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Passport Services
IMPORTANT NOTE
Holding of an Indian passport by a foreign national constitutes an offence under
the Indian Laws
Under the Indian
laws, if the holder of an Indian passport acquires nationality of another
country, he should surrender his/her Indian passport forthwith to the nearest
Indian Mission/Post. Unauthorised possession of Indian passport constitutes an
offence punishable under the Indian Passports Act, 1967.
2.
The Consulate General has come across several cases where persons of Indian
origin who have acquired British citizenship continue to hold their Indian
passports. The Indian laws are very clear on this. Article 9 of the
Constitution of India states that a person shall cease to be a citizen of India,
if he voluntarily acquires the citizenship of any foreign State. A foreign
national is thus not entitled to hold an Indian passport. In the light of
this position, all persons of Indian origin, who have acquired foreign
nationality, are advised to surrender their Indian passports forthwith to the
nearest Indian Mission/Post for cancellation, in case they have not done so, so
far.
3.
There is also a misconception among the public that now that the Government of
India have introduced the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI), foreign nationals
of Indian origin can continue to hold an Indian passport. The factual position
is that holding of an Indian passport by a foreign national continues to be an
offence punishable under the Indian Passports Act, 1967. OCI holders would be
granted a “U” sticker visa which will be a multi-purpose, multi-entry, life-long
visa pasted on their foreign passports. Indian passport would not be
issued to an OCI holder.
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Procedures/Documents Required for Passport Services
If
using forms download links on this page, please note that these forms are
available in PDF format - for details see note on top of
Passport & Consular forms download page.
Notes 1: The applicant must bring a photocopy each of his/her passport as well
as any supporting document(s) for the Consulate General's records.
Note
2: Please enclose correct passport fee by crossed Postal Order or
Bank Draft only (no personal cheques please) payable to the Consulate
General of
India, Birmingham.
Under no circumstances, should cash be sent by post. Fees can be paid in
cash, if applying in person.
(I) Issue of new
passports
Indian
passports are now normally issued with a validity of 10 years (except in the
case of children up to the age of 15 years (please see relevant paragraph
below). Their renewal thereafter involves the issue of a new passport. This
section also applies to persons requiring additional booklets where their
passport has run out of available pages for visas, etc.
A new passport
can be issued on final expiry or up to one year before final expiry of any
passport issued for 10 years.
Following are
required: -
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Application form duly
filled in (click here to
download form)
-
Original passport
(current/expired) including any additional booklets issued
-
Latest identical
coloured passport size photographs (four). There is a coin-operated Photo
Me machine installed in the Public Hall of the Consulate building (1st floor)
which gives photographs
of the required size at a charge of £3.50. This facility is open to public
on all working days of the Consulate during the public hours.
-
Self-addressed special
delivery envelope (in case return of passport is desired by post)
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Fees
If the current passport expired more than one year ago but less than five years,
the following are also required in addition to the above documents:
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Affidavit in the prescribed format
sworn before a Notary Public stating that you have not acquired British
nationality.
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Letter from the British
Home Office confirming non-acquisition of British nationality. This can be
obtained from the Immigration & Nationality Directorate, Nationality Enquiry
Team, P.O. No.306, Liverpool L69 2UX (Tel No. 0845 010 5200, Fax: 0151 672
5592). (Alternatively send us a consent form
duly signed by you enabling us to confirm the same from them)
If the
existing passport expired more than 5 years ago, the following documents would
also be required:
(II)
Renewal of short validity passports (issued with validity of one year or less)
Requirements are: -
There is no fees
for renewal of such a passport up to ten years from the date of issue.
(III)
Issue of a replacement passport/travel document in lieu of lost/stolen/damaged
passports
Note:
Applicant has to come in person for an interview by the Passport Officer
(a)
If you are on a short visit or work permit or a student in the U.K.,
requirements are:-
-
Application form
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Latest
identical coloured passport size photographs (8) (3 of these should be
attested by a notary public).
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Documentary proof of your legal stay/status in the U.K.
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Proof of
your identity (with photo) e.g. driving license, voter registration card,
employer’s certificate, certificate from the education institution etc.
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Police report (in original) of loss of passport
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Affidavit in the prescribed format
sworn before a Notary Public
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Photocopy of your lost/stolen passport (relevant pages)
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Fees
(b)
If
you are a resident of the UK, the following documents are also required in
addition to the above:
-
Proof of
address in the U.K. (gas/telephone bill/NHS card/bank statement etc.
-
Letter
from the British Home Office confirming non-acquisition of British
nationality. This can be obtained from the Immigration & Nationality
Directorate, Nationality Enquiry Team, P.O. No.306, Liverpool L69 2UX
(Tel No. 0845 010 5200, Fax: 0151 672 5592). Alternatively, send us a
consent form duly signed by you enabling us
to confirm the same from them.
In case
full particulars of the lost/stolen passport/travel documents are not known
the following documents also may be provided:-
(IV)
Passport for a child
Children’s name can no longer
be entered in their parents passports. They have to be issued a separate
passport. Passports to children are issued for a maximum validity of 5 years
from the date of issue or till 15 years of age whichever is less.
(a)
For issue of a passport for the first time to a child born in the U.K.
The child
has to be registered with the Consulate within one year of birth
(with required payment of fees). For registration procedure, please refer to
Consular Services section of this website.
The requirements for issue of a passport are: -
(b)
Subsequent issue of a passport (up to 15 years of age)
(V)
Change in appearance
If there is a significant change in the
appearance of the applicant since the passport was last made, you can apply
for a new passport.
The
requirements are: -
(VI)
Change of name or surname or both
A new passport will be issued in
such cases.
The requirements are:
(a) when change
is subsequent to marriage
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Application form
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Latest identical coloured
passport size photographs (4)
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Current passport (with a
photocopy)
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Husband's passport (with a
photocopy)
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Marriage certificate in
original with a photocopy
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Fees
(b) when
change is for reasons other than marriage.
(VII)
Miscellaneous Services
These
involve additions or amendments to the particulars in the existing passport
such as grant of ’Emigration clearance not required (ECNR)’ etc., change of
present/permanent address, inclusion/deletion of spouse’s name or any
other observation in the existing passport regarding the personal/passport
particulars, including permanent address.
The
requirements are:
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Application form for misc. services
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Passport
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Latest identical coloured passport size photographs (2)
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Relevant
documents (original plus one photocopy) in support of the required service
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Fees
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self-addressed special delivery envelope for return of passport by post
(VIII)
Emergency Certificates
The requirements are:
Note: The applicant has to personally appear before a Consular Officer
HOW
TO OBTAIN PASSPORT & CONSULAR SERVICES
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