission of incorrect particulars, willful damage/loss of passport or for unauthorized change/tampering. The Passport can be impounded or revoked for violation of one or more of the provisions of the Passport Act. | |
| 9. | It is an offence to hold more than one valid passport at a time.
|
|
| 10. | A passport expired more than six months back should be supported by a Sworn Affidavit explaining the circumstances and the reasons for late renewal. An extra fee will be charged for the Sworn Affidavit in such cases.
|
|
| 11. | Those Indian citizens acquiring citizenship/passport of another country should immediately surrender their Indian passport to the Indian Embassy/Consulate by signing the citizenship renunciation form.
|
|
| 12. | Emergency service for issue of passport can be availed by payment of an additional fee under the Tatkal Scheme. Normal fee for adult and minor up to 18 years of age –The validity of Tatkal passport is generally for one year, which can be extended later without any fee.
|
|
| 13. | Both the Parents must attest the minor’s application form.
|
|
| 14. | For other than Ho Chi Minh City issued passports –personal particulars form is also to be filled.
|
|
| 15. | For issue of a fresh passport for new-born child or a minor child included in an Indian parent’s passport, please enclose (i) birth certificate (s) bearing names of both parents; If the birth certificate has been issued by the Ministry of Health, please enclose an authentic translation in English duly attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Vietnam.; (ii) passports of both parents; (iii) marriage certificate of parents; and (iv) application signed by both parents requesting issue of a separate passport for the new-born/minor child(ren)
|
|
| 16. | A guardian applying for the passport of the minor child must furnish a sworn affidavit supported by another sworn affidavit by two responsible persons knowing both the minor and the guardian. | |