High Commission of India, London
GENERAL INFORMATION
Normally, an ordinary passport is valid for ten years from the date of issue. Minors are issued passports for 5 years or up to attaining 18 years, whichever is earlier. Minors, who are more than 15 years of age, have option to apply for reissue of a 10-years passport. However, the Passport Issuing Authority can issue passport even for a short duration subject to certain conditions.
CAUTION
- It is an offence to hold more than one valid passport at a time.
- Under Section 12 (1A) of the Passport Act 1967, possession of Indian passport by a foreign national is a cognizable offence. This equally applies to Indian nationals who have acquired the foreign nationality.
- It is an offence under the Passport Act 1967 to furnish false information in the application. Passport facilities would 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.
- Loss of passport should be immediately reported to the nearest Police Station and to the Passport Office or Indian Mission, if abroad. Passport holder shall be responsible for misuse of passport, due to non-intimation of loss, to the concerned Passport Office/Indian Mission. Passport is a government property and should be surrendered when demanded in writing by any Passport Issuing Authority.
How to apply
- The application for a Passport or Passport related service is to be filled online on Global Passport Seva Portal (GPSP) online portal: https://embassy.passportindia.gov.in/
- Please read the instructions carefully before filling the application form.
- Online application form for Passport service, should be properly filled with complete and correct details in all respects. Printout of the application should be submitted at VFS Global Centres, Outsourced Service Provider (OSP) along with appointment-confirmation. The application for the service in any other form is not acceptable.
- Two addresses should be furnished as required in the application form, one Indian address and other / current address in UK along with the proof of current address. Kindly mention the correct and the complete address in application for purpose of police verification.
- Change in personal particulars or address must be accompanies with the requisite supporting documents.
- All applicants (including minors) seeking passport related service should submit the application in person to VFS Global Centres in UK for identification.
- 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. The signature of the applicant should exactly fit in the prescribed column.
- All applications to be accompanied by photocopy of the current passport (first and last page). A copy of Biometric Resident Permit (BRP) Card or Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), as the case may be, also to be enclosed.
- The delivery of processed documents will be done preferably to the applicant himself/herself or to the person authorized by the applicant in writing and accompanied by the official receipt given to him/her at the time of submission.
- The fees for renewal and various passport related services including all kinds of miscellaneous services on passport, are prescribed by Government of India from time to time and are subject to change.
- The old Passport will be retained during the period of the processing of application.
- It is absolutely necessary to use your recent original Indian Passport details whilst filling your Passport Application. Incorrect address may cause delay in the issuance of Passport.
- Information on the passport application form, your existing passport and all supplementary forms must be identical.
- All the photocopies attached with the application must be self-attested. Applicant should carry the original documents with them for verification at the time of submission of application.
Guidelines for Passport Photographs
Photographs should be in accordance with The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Guidelines for Passport Photographs.
- The photograph should be latest not older than 6 months.
- The image should be 2 inches by 2 inches;
- The image must have adequate brightness and contrast;
- 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; It should show a close up of the head and (partial) shoulders;
- The image should be straight looking, centered with neutral expression;
- Face should be in sharp focus and clear with no ink marks/creases/lines;
- The face (from forehead edge to bottom of chin) should be 70 to 80% of the photo or one inch height;
- The eyes must be open and no hair obscuring the face;
- Prescription glasses if worn should be clear and thin framed and should not have flash reflection or obscure the eyes;
- Head coverings, hair, head-dress or facial ornaments should not obscure the face;
- The photo must have plain white background;
- There must be no other people or object in the photo;
- The lighting must be uniform with no shadows on the face or behind;
- Red eye photos are not allowed;
- No lines are allowed.
- The photo should be ideally printed by professional photo studio with continuous tone; and good resolution. Polaroid photos or photos printed with ordinary printers are not suitable.
Note: Passports Applications with photos that do not match the ICAO specifications are liable to be rejected by foreign immigration authorities, and could result in extreme inconvenience to the passport holder. Passport applicants are advised not to submit photos with any of the defects listed above.
* * A passport expired more than three years ago should be supported by a declaration on a plain paper by the applicant, explaining the circumstances and the reasons for the late renewal.
PLEASE NOTE:
* Editing of applicant's personal information WILL NOT be allowed after their applications are physically received at Outsourced Service Provider.
* The application will be REJECTED on technical grounds if there is a variance with information in passport.
* The rejected application will be returned to the applicant and they will have to redo the entire process.
* The Fee is not refundable.
* Any variance in the data mentioned in the applicant's passport and that mentioned in the online application form will be the sole responsibility of the applicant and they have to ensure that the data is validated correctly before sending their application to Collection/Delivery Center.
* Outsourced Service Provider is not authorized to 'Edit' the details in the application form.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
(i) Question: Till what time Passport could be submitted for reissue before the date of expiry?
Answer: The Passport can be submitted for reissue upto one year before the date of expiry.
(ii) Question: Can I apply for additional pages in my passport/ apply for additional booklet?
Answer: There is no facility to add more pages to the existing passport or avail an additional booklet for appending it to the current passport. Applicants are required to apply for a new passport due to exhaustion of pages.
(iii) Question: Can a UK address be reflected in an Indian Passport?
Answer: Usually, a UK address is not permitted on the Indian passport. However, in exceptional circumstances only, when the applicant proves that he/she does not have a permanent address in India and he/ she has Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in UK, an applicant may be permitted to reflect his/her UK address in his/her Indian passport. An affidavit from the applicant about his/ her not having a permanent address in India, must be attached with the application.
(iv) Question: Can I retain my Indian Passport for travel after acquiring a foreign nationality?
Answer: Indian Citizenship Act does not provide for dual citizenship. Thus, Indian nationals (including minors) who have acquired foreign citizenship are required to apply for Renunciation of Indian citizenship and also surrender their Indian passports to get a certificate of Surrender of Indian Passport. Possession of Indian Passport by foreign nationals is a cognizable office. This equally applies to Indian nationals who have acquired foreign nationality.
Note:- Please follow the website of PSP Division of Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi - https://passportindia.gov.in/ and Passport Act/ Rules to know more details. If any discrepancy regarding the website is noticed, it may be brought to notice of HCI London immediately at [email protected] .
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