NEW DELHI: The government of India has revised passport rule and regulations for 2025, introducing a key changes. The new rules, part of an amendment to the Passport Rules of 1980, will come into effect once officially published in the Gazette. Following are the changes to look for.
Birth certificate now mandatory
A birth certificate will be required as the sole proof of date of birth for applicants born on or after October 1, 2023.
Under the revised policy, applicants must submit a birth certificate issued by the Registrar of Births and Deaths, the Municipal Corporation, or any other designated authority under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969. This change aims to streamline the process and ensure uniformity in date of birth verification.
For those born before October 1, 2023, alternative documents such as a school leaving certificate, PAN card, Aadhaar, driver’s licence, or pension order will still be accepted—provided they include the applicant’s full date of birth.
Address proof requirements remain unchanged, with accepted documents including utility bills, income tax assessment orders, Aadhaar cards, voter IDs, rent agreements, and bank passbooks. Additionally, a spouse’s passport or a minor applicant’s parent’s passport can be used as proof of address.
New Colour-Coding for passports
The government has also introduced a colour-coded passport system, where red passports will be issued to diplomatic passport holders, white passports to government officials, and blue passports to all other regular passport holders.
Exclusion of parents’ names from passports
In an effort to be more inclusive, the government has amended passport rules so that parents’ names will no longer be printed on the last page. This change accommodates children of single parents or those from estranged families, recognising diverse family structures.
Digital embedding of residential address
To enhance security and privacy, residential addresses will no longer appear on the last page of passports. Instead, immigration officials will scan a barcode embedded in the passport to access this information.
The Passport Seva Online Portal has also confirmed that submitting a UID/Aadhaar card will speed up the application process. These updates ensure a more efficient passport issuance system, reinforcing document authenticity while simplifying procedures for applicants.
