Passport rules: Govt makes THESE amends; 5 key changes you must know about

Passport Rule Change: The central government earlier this week made a key amendment to Passport Rules in India. Under the new passport rules, birth certificates issued by appropriate authorities will be the only proof of date of birth for passport applicants born on or after October 1, 2023.

According to officials, an official note was issued by authorities earlier this week to bring into effect the amendment to the Passport Rules of 1980.

The new rule will come into effect after the amendment is published in the official Gazette, the officials said.

Over the past few years, the government has amended a number of passport rules in India. Here are five key passport rule changes you should know about:

Birth certificate rules

Under the new passport rules issued earlier this weeks, birth certificates issued by the Registrar of Births and Deaths, the Municipal Corporation, or any other authority empowered under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, will be accepted as proof of date of birth for persons born on or after October 1, 2023.

Passport rules for those born before October 1, 2023

However, the new rules do not apply for individuals born before October 1, 2023. These people can submit their birth certificate, transfer or school leaving or matriculation certificate issued by a recognised educational institution or last school attended, or Permanent Account Number Card issued by the Income Tax Department carrying the date of birth. Individuals can also submit other documents like driving licence or a copy of an extract of the service record of the applicant.

Residential information

To protect the applicant's privacy, new Indian passport rules do not print their residential address on the last page of the passport. Immigration officials are required to access your residential data by scanning a barcode.

Colour coding

The government has also issued new colour coded passport for various individuals. Diplomatic passport holders receive a red passport, government officials receive white, while others get a blue passport under the new passport rules.

Parents' names

New passport rules also mandate that your parents name will not be printed on the last page of the document. This rule has been set in place to benefit children of single parents or estranged families.