Knowledge Center PASSPORT & PCC FAQ

Any Indian citizen can apply for an Indian Passport, right from a new born baby to any age with no limit as such. An Indian passport is an official travel and identity document issued by the Government of India through the Passport Seva Programme under the Ministry of External Affairs. It serves as proof of Indian citizenship and enables international travel. New passports are increasingly issued as ePassports, which contain an embedded RFID chip for enhanced security while remaining valid as ordinary passports. The Indian passport is recognized worldwide and complies with international standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), allowing it to be used at immigration checkpoints around the world.

There are different types of Indian Passports like the Maroon Passport, White Passport and the Ordinary Passport (Dark Blue). Usually, a Passport has 36 pages which is Normal. But if you are a frequent traveller you can apply for a Jumbo Passport which would contain 60 pages. Also, depending upon your requirement (I mean urgency) you can apply for a TATKAAL passport too which would be dispatched within 8 - 10 working days. Otherwise, the Normal passport takes about 30 – 45 working days.

For Infants or Minors, Birth Certificate and Aadhaar cards (not required for new born babies) are required in addition to Parent’s Passports and Aadhaar cards. In case where one of the parents (usually Father) resides outside India, special documentation is required from their side.

Please Note – For Single Parents, passports cannot be done for their Minor Children.

There are also cases where name change or correction is required either for Fresh Passports or in already existing Passports which requires extra procedure which we handle.

Finally, there are also cases where either Passports are either Lost or Damaged. This is a bit complicated, especially if it is Lost which also can be handled from our end.

A Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) is an official document issued by a police authority or government agency stating whether a person has a criminal record (or confirming that no criminal record is found) during a specified period or in a particular jurisdiction.

People commonly need a PCC for:

Immigration or permanent residency applications
Work visas or employment abroad
Citizenship applications
International adoption
Certain jobs, especially those involving children, vulnerable adults, or security-sensitive roles
Some professional licenses

A typical PCC includes:

Your full name and identifying information
The period and jurisdiction covered by the check
A statement indicating whether any criminal record was found
The issuing authority's signature, seal, or official authentication

It's important to note that a PCC does not guarantee that a person gets a passport.

For a fresh Indian passport for an adult applicant, the core documents are generally:

📄 1. Proof of Present Address — any one

Passport Seva accepts several documents, including:

• Aadhaar Card / e-Aadhaar
• Voter ID
• Electricity, water or telephone bill
• Income Tax Assessment Order
• Gas connection document
• Rent agreement
• Photo passbook of an eligible bank account
• Passport of spouse, subject to the specified conditions

You need to provide proof of your current address, regardless of how long you have lived there. You must also mention your places of residence during the previous one year in the application.

🎂 2. Proof of Date of Birth — any one

For people born before 1 October 2023, acceptable documents can include:

• Birth Certificate
• School leaving / transfer / matriculation certificate
• PAN card showing the date of birth
• Driving licence showing the date of birth
• Voter ID showing the date of birth
• Certain government service or pension records
• Eligible life-insurance policy document

Please note - For people born on or after 1 October 2023, the Passport Seva document list specifies a Birth Certificate as the required DOB document.

🪪 3. Identity / Nationality documents

Passport Seva's basic requirements include proof of identity with photograph and documents supporting nationality. Aadhaar can serve as both proof of address and photo identity, subject to successful Aadhaar validation.

🎓 4. Non-ECR proof, where applicable

For applicants eligible for Non-ECR status, supporting documentation may be required—for example, educational qualifications or other documents establishing Non-ECR eligibility.

Basic documents for re-issue

For a typical adult re-issue, you should carry:

             I. Existing/old passport — original

o    Self-attested photocopies of the first two and last two pages

o    Copy of the ECR/Non-ECR page

o    Copy of any observation page

o    Copy of the validity-extension page, if applicable.

            II. Proof of present address

o    Required only if your present address is different from the address in your existing passport.

o    Examples include Aadhaar/e-Aadhaar, voter ID, eligible utility bills, rent agreement, etc.

          III. Documents supporting the reason for re-issue, where applicable:

o    Change of name/personal particulars: relevant supporting documents

o    Change of address: address proof

o    Addition/deletion of spouse name: marriage certificate, divorce decree, death certificate, or applicable Annexure J, depending on the case

o    Lost/stolen passport: additional documents, including the applicable affidavit/police documentation

o    Damaged passport: existing damaged passport and additional documents as specified by Passport Seva.

          IV.Non-ECR supporting document, if applicable and required for your case.

A Tatkaal Passport is an expedited passport service offered by the Government of India for applicants who need their passport urgently due to reasons such as international travel, employment, education, medical emergencies, or other time-sensitive requirements. The passport itself is identical to a normal passport; only the processing priority and fee are different. Under the Tatkaal scheme, eligible applications are generally processed much faster, often with passport dispatch within 1–3 working days after the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) visit, subject to successful document verification and the applicable police verification process. A Gazetted Officer's Verification Certificate is no longer required for Tatkaal applications.

Documents Required for a Tatkaal Passport (Adults – 18 years and above)

In addition to the standard passport application requirements such as:

• Proof of Address
• Proof of Date of Birth
• Non-ECR proof (if you wish to obtain a Non-ECR passport, where applicable)

You must also submit any three documents from the Government's list of acceptable documents.

• Aadhaar Card (PVC Aadhaar, Original Aadhaar Letter, or digitally verified e-Aadhaar)
• PAN Card
• Student Identity Card issued by a recognized educational institution
• Birth Certificate
• Updated Ration Card
• Previous Passport (for re-issue applications only)
• Voter ID (EPIC)
• Valid Driving Licence
• Bank Passbook, Post Office Passbook, or Kisan Passbook with photograph and updated transactions
• SC/ST/OBC Certificate
• Arms Licence
• Pension documents (for eligible pensioners)
• Service Identity Card issued by the Central/State Government, PSU, Local Body, or Public Limited

Applying for a passport for a minor child (below 18 years of age) in India is similar to applying for an adult passport, but it requires parental consent and additional supporting documents.

Documents Required

Typically, the following documents are required:

Child's Documents

• Birth Certificate issued by the Municipal Authority or Registrar of Births and Deaths
• Proof of present address (if applicable)
• Aadhaar Card (if available)

Parents' Documents

• Passports of both parents (if available)
• Proof of present address
• Identity proof
• Self-attested photocopies of all supporting documents

Mandatory Forms

• Annexure D – Declaration signed by both parents (most common)
• Annexure C – Required where one parent is unable to provide consent

For an Indian passport that has been lost or damaged, the application is treated as a re-issue of passport, not a fresh passport application. Passport Seva lists “Lost/Stolen Passport” and “Damaged Passport” as separate re-issue categories.

🔴 A. Lost or stolen passport

1. Report the loss immediately

• Report the lost passport to the nearest police station and obtain the original FIR/police report.
• If you are outside India, report it to the local police and the nearest Indian Embassy/Consulate.

1. Apply online for re-issue

• Register/login on the Passport Seva Portal.
• Select “Apply for Fresh Passport/Re-issue of Passport.”
• Select Re-issue → Lost/Stolen Passport.
• Complete the application and submit it.

1. Documents generally required

• Original FIR/police report
• Annexure F (affidavit for a passport in lieu of lost/damaged passport)
• Self-attested copies of the first two and last two pages of the lost passport, if available
• Additional documents as specified by the Passport Seva Document Advisor
• If the passport was lost abroad, an Emergency Certificate, where applicable.

🟠 B. Damaged passport

1. Apply online for re-issue
   Select:

Re-issue → Damaged Passport

on the Passport Seva Portal.

1. Documents generally required

• Original damaged passport
• Annexure F

As in, the documentation remains pretty much the same as it is for the people residing in the other parts of India. But additionally, the North East Indians need to provide documents for their Proof of Birth and Citizenship. Proof of Birth would mean that they must produce their Birth Certificate and Proof of Citizenship would be documents such as Voter ID, Domicile Certificate or the Permanent Resident Certificate, etc.

In particular about the North East India, there are seven states called as 7 sisters and 1 brother that comprise north east Indian viz. Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim (Brother). The main issue with NE states is they fall under the preview of NRIC (National Register of Indian Citizens) and the CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act). Hence, it is mandatory for the residents of the NE states to get the NRC clearance and show the NRC certificate to the passport issuing authority.

Definitions:

NRC - The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is an official record containing names and details of all legal Indian citizens. It is a register managed by the Government of India to document valid citizens and identify illegal immigrants.

CAA - The Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) is an Indian law that provides a fast track to Indian citizenship for non-Muslim religious minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.

For separated or divorced applicants, the procedure for an Indian passport is relatively straightforward, but the documents differ depending on whether the couple is legally divorced or only separated.

1. Separated but NOT legally divorced

A person who is separated from their spouse but does not have a divorce decree can still apply for a passport.

Under the current Passport Seva guidance, separated/divorced applicants are not required to provide the spouse's name in the application form, and Passport Seva states that such applicants do not have to provide a divorce decree merely for being separated/divorced.

For a separated applicant who wants to omit the spouse's name, the current application process should be followed and the applicable documents shown in the Document Advisor should be used. The older Passport Manual contains the historical Annexure K procedure for separation, but Passport Seva's newer guidance indicates that Annexure K has been removed.

1. Legally divorced

If the applicant is legally divorced and wants the spouse's name removed from the passport:

• Apply for Re-issue of Passport
• Select the appropriate change in personal particulars
• Submit the divorce order/decree where required for deletion of spouse's name.

Passport Seva specifically lists Divorce Order/Decree for deletion of the spouse's name.

For ECR cancellation (deletion of ECR status), the applicant generally applies for re-issue of passport and submits documentary proof that they now qualify for Non-ECR status. Passport Seva confirms that ECR is printed in the passport for applicants who fall under ECR; Non-ECR is no longer separately stamped/printed.