FAQ – New Passport Rules

PUBLIC ADVISORY

Indian citizens living in Malaysia are advised to apply for urgent re-issuance of their passports in the following cases:-

(i) HANDWRITTEN PASSPORTS
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has set a deadline of the 24th November, 2015 for globally phasing out of all non-Machine Readable Passports (MRPs). From the 25th November, 2015 onwards, foreign Governments may deny Visa or entry to any person travelling on a non-Machine Readable Passport. The Government of India has been issuing Machine Readable Passports since 2001. However, the Passports issued before 2001 and particularly those issued during mid 1990s with a validity of 20 years will fall in the category of non-MRPs. All handwritten passports with pasted photographs are also considered non-MRPs.

(ii) PASSPORTS VALID FOR LESS THAN SIX MONTHS 
Many international travellers may not realise that having an unexpired passport is sometimes not enough to obtain Visas or to enter certain foreign countries. Indian citizens travelling on Passports which may expire in less than six months should renew their passports before any upcoming international travel. It is especially important to check the passports needs of any minor who may be accompanying their parents as passports for minors have a shorter validity period (5 years) than passports for adults (10 years). The universal practice in vogue now is; “Once your passport crosses the nine-year mark, it is time to get new passport”.

(iii) EXHAUSTION OF VISA PAGES
Some countries do not accept passports which may have fewer than two pages remaining. Please check your passport to ensure that you have enough visa pages. There is no provision of additional booklets/pages and you will be required to apply reissuance of passport following standard procedures. Frequent travellers may opt for Jumbo Passport containing 64 pages.

2. For more details related to passport services, kindly check website www.indianhighcommission.com.my

ANNOUNCEMENT OF NEW PASSPORT RULES

In order to streamline, liberalize and ease the process of issue of passport, the Ministry of External Affairs has taken a number of steps in the realm of passport policy which is expected to benefit the citizens of India applying for a passport. The details of these steps are given below:-

(i) The online passport application form now requires the applicant to provide the name of father or mother or legal guardian, i.e., only one parent and not both. This would enable single parents to apply for passports for their children and to also issue passports where the name of either the father or the mother is not required to be printed at the request of the applicant.

(ii) All the annexes that are required to be given by the applicants would be in the form of a self declaration on a plain paper. No attestation/swearing by/before any Notary/Executive Magistrate/First Class Judicial Magistrate would be henceforth necessary.

(ii) Married applicants would not be required to provide Annexure K or any marriage certificate.

(iv) The Passport application form does not require the applicant to provide the name of her/his spouse in case of separated or divorced persons. Such applicants for passports would not be required to provide even the Divorce Decree.

(v) Orphaned children who do not have any proof of DOB such as Birth Certificate or the Matriculation Certificate or the declaratory Court order, may now submit a declaration given by the Head of the Orphanage/Child Care Home on their official letter head of the organization confirming the DOB of the applicant.

(vi) In case of issue of passport to in-country domestically adopted children, submission of the registered adoption deed would no longer be required. In the absence of any deed to this effect, the passport applicant may give a declaration on a plain paper confirming the adoption.

(vii) Sadhus/ Sanyasis can apply for a passport with the name of their spiritual Guru mentioned in the passport application in lieu of their biological parent(s) name(s) subject to their providing of at least one public document such as Election Photo Identity Card (EPIC) issued by the Election Commission of India, PAN card, Adhar Card, etc wherein the name of the Guru has been recorded against the column(s) for parent(s) name(s).

PROOF OF DATE OF BIRTH

All applicants of passports can submit any one of the following documents as the proof of DOB while submitting the passport application:

(i) Birth Certificate (BC) issued by the Registrar of Births & Deaths or the Municipal Corporation or any other prescribed authority whosoever has been empowered under the Registration of Birth & Deaths Act, 1969 to register the birth of a child born in India;

(ii) Transfer/School leaving/Matriculation Certificate issued by the school last attended/recognized educational board containing the DOB of the applicant;

(iii) PAN Card issued by the Income Tax Department with the DOB of applicant;

(iv) Aadhar Card/E-Aadhar having the DOB of applicant;

(v) Copy of the extract of the service record of the applicant (only in respect of Government servants) or the Pay Pension Order (in respect of retired Government Servants), duly attested/certified by the officer/in-charge of the Administration of the concerned Ministry/Department of the applicant, having his DOB;

(vi) Driving licence issued by the Transport Department of concerned State Government, having the DOB of applicant;

(vii) Election Photo Identity Card (EPIC) issued by the Election Commission of India having the DOB of applicant;

(viii) Policy Bond issued by the Public Life Insurance Corporations/Companies having the DOB of the holder of the insurance policy.

“For Adopted Children:
In case of In-country (domestically) adopted children the following documents are required to be furnished: The deed of adoption which may either be Notarized or Registered, confirming/detailing the adoption of applicant by the adoptive parents(s) from the biological parent(s). In case, the applicant is not having any kind of deed to confirm the adoption and the situation is so that the same also cannot be executed at this point of time due to death of biological/adoptive parents or any other reason, whatsoever it may be, the applicant may give a declaration on a plain paper confirming the adoption.”

CHANGE OF NAME/ADDITION OF SPOUSE’s NAME IN PASSPORT ON RE-ISSUE BASIS

(I) Following marriage, remarriage or divorce:

(a) An applicant applying for re-issue of passport for incorporation of the name of his/her spouse;

(b) A woman applying for change of name/surname in existing passport due to marriage;

(c) Divorcees applying for change of name OR for deletion of spouse’s name in existing passport;

(d) Re-married applicants applying for change of name/spouse’s name in passport.

Except the details provided by the applicant (of any category mentioned above) in the application form, no proof of marriage/dissolution of marriage (court’s order for judicial separation/decree of divorce) etc. is required.”

(II) In other circumstances for change of name, the applicant (both male and female) should furnish:

(i) clippings of two local news papers or the Gazette notification of the concerned State Government, as the case may be;

(ii) at least two public/school documents issued in the desired/ applied changed name to ascertain that the applicant has actually changed his name.

Specimen of revised Annexures ‘C’, ‘D’, ‘F’ and ‘I‘ are as follows::-

Annexure- ‘C’ (On plain paper)

SPECIMEN DECLARATION BY APPLICANT’S PARENT OR GUARDIAN FOR ISSUE OF PASSPORT TO MINOR WHEN ONE PARENT HAS NOT GIVEN CONSENT

I/We ……………………………………...….. (name of the parent / guardian applying for passport) resident of 
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..solemnly declare and affirm as under :-
(I) That I/we am/are the mother/father/parents/guardians of ………………….(name of the minor child) who is minor and on whose behalf I/we have made an application for his/her passport.
(II) Signature/consent of Shri/Smt………………………………...(name of the father/mother) who is the father/mother/parents of the child has not been obtained by me for the following one or more reasons:-
(a) The father/mother of the minor applicant is travelling abroad/is on sea/travelling in India and unable to file consent; or/and
(b) The father/mother is separated and no court case is pending before the court regarding divorce/marital dispute/custody of the child; or/and
(c) The father/mother has deserted and the whereabouts are not known; or/and
(d) There is an ongoing court case for divorce/custody of the minor child and the court has not given any order prohibiting the issue of passport without the consent of father/mother; or/and
(e) There is a court order for the custody of the minor child with a parent who is applying for the passport and consent of other parent (who has visitation rights) is not available or he/she is refusing to give consent/the other parent is not availing the visitation rights and his/her whereabouts are not known; or/and
(f) The parents are judicially separated and custody of the minor child has not been defined in the court’s decree; or/and
(g) The father/mother of…………………………..………..(name of minor child) has deserted me after the conception/delivery. That…………………………(name of minor child) is exclusively under my care and custody since separation/delivery.
(III) That I/we only am/are taking care of ……………………….(name of the minor child) and he/she is exclusively in my/our physical custody.
(IV) I/we also affirm that in the case of a court case arising due to issue of a passport to the minor child ….……………..(name of the minor child), I/we would be solely responsible for defending the case and not the Passport Issuing Authority.
Signature of the parent(s)/Guardian(s) applying for the Passport
Place:
Date:
Name(s):…………………………………………………..
Aadhaar Card No……………………………….…..; or
Voter ID Card No……………………………………; or
Passport no…………………………………………..

SPECIMEN DECLARATION BY APPLICANT’S PARENT(S) OR GUARDIAN FOR ISSUE OF PASSPORT TO MINOR (On plain paper)

I/we, ……………………………........................................................................................... resident of 
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………
hereby affirm that the particulars given below are of ……………………………………………….……
(name of the child), son/daughter of Shri……………………………………………………………….………..and 
Smt ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. of whom I/we am/are the parents /guardian…..
Particulars of minor child
Name :
Date of birth :
Place of birth :
2. The minor child mentioned above is a citizen of India.
3. I/We undertake the entire responsibility for his/her expenses. 
4. I/we solemnly declare that he /she has not lost, surrendered or been deprived of his/her citizenship of India and that the information given in respect of him/her in this application is true.
5. It is also certified that I/we am/are holding /not holding valid India passport(s).
Place:
Date
Signature of father/ Signature of mother/ Signature of legal guardian(s)

SPECIMEN DECLARATION OF APPLICANT FOR OBTAINING A PASSPORT IN LIEU OF LOST/ DAMAGED PASSPORT
I, ……………………………………………………………………………………..……………..… (name), son/ daughter/ 
wife of Shri ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..… holder of
Indian Passport No …………………………………. Dated ……………………………………… issued at 
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………
solemnly affirm that as follows:

1. I am an Indian national and have not acquired any other nationality. I lost /damaged my passport in the following circumstances ( State how and when the passport was lost/ damaged )
2. FIR was lodged at ………………………..…………..Police Station on ……………………………………..
3. State whether you travelled on the lost/ damaged passport, if so state flight number and date and port of entry into Malaysia ?
4. State whether non-resident Indian and if resident abroad, the details of the residence as follows:

5. Whether the Passport had any objection by the PIA and if so the details thereof.
6. Whether you were deported at any time at the expenses of the Government and if so was the expenditure incurred reimbursed to Government of India.

I further affirm that I will take utmost care of my passport if issued and the Government will be at liberty to take any legal action under the Passports Act, 1967, if the lapse is repeated.

Date: …………………..

(Signature of applicant)

DECLARATION BY APPLICANT GENETIC PARENT(S) FOR ISSUE OF PASSPORT TO THE CHILD BORN THROUGH SURROGACY (On Plain Paper)

I/we…………………………………………………………………………………………..……..(name of the genetic parent(s) applying for passport of minor child) solemnly declare and affirm the following:
1. That I/We am/are the genetic mother/father/parents of ………………………………………………………………………..………………………………………………………..(name of the minor child) who was born through surrogacy, and who is a minor and on whose behalf I/We have made an application for his/her passport.
2. That I/we only am/are taking care of ……………………………………………. (name of the minor child) and he/she is exclusively in my/our physical custody since his/her birth.
3. I/We also affirm that in the case of any complaint or any litigation (civil/criminal) arising due to issue of a passport to ……………………………………..(name of the minor child) born through surrogacy, I/We shall be solely responsible for defending the case and not the Passport Issuing Authority.
Date:
Place:
Signature & Address of the Parent (s)/ Guardian(s) applying for the Passport