IMPORTANT
INSTRUCTIONS ON PASSPORT SERVICES
1.
NEW PASSPORT OR RENEWAL AFTER 10 YEARS
(F OR FINAL): Application for a new passport has to be made when
applicant's old passport has completed 10 years (Final or F). The Application
for a new passport can be made also up to one year before the expiry of the
Passport. This is different from Extension of validity of a passport which is
applied for in case of short validity passports (where validity is either 6
months or one year). This service can be rendered on passports only up to a
total of ten years, which is the prescribed life of an Indian passport booklet
after which the validity cannot be extended on the same booklet. Therefore a
new booklet needs to be issued and applied for. In reckoning 10 years, life of
any additional booklet in possession should also be added. Also, in case of
possession of a duplicate passport 10 years has to be counted from the date of
issue of the original passport in lieu of which the duplicate passport was
issued. The application needs to be made on the "Application Form for an
Indian Passport". Other requirements are: Old Passport (in
original); Four Passport size photographs showing frontal view of full face;
prescribed fee; Copy of the first five and last two pages of the passport; Copy
of pages indicating US visa; Original Green card or Employment Authorization
Card (EAC) or other visa documents to be shown at the counter and a copy of
both sides of documents deposited (in case application is being mailed, a
notarized copy of these documents can be sent); in case application for Green
Card or EAC or visa is pending/being processed, a copy of documents in support
of this fact must be deposited. THE
DECLARATION AT THE END OF THE APPLICATION FORM IS TO BE NOTARISED IN CASE THE
OLD PASSPORT HAS EXPIRED MORE THAN ONE YEAR AGO. In case your present
passport does not contain the name of spouse and you wish to have it entered in
your new passport, copy of marriage certificate must be sent. Old passport
would be returned after cancellation. Valid visas in the old passport are not
cancelled.
�
2.
EXTENSION OF VALIDITY OR RENEWAL OF A
SHORT VALIDITY PASSPORT: The
validity of a passport can be extended up to 10 years from the date of issue.
Please note that after the passport has completed 10 years, there is a need to
apply for a New Passport. For Extension of validity "Application Form for
Extension of Validity" must be filled up. Other requirements are:
Passport in original; Two Passport size photographs showing frontal view of
full face; a copy of your passport; copy of pages indicating US visa; original
Green card or Employment Authorization Card (EAC) to be shown at the counter
and a copy of both sides of documents deposited (in case application is being
mailed, a notarized copy of these documents can be sent); in case application
for Green Card or EAC or visa is pending/being processed, a copy of documents
in support of this fact must be deposited. There
is no fee for extension of a short validity passport. However, if
applying by mail, return mail charges as applicable must be sent for return of
passports.
3.
APPLICATION FOR ADDITIONAL BOOKLET:
Application is made for additional booklet when the all the pages in the
existing passport have been exhausted and the old passport booklet continues to
be valid. The procedure is the same as for a New Passport mentioned above.
4.
PASSPORT TO A MINOR CHILD: All minor children (up to 18 years of
age) need to have a separate passport and their name no longer can be included
in either parent's passport. Passport of the minor child will be valid for five
years from the date of issue or till 18 years of age whichever is less. Requirements
are: "Application form for a New Passport"; Three photographs;
prescribed fee; Birth Certificate; Registration of birth at the Indian
Consulate if child born in the USA OR if the child's name is endorsed on either
parent's passport, then passport of that parent (Passport in this case would be
issued to the minor child only after deletion of child's name from the passport);
Original Green card or Employment Authorization Card (EAC) or other visa
documents to be shown at the counter and a copy of both sides of documents
deposited (in case application is being mailed, a notarized copy of these
documents can be sent); in case application for Green Card or EAC or visa is
pending/being processed, a copy of documents in support of this fact must be
deposited; passports of both parents; consent of both parents in the form of a
sworn affidavit in a prescribed proforma; consent letter
in the form of a sworn affidavit in a prescribed proforma
duly attested by an Indian Mission/Post if a parent is residing in another
country.
5.
DUPLICATE PASSPORTS (IN LIEU OF
LOST/DAMAGED PASSPORTS): The application needs to be made on the
"Application Form for an Indian Passport". Other requirements
are: prescribed fee; 6 photographs; Police report (in original) about loss of
passport; Declaration at the end of
the application form duly NOTARISED; verification of particulars form
in the prescribed proforma filled in fully; photocopy
of both sides of Green Card/Employment authorization card or valid or expired
visa (originals of these documents have to be shown at the counter at the time
of application and presented whenever asked for by the Consular Officer);
Photocopy of the passport and original passport in case of damaged passport;
Current School ID and Letter from school/college in the USA (in case of
students only); Matriculation certificate/School Leaving Certificate or any
other school records in India or the USA; Birth Certificate; Driver License
(issued in India and the USA); any Indian Photo Identity card or any Indian
document indicating Indian nationality; Proof of stay in the USA (from the date
indicated in the application form by the applicant), such as Telephone Bill,
house lease deed/bank certificate/insurance policy, job letter or any other
evidence; Photocopy of passport of spouse/parents as applicable.
Applications
for duplicate passport are neither accepted nor dispatched by post. Applicant has to come in person for filing application
for a duplicate passport. It may take three to six months to complete the
process of necessary verifications and duplicate passports can be issued only
on receipt of clearances from the concerned authorities in
6.
CHANGE OF NAME: Application is made
in the �Application for an Indian Passport�. Three photographs and prescribed
fee have to be submitted.
(i) in case of CHANGE
FROM MAIDEN NAME TO MARRIED NAME or substitution of father's name with
husband's name OR Divorcees applying for change of name or for substitution of
husband's name with father's name in existing passport must in addition to the
above furnish the following: Original Passport; Notarized copy of marriage
certificate along with original or notarized copy of divorce deed duly
authenticated by court along with original as applicable; copy of husband's
passport; in case of Re-married ladies (Married ladies applying for change of
name/husband's name in case of remarriage after divorce OR death of husband),
divorce deed OR death certificate as the case may be in respect of her first husband.
(ii)
in ALL OTHER CASES, Change to be
advertised in two daily newspapers, one in U.S.A. and another in India
(circulation in the area of your permanent and present residence); Submission
of original newspaper clippings; an affidavit on change of name, duly notarized
in the prescribed proforma has to be submitted also.
7.
CHANGE OF DATE OR PLACE OF BIRTH:
Applications for change in date or place of birth are not entertained unless
(a) accompanied by a civil order from a competent court of jurisdiction, OR (b)
the entry is incorrect due to an error/mistake by the Passport issuing
authority at the time of issue of passport, OR (c) a competent authority issues
an amendment or correction in the date and place of birth (the competent
authority issuing the amending order should be the same authority whose
certification was submitted at the time of first issue of passport such as
Municipal authorities in the case of birth certificate or Educational board in
the case of school certificate). Application has to be made in the �Application
Form for an Indian Passport� along with passport in original and a fee as
applicable for change of name.
8.
CHANGE OF APPEARANCE: In case of
change of appearance of an applicant, he/she should submit three photographs,
one of them duly attested by the notary public. Application to be made in the
�Application form for an Indian Passport� along with original passport and a
fee as applicable for change of name.
9. FEE FOR VARIOUS PASSPORT SERVICES:
|
(i) |
New Passport 36 pages
(also for renewal after expiry of ten years) |
$40.00 |
(viii) |
Change of name/
Maiden to Married (Issue of New Passport Booklet) |
$20.00 |
|
(ii) |
New Passport Jumbo
60 Pages (also for renewal after expiry of ten years) |
$50.00 |
(ix) |
Emergency Travel
Document |
$5.00 |
|
(iii) |
New Passport for
minor children (under 18 years of age) |
$25.00 |
(x) |
Renewal of
Emergency Travel Document |
$5.00 |
|
(iv) |
Additional Booklet
(36 pages) |
$20.00 |
(xi) |
Identity
Certificate |
$12.00 |
|
(v) |
Additional Booklet
Jumbo (60 pages) |
$25.00 |
(xii) |
Renewal of Identity
Certificate |
$0.00 |
|
(vi) |
Duplicate Passport |
$125.00 |
(xiii) |
Endorsement on
Identity Certificate |
$5.00 |
|
(viii) |
Extension of Short
Validity Passports |
GRATIS |
(xiv) |
Issue of duplicate
Identity Certificate (in lieu of lost/damaged IC) |
$25.00 |
Please
tender the exact amount in the form of Money order/Certified Check in the name
of Consulate General of India or by cash at the counter. Please insist on a
receipt for any money paid at the counter and present the same for collection
of passports/documents. Use only one
form of payment i.e., entire fee should be either in cash or in
certified checks or in money orders. PERSONAL
CHECKS ARE NOT ACCEPTED.
10.
TIMING: Applications for all
passports/consular services (Like issue of new/duplicate passports, renewals
and miscellaneous services on passports, legalization/attestation of documents)
are accepted between
HOLIDAYS: The Consulate General of India would observe following
holidays during the year 2004: Republic Day (January
26), Idu'l Zuha (February
02), Muharram (March 02), Mahavir Jayanti
(April 03) Good Friday (April 09), Milad-Un-Nabi (May
02), Buddha Purnima (May 04), American Independence
Day (July 4), Independence Day (August 15), Labour
Day (September 06), Mahatma Gandhi's Birthday (October 2), Dussehra
(October 22), Diwali ( November 12), Idu'l Fitr
(November 15), Thanksgiving Day (November 25),Guru Nanak's
Birthday (November 26), Christmas (December 25).
11.
EMERGENCY SERVICES: An additional
amount of $90 is charged for rendering emergency service. This service is
available only in cases of genuine emergency such as death or serious illness
in the family and cases not requiring under prior approval from
12.
APPLICATIONS BY MAIL: Outstation
applicants may send their application for passport/consular service by
certified/express mail. Fee should be paid by Money Order/Certified check
payable to the Consulate General of India,
Applications
in straightforward cases received by mail normally take two days to process.
This is in addition to the time taken in mail (one to two weeks in case of
certified mail). This time schedule does not apply to services for which
REFERENCE HAS TO BE MADE TO COMPETENT AUTHORITIES IN INDIA. Please do not make
telephone or written enquiries unless reasonable amount of time for processing
and dispatch of documents have passed. The Consulate will get in touch with applicants
in cases where the applications are incomplete/incorrect, the fee sent are not
adequate or not paid in an acceptable manner or where there are other
deficiencies.� THE CONSULATE IS NOT
RESPONSIBLE FOR DOCUMENTS LOST IN MAIL. A PASSPORT SHOULD NOT BE SENT OUT OF
ANY COUNTRY BY POST.
13.
JURISDICTION of the Consulate
General of India,
14.
INCOMPLETE / FALSE INFORMATION
Application forms should be filled in fully, legibly (in BLOCK CAPITAL LETTERS)
and accurately. Applications received with incomplete details would remain
unprocessed causing unnecessary delays. It is an offense under the Passports
Act 1967 to give false information in the Application. Passport facilities can
be denied on grounds of suppression of factual information, Misrepresentation
of the facts, submission of false particulars, willful damage of passport and
for making unauthorized changes in the passports.� Your passport is a valuable document. It
should always be either in your custody or in the custody of a person duly
authorized by you. It must not be altered or mutilated in any way. If lost or
destroyed, the fact and circumstances should be immediately reported to the
nearest Indian Mission and to the local police. Please keep a photocopy of your
passport in a safe place. Without them issuance of a duplicate passport in case
of loss/damage/theft may be delayed. Please check the expiry date of your
Passport on receiving it for the first time and remember to get your passport
renewed well in advance of the expiry date.
15. NO REFUNDS
Fees, once received, cannot be refunded, even if the application is withdrawn
or service cannot be rendered.
16.
GENERAL INQUIRIES OR SUPPLY OF FORMS
Please write to the Information Desk, Passport and
Visa Wing, Consulate General of India,
17.
APPEAL The
Consulate earnestly appeals to the members of the Indian community not to pay
more than the prescribed amount of Consular fee to anyone or encourage any middlemen
or agents as it spoils the reputation of the community. In any event, public
should not make any payment for which receipt is not given by the Consulate.
The community should take every precaution against accepting forged/counterfeit
travel document from unscrupulous elements.
NOTE: The above instructions are subject to change from time to
time. Facilities exist on Consulate premises for Pay telephones, taking
photographs and making photocopies of documents on payment.