Filling the Passport Form

Instructions

Kindly go through the following instructions before filling up the form:

The Passport Application Form is Machine Readable and it is scanned on computer, there the following instructions should be followed strictly:

• Use capital letters only. Particulars given in the form will be printed in the passport. Therefore, please be careful in filling up the form and avoid any mistakes.
• Write clearly within the box without touching the boundaries.
• Use black/blue ball pen only. Do not fill the form with pencils or ink-pen.
• Adjust the information to fit within the number of given boxes.
• While filling up the boxes, kindly leave one box blank after each completed word.
• Do not write anything outside the box. Avoid over-writing.
• applications are inacceptable Incomplete

Important Note: All original documents are to be shown at the time of submission of the passport application form. With the Original Passport Application Form, self-attested copies of all required documents need to be attached. Illiterate applicants should put only thumb impression in the box meant for thumb impression/signature. In case an applicant has stayed at more than one address during the last one year, he/she should furnish two additional photocopies of the PP form for each additional place of stay.

The At the beginning of the Application Form there are boxes for affixing photograph, appending signature and thumb impression and giving details of payment of the fee.

Photographs

The passport form requires three coloured recent passport size photographs showing frontal view of full face, out of which one photograph is to be pasted on form and two on the Passport (PP) forms.

In the box meant for pasting the photograph, paste your recent and identical colour photograph of size 3.5 cm x 3.5 cm. Photograph should fit exactly in the box and in any case not smaller than the box provided in the form. For Jumbo booklets, two additional photographs are required. The photographs on the PP forms have to be cross signed by the applicant whereas photograph on First page of the form is NOT to be signed.

Photographs in black and white print, photograph with coloured or dark glasses, dark background or in uniform, Polaroid prints or computer prints are not accepted. The colour photographs should have a light background (preferably white) and should show the full face of the applicant frontally.

Signature/Thumb Impression

The signature/thumb impression should be strictly within the box without touching the boundaries. Thumb impression should be of left hand in case of males and right hand in case of females. (Blue/ Black ball pen to be used for signatures).

Column 1 - Name (With Documentary Proof)

The name up to 75 character long name can be given and filled in the form. The full name as it should appear in the Passport should be furnished here. For example,

Name: ADITYA NAGENGRANATH GOGOI

Write the Surname as "GOGOI" in the boxes provided for Surname and put a comma and write "ADITYA NAGENGRANATH" as the Given name in the rest of the columns. In case you do not have a surname, just write the given name.

No initials should be written, they should be expanded

Column 2

If the applicant has ever changed his name, it has to be mentioned in this section. This is also applicable to a person who has even marginally changed the name or a lady who has changed her name / surname subsequent to the marriage.

If there is no change in name at all, kindly write: Not Applicable.

Column 3

In case of Male/Female option, please write M or F as applicable in the box space provided. For others, please write 'X' in this box.

Column 4

Date of Birth: The date of birth is filled as dd/mm/yyyy (date/month/year) and in words as shown in the birth certificate issued by Municipal/Government Authorities. Proof of date of birth is to be attached.

Documents to be attached with the Passport Form (External website that opens in a new window)

Column 5

Place and Country of Birth: In case born in India, please mention name of place like Village / Town, District, State and if born outside India, mention name of place and country. For those born before partition of India, at a place, which now falls within Pakistan or Bangladesh, please fill up the name of place followed by Country as Undivided India.

Columns 6, 7 and 8

The name of father, mother and spouse is to be entered in the respective columns. Surnames, if any, in these columns should be mentioned after the given names.

In case the applicant is unmarried, in Column 8 that asks for information on name of spouse kindly write: Not Applicable.

Columns 9 and 10

Give relevant details along with date since residing at the given address, telephone no. with area code is required for the purpose of contacting in case additional information or document is required by Passport Office.

Mobile phone No. would be useful for sending SMS message to the applicant for the same purpose. If the period of residence given in Column 9 is less than one year on the date of application, please furnish the other addresses with duration of residence.

Students staying away from their parents have the option of applying from place of study. In such cases, for proof of address, a bona fide certificate from the Principal/Director/Registrar/Dean of the educational institution is must. An additional set of PP Form is to be submitted for more than one address in last one year.

Column 11

Please give details of previous passport(s) held. Either the previous Passport Number or the file number may be mentioned here along with date of issue and place of issue in the relevant boxes. In case previously applied for passport but the same was not received/issued, then the details such as file number, date applied and place where applied should be furnished here. Suppression of facts may attract penal provisions as per the section 12 of the Passports Act, 1967.

Column 11(a)

If ever travelled on Emergency Certificate (EC) or ever deported or repatriated to India at Government cost, then the details of EC number, date and place of issue along with original seizure memorandum, place and country from where deported or repatriated should be furnished in this column. Even if the EC details are not available readily, at least the place and country from where deported or repatriated should invariably be given here. All such applicants should furnish details of circumstances of their repatriation/loss of passport in a form of notarised affidavit.

Column 12

Details like educational qualifications, visible distinguishing mark and the height in centimetres are to be provided against the respective item.

Column 13

The relevant entry as 'Yes' or 'No' should be marked in the box space provided. If working in Central / State Government, Public Sector Undertakings, Statutory Bodies, and an "Identity" from the concerned office should be attached as per 'Annexure B (External website that opens in a new window)'.

Column 14

Regarding citizenship, whether it is by birth, descent, registration or naturalisation is to be recorded in the box space provided by either B/D/R/N as the case may be. If held any other citizenship before Indian citizenship, then please furnish the previous citizenship in the blank space provided.

Column 15

Please write Y or N as applicable. It may be mentioned here that Indian citizens categorised as ECR before leaving the country are required to get a clearance from the Protector General of Emigrants.

Applicants in ECR category will have the ECR Stamp put on their passports. In case the passport booklet does not have ECR stamp, the applicant would be deemed to have been granted ECNR status. No ECNR stamp will be affixed on the passport.

An applicant would be eligible for ECNR status if he/she falls in any one of the following categories and provides documentary proof thereof:

• All holders of Diplomatic/official Passports.
• All Gazetted Government servants.
• All Income-Tax payers (including Agricultural Income-Tax Payees) in their individual capacity. (Proof of assessment of income tax and actual payment of income tax for last one year or copy of PAN card to be need given if insisted upon and not merely payment of advance tax shall not work.) However, in most cases as an assessment order is not issued separately by the income tax department, income tax returns which are stamped by income tax authorities can be accepted.
• All professional Degree holders, such as Doctors holding MBBS degree or equivalent degree in AYURVED or HOMEOPATHY, accredited Journalists, Engineers, Chartered Accountants, Cost Accountants, Lecturers, Teachers, Scientists, Advocates, etc.
• Spouses and dependent children of category of persons listed from (b) to (d).
• All persons having educational qualifications of matriculation and above.
• Seamen who are in possession of CDC or Sea Cadets, Deck Cadets;
  1. Who have passed final examination of three years B.Sc. Nautical Sciences Courses at T.S. CHANAKYA, MUMBAI; and
  2. Who have undergone three months Pre-Sea training at any of the Government approved Training Institutes such as T.S.CHANAKYA, T.S. REHMAN, T.S. JAWAHAR, MTI (SCI) and NIPM, CHENNAI, after production of identity cards issued by the Shipping Master, MUMBAI/KOLKATA/CHENNAI.
• Persons holding Permanent Immigration Visa, such as the visas of UK, USA and Australia.
  1. Persons possessing two years diploma from any institute recognised by the National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT) or State Council of Vocational Training (SCVT) or persons holding three years' diploma/equivalent degree from institutions like Polytechnics recognized by Central/State Governments.
• Nurses possessing qualifications recognized under the Indian Nursing Council Act. 1947.
• All persons above the age of 50 years.
• All persons who have been staying abroad for more than three years (the period of three years could be either in one stretch or broken) and their spouses.
• All children up to the age of 18 years of age. (At the time of re-issue at the age of 18 years, ECR stamping shall be done, if applicable).

No emigration clearance is required for visiting Bangladesh, Pakistan and all countries in Europe (excluding CIS states), North America, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, South Africa and Singapore.

The eligible category should be mentioned in the blank space provided under this column and supportive documents should be attached with the application. It may be mentioned that with effect from Oct 1, 2007 Government of India has abolished Emigration Check Required Suspension (ECRS). With effect from October 2007, ECR passport holders travelling abroad for purpose other than employment will be allowed to leave the country on production of valid passport, valid visa and return ticket at the immigration counters at international airport in India. For employment purpose, such passport holders require emigration clearance from the office of Protector of Emigrants (POEs). Otherwise, they will be stopped from travelling at the port of exit. Applicants are, therefore, advised to apply for ECNR, if they are eligible, to ensure hassle-free travel abroad. It may be noted that the passport booklet will only have ECR category stamped and in case the passport booklet does not have ECR stamp, the applicant would be deemed to have been granted ECNR status.

Column 16

In this column, while applying for the first time for the minor children who are less than 18 years of age, the details of valid passports held by both or either parents should be furnished in the relevant column. In such cases, passport to their minor child will be issued without any police verification. In the cases where the parents do not hold valid passports, applications for such minors can be made on the basis of three documents of parents details of which are given in para C (B) of Section IV (External website that opens in a new window) of the Passport Information Booklet along with Standard affidavit at Annexure I (External website that opens in a new window). In all such cases, passport to their minor child will be issued on post-police verification basis.

A declaration on plain paper as given at Annexure H (External website that opens in a new window) is needed to be filled up in each case. In case the minor child who is between 15 and 18 years of age wishes to -obtain a full validity passport for 10 years, the same can be issued only on submission of Standard Affidavit as in Annexure "I" (External website that opens in a new window) and any three of the 14 document as mentioned in para C (B) of Section IV (External website that opens in a new window) of Passport Information Booklet by the parents and on payment of fee equivalent to the normal passport fee i.e. Rs.1000/- for a 36 pages passport, as applicable for an adult. Otherwise the validity of the passport is restricted to five years or attaining the age of 18, whichever is earlier. In case of single parent and children born out of wedlock or in case of parents who are judicially separated, a sworn affidavit before a Magistrate, stating the facts of the case along with documentary proof to be submitted as per Annexure "C" (External website that opens in a new window). In the NORMAL COURSE the signature/consent of both parents is required for issue of a passport to the minor (Annexure "H" (External website that opens in a new window)). However, if in case the applicant parent is not in a position to get the consent of the other parent, FOR WHATEVER REASON, the parent applying for the passport of the minor may sign the form and submit a sworn affidavit as per Annexure "G" (External website that opens in a new window) stating the facts and circumstances of the case along with the application. The affidavit should also state that in case of a court case he/she would be responsible and not the passport office. In such cases, where only one parent is applying, the physical appearance of the child may be requested to ensure the applicant's parent has the actual custody of the child.

Column 17

The applicant should give correct information. Suppression of any fact may lead to fine up to Rs.5000 per offence and other penal provisions as applicable under the provisions of the Passports Act, 1967 as amended from time to time.

Column 18

In this column, the name and address along with Mobile or Telephone number/e-mail of person to be intimated in the event of death or accident is to be furnished.

Column 19

This column is a self declaration made by the applicant about owing allegiance to the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India, not voluntarily acquiring the citizenship or travel document from any other country etc. Also this column contains declaration in furnishing true information in the application form and an applicant is aware that it is an offence under the Passport Act 1967 for giving any wrong information or suppression of any material information in getting the passport. The applicant also declares that he has no other passport or travel document. Under the space provided, the signature or Thumb Impression (left hand thumb impression for male and right hand thumb impression for female) should be furnished along with date and place of application.

Column 20

Photocopies of all documents that are attached as enclosures along with the application form should be listed in the blank spaces provided and each document self attested by the applicant.

Source: National Portal Content Management Team, Last Reviewed on:27-04-2010