Indian passport

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The front cover of a contemporary Indian passport

Indian passports are issued to citizens of India for the purpose of international travel. They act as proof of Indian nationality. The Consular Passport & Visa (CPV) Division of the Ministry of External Affairs, functioning as the central passport organisation, is responsible for issuance of Indian passports to all eligible Indian citizens. Passports are issued from 37 locations across the country and 160 Indian missions abroad.

• Regular Passport (Blue cover) - Issued for ordinary travel, such as vacations and business trips (36 or 60 pages)
• Diplomatic Passport (Maroon cover) - Issued to Indian diplomats, top ranking government officials and diplomatic couriers.
• Official Passport (White cover) - Issued to individuals representing the Indian government on official business

In addition, select passport offices in India as well as overseas missions are authorised to issue Regular Indo-Bangladesh passports and Indo-Sri Lankan passports, to Indian nationals resident in West Bengal, the North Eastern States, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. These two passports permit travel to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka only and are not valid for travel to other foreign countries.

Physical appearance

Indian Passports have a Blue cover, with the Emblem of India emblazoned in the center of the front cover. The words Hindi: 'पासपोर्ट' and English: 'PASSPORT' inscribed above the Emblem and Hindi: 'भारत गणराज्य' and English: 'REPUBLIC OF INDIA' inscribed below the Emblem. The standard passport contains 36 pages, but frequent travelers can opt for 60 pages (as noted above).

Passport holder identity

Indian passports have identity information printed on both front and back cover ends. Both of these pages are laminated to prevent modification.

• The opening cover end contains the following information:

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Personal Data First Page of an Indian Passport

• • Photo of Passport Holder
  • Signature of the Passport Holder
  • Type (P)
  • Country Code (IND)
  • Passport Number
  • Surname
  • Given Names
  • Nationality (INDIAN)
  • Sex
  • Date of Birth
  • Place of Birth
  • Place of Issue
  • Date of Issue
  • Date of Expiry

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Personal Data Last Page of Indian Passport

The information page ends with the Machine Readable Passport Zone.

• The closing end contains the following information:

• • Name of Father/Legal Guardian
  • Name of Mother
  • Name of Spouse
  • Address
  • Old Passport No. with Date and Place of Issue
  • File No.

Passport Note

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Indian Passport Note Page

The passports contain a note from the issuing state that is addressed to the authorities of all other states, identifying the bearer as a citizen of that state and requesting that he or she be allowed to pass and be treated according to international norms. The note inside of Indian Passports states:

These are to request and require in the name of the President of the Republic of India all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance, and to afford him or her, every assistance and protection of which he or she may stand in need.

By the order of the President of the Republic of India

The note bearing page is typically stamped and signed by the issuing authority in the name of the President of Republic of India.

Emigration check

ECNR Stamp

Indian passports holders are classified as either ECR ( Emigration Check Required ) or ECNR ( Emigration Check Not Required ) ECR passports need a clearance called as Emigration Check from the protector of emigrants Govt. of India when going to select countries on work visa. This is to prevent exploitation of Indian Workers going abroad especially to the middle east. ECR passports travelling with tourist visas however do not need a clearance. (This clearance is also called a Emigration check suspension).

ECNR status passports are granted to:

1. Indian nationals born abroad
2. Indian nationals holding matriculation certificate or above certification of education
3. All holders of diplomatic or official passports.
4. All gazetted government servants.
5. All income-tax payers (including agricultural income-tax payers) in their individual capacity.
6. All professional Degree holders, such as Doctors holding MBBS degree or equivalent degree in AYURVEDA or HOMEOPATHY, accredited Journalists, Engineers, Chartered Accountants, Cost Accountants, Lecturers, Teachers, Scientists, Advocates, etc.
7. Spouses and dependent children of category of persons listed from (b) to (d).
8. Seamen who are in possession of CDC or Sea Cadets, Deck Cadets;

• (i) who have passed final examination of three years B.Sc. Nautical Sciences Courses at T.S. CHANAKYA, MUMBAI; and
• (ii) 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.

1. Persons holding Permanent Immigration Visa, such as the visas of UK, USA and Australia.
2. Persons possessing two years diploma from any institute recognized 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.
3. Nurses possessing qualifications recognized under the Indian Nursing Council Act. 1947.
4. All persons above the age of 50 years.
5. 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.
6. 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)..

As per the current ruling of the Ministry of External Affairs, passports issued from 2007 would not have the ECNR stamp affixed on the passport. A blank page 2 of the passport would be deemed to have been ECNR endorsed. The same has been communicated to all immigration and border security officials. Only ECR stamps would be affixed in the passport.

Languages

The textual portions of Indian Passport are printed in both Hindi and English.

Fees

The cost of obtaining a standard passport

• INR 1000 - Fresh Passport (36 pages) of 10 years validity.
• INR 1500 - Fresh Passport (60 pages) of 10 years validity.
• INR 600 - Fresh Passport for Minors (below 15 years of Age) of 5 years validity or till the minor attains the age of 18 which ever is earlier.
• INR 2500 - Duplicate Passport (36 pages) in lieu of lost, damaged or stolen passport.
• INR 3000 - Duplicate Passport (60 pages) in lieu of lost, damaged or stolen passport.

New passport issuance system

In September 2007, the Indian Union Cabinet approved a new passport issuance system under a project called Passport Seva Project. As per the project, front-end activities of passport issuance, dispatch of passports, online linking with police, Central Printing unit for centralized printing of passports will be put in place. The new system is aimed at 'timely, transparent, more accessible and reliable manner' for passport issuance.

e-Passport (Biometric Passport)

India has recently initiated the first phase of Biometric e-Passport for Diplomatic Passport holders in India and abroad. The new passports have been designed indigenously in India by the Central Passport Organisation, the India Security Press and IIT Kanpur. It contains a security chip with all personal data and digital images. In the first phase new passports will have a 64KB chip carrying a personal photograph of the passport holder and in subsequent phases it will have a fingerprint. The new passport has already been tested with passport readers in United States and have 4 second response times, which is about 2/5th of US Passport 10 second response time. It need not be carried in a metal jacket for security reasons, it will first need to be skimmed through a reader, after which it would generate an access code which then unlocks the chip for reader access.

On 25 June 2008 Indian Passport Authority issued first e-passport to President of India, Pratibha Patil. e-passport is under first phase of deployment and is restricted to Diplomatic Passport holders.It was told that from September 2009 onwards biometric passport would be available to other citizens, however it seems that one can expect the biometric passport only after September 2010.

See also

• Visa requirements for Indian citizens
• Indian Nationality Law
• Overseas Citizenship of India

External links

• Indian Passport Office (CPV official website)
• Passport ranking and list of Visa Free countries
• IATA Visa guide
• Wikivisa: India
• Delta Visa Guide

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