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General information on Passport Services
Following services are available:
1. Issue of New Passport after 10 years (from the date of issue)
2. Renewal of a Short Validity Passport
3. Issue of a Duplicate Passport (In lieu of lost/damaged passport)
4. Adding pages to a Passport (Requires issue of a new Passport booklet)
5. Issue of a new Passport booklet due to
6. Issue of Emergency Travel Document
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Note: In case of any assistance/complaints in respect of passport services, the following officers may be contacted during office hours.
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Name |
Contact # |
| (i) |
Assistant Consular Officer |
(202) 939-9838 |
| (ii) |
Attaché (Consular) |
(202) 939-9831/9832 |
| (iii) |
First Secretary (Consular) |
(202) 939-9845 |
Personal Cheques/Credit Cards are not accepted.
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Guidelines for Indian Passport Holders
(i) Your passport is a valuable document. It should always be retained either in your private custody or in the custody of a person duly authorized by you. Passport should not be sent out of the country of residence by post. If the passport is lost or destroyed, the fact and circumstances should be immediately reported to the nearest Indian Mission and the local police.
PLEASE KEEP A PHOTOCOPY OF YOUR PASSPORT IN A SAFE PLACE. WITHOUT DETAILS OF THE LOST/DAMAGED PASSPORT, THE ISSUE OF A DUPLICATE PASSPORT MAY BE DELAYED.
(ii) 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, submission of false particulars, willful damage of passport and for making unauthorized changes in the Passport.
(iii) Your passport can be impounded or revoked by the Government of India under the provisions of the Passports Act 1967 in which event you will have to surrender the passport to the nearest Indian Passport Issuing Authority.
(iv) If you have acquired US Citizenship, the Indian Passport must be surrendered immediately to the nearest Indian mission. The Indian passport is returned to the applicant after cancellation. The cancelled Indian passport should be kept in safe custody as it may be required at the time of applying for the PIO card/ Visa for the first time.
Note: Application forms should be completed in all respect and submitted with the passport. Misrepresentation/ suppression of facts may result in denial of Passport/Consular services. Incomplete/incorrect applications with inadequate fee or fee not paid in the prescribed manner are liable to be returned without service.
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ISSUE OF NEW PASSPORT
Application for a new passport can be made six months before date of expiry or within one year of the expiry of the passport.
Requirements for issuing new passport are:
(a) Duly completed application form filled in BLOCK LETTERS in expanded form using black/blue ink only (see Application Form for an Indian Passport)
(b) Four latest identical passport size photographs depicting the applicant’s facial features against a light background;
(c) In cases, where the passport has already expired beyond a period of one year, the Applicant should submit an
affidavit
(see Annexure) and may have to appear personally before the Consular Officer;
(d) Two proofs of residence/mailing address in USA (photocopy of Driving license/ Lease agreement/ Utility Bills etc.);
(e) Alien Status (photocopy of US Visa/Green Card/ Work authorization card);
(f) Current Passport;
(g) Proper Fee (see fee schedule for details)
(h) Applicants for a new passport or additional booklet are required to submit a photocopy of marriage certificate, in case, the name of their spouse have not been included in their respective passports.
If the application is found to be in order and no prior reference is required to be made to the original Passport Issuing Authority, a new passport will be issued within 5 working/business days from the date of receipt of the application.
EXTENSION OF SHORT VALIDITY PASSPORT
In cases, where the passport has been issued valid for one year or for a limited period a passport can be extended up to the normal validity of 10 years. For this, "
Application Form for Extension of Short Validity Passport”, along with two photographs should be submitted. In such cases, the validity will be extended only on receipt of clearance from the original Passport Issuing Authority. No fee is required in this case except for a $20 as reference charges and the mailing charges. Applicants should make enquiries only after thirty days from the date of submission of the application
DUPLICATE PASSPORTS (IN LIEU OF LOST/DAMAGED PASSPORTS)
Application for a duplicate passport is normally not accepted by mail except with prior approval of the Consular Officer.
Application must be submitted with the following documents:
1. "Application form" (one copy);
2. Copy of Police report or complaint number with date;
3. Six identical photographs (facial features against light background);
4. Six copies of personal verification form in “Prescribed proforma”;
5. FEE (see fee schedule);
6. In case of student, Letter of verification from school/college is required.
7. “Affidavit”; (elaborated in Annexure)
8. Photo copy of the previous (lost) passport;
9. Photo copy of Driver's License, Employer's letter (as applicable);
10. Photo copy of Green Card/Employment Authorization card (as applicable);
11. Photo copy of House Lease Deed/ Bank Certificate / Insurance Policy or Utility Bills as a proof of residence in USA and
12. An application on a plain paper detailing the circumstances in which the passport was lost.
Note:
i) It is important to furnish full, accurate and truthful information in the form.
ii) Misrepresentation of facts may entail denial of passport facilities.
iii) Applications received with incomplete details will remain unprocessed.
iv) Duplicate passport may not be issued for the second loss/damage of passport.
v) Habitual loss of passports will be subject to enquiry and applicant may even be debarred from grant of passport.
vi) It normally takes three months to complete the process for issue of duplicate passports. Applicants are, therefore, requested to refrain from making written/email/telephone inquiries during this period. In case a passport is required for urgent private or business travel, the special requirement must be explained in writing to the Consular Officer.
Additional Pages (Issue of an additional passport booklet)
This requires issue of a new Passport booklet which is provided along with the old passport. For this service, requirements are same as applicable for the issue of a a new Passport.
PASSPORT FOR A MINOR
Every child should have a separate passport. The applicant should complete the formalities as applicable for the issue of a new passport . The child has to sign or put a thumb impression (as applicable) on the application form which should be duly counter-signed by the parents or legal guardian. In addition, a
declaration is to be submitted duly signed by the parents. The validity of such a passport (for children under 18 years) will be for 5 years and the fee is $25/-. If the child name has been endorsed on the mother’s passport, then the mother also has to fill in a Miscellaneous Service form requesting deletion of the child’s name from her passport. If the child is born in the USA, the original birth certificate and parent’s passports with a photocopy of each are to be submitted with the application form.
CHANGE OF NAME:
Change of name/surname, in the passport, the intent to change has first to be advertised in a prominent daily newspaper, both in U.S.A. and India to be circulated in the area of your permanent and present residence). Original newspaper clippings and a Court Order issued by a judicial officer not below the rank of First Class Magistrate in India or a duly notarized affidavit by the applicant are required to be submitted. (Process for the issue of a
new passport booklet is to be followed)
CHANGE OF NAME/SURNAME AFTER MARRIAGE:
Change of name/endorsement of spouse name requires issue of a new passport booklet:-
For change of surname, consequent to marriage/divorce, duly completed "Application Form for an Indian Passport" along with original and a copy of divorce/marriage certificate and prescribed fee (see
fee schedule) should be submitted if wife's name is already endorsed. Otherwise, husband should also follow the same procedure simultaneously. In case either of the spouse is foreign national, photocopies of marriage certificate and foreign passport should be submitted along with the application form.
CHANGE IN APPEARANCE
This facility can be utilized in cases where there is a significant difference in the appearance of the applicant in the passport (Infant/Child, Turban and Beard). In cases of turban - non-turban and vice versa, an
AFFIDAVIT (see Annexure) must be submitted (Process for the issue of a
new passport booklet is to be followed).
CHANGE IN DATE OF BIRTH/PLACE OF BIRTH:
Application for change in date of birth/place of birth is entertained only when it is accompanied by a Court Order issued by a judicial officer not below the rank of First Class Magistrate in India. (Process for the issue of a new passport booklet is to be followed)
EMERGENCY TRAVEL DOCUMENT
An Emergency Certificate (one-way travel document) which authorizes an Indian citizen to enter India, is issued to individuals who have lost their passports or their passports have been stolen or damaged and to whom new passports cannot be issued without approval from India. This document is issued primarily with the objective of ensuring the applicant’s return to India in an emergency. Applicants should fill in the application form as prescribed for the issue of a new passport (Application Form for an Indian Passport) and seek a personal interview with the Consular Officer.
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Note: In case of any assistance/complaints in respect of passport services, the following officers may be contacted during office hours.
| (i) |
Assistant Consular Officer |
Phone: (202) 939-9838 |
| (ii) |
Attaché (Consular) |
Phone: (202) 939-9831/9832 |
| (iii) |
First Secretary (Consular) |
Phone: (202) 939-9845 |
Personal Cheques/Credit Cards are not accepted.
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