Indian passport
Indian Passport | |
---|---|
The front cover of a contemporary Indian passport. | |
Date first issued |
1920 (first version) 1986 (current version) |
Issued by |
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Type of document | Passport |
Purpose | Identification |
Eligibility requirements | Indian citizenship |
Expiration | 10 years after acquisition for those aged 18 or more; otherwise 5 years |
Cost |
Adult (36 pages): ₹1,500[1] |
An Indian passport is a passport issued by order of the President of India to Indian citizens for the purpose of international travel. It enables the bearer to travel internationally and serves as proof of Indian citizenship as per the Passports Act (1967). The Passport Seva (Passport Service) unit of the Consular, Passport & Visa (CPV) Division of the Ministry of External Affairs, functions as the central passport organisation, and is responsible for issuing Indian passports on demand to all eligible Indian citizens. Indian passports are issued at 93 passport offices located across India and at 162 Indian diplomatic missions abroad.[2]
In 2014, India issued more than 10 million passports, a number exceeded only by China and United States.[3] Approximately 60 million Indians hold valid passports as of November 2014.[4]
Types of passports
- Ordinary passport (dark blue cover) is issued to ordinary citizens for ordinary travel, such as for vacation, study and business trips (36 or 60 pages). It is a "Type P" passport, where P stands for personal.
- Official passport (white cover) is issued to individuals representing the Indian government on official business. It is a "Type S" passport, S standing for service.
- Diplomatic passport (maroon cover) is issued to Indian diplomats, top ranking government officials and diplomatic couriers. It is a "Type D" passport with D standing for diplomatic.
In addition, selected passport offices in India as well as overseas missions are authorized 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 Puducherry. These two passports respectively permit travel to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka only and are not valid for travel to other foreign countries. India stopped issuing the Indo-Bangladeshi passport in 2013.[5]
Tatkaal and SVP
Tatkaal passports (for urgent needs),[6] and Short validity passports (SVP)[7] are also available, and these are generally considered Ordinary passports once issued.
Physical appearance
Contemporary ordinary Indian passports have a black or deep bluish-black cover with golden coloured printing. The Emblem of India is emblazoned in the centre of the front cover. The words "पासपोर्ट" in Devanagari and "Passport" in English are inscribed above the Emblem whereas "भारत गणराज्य" in Devanagari and "Republic of India" in English are inscribed below the emblem. The standard passport contains 36 pages, but frequent travellers can opt for a passport containing 60 pages.
Identity Information Page
- The Bio data page contains the following information:
- Type: "P"- Stands for "Personal", "D"- Stands for "Diplomatic", "S"- Stands for "Service"
- Country code: IND
- Passport number
- Surname
- Given name(s)
- Nationality
- Sex
- Date of birth
- Place of birth
- Place of issue
- Date of issue
- Date of expiry
- Photo of passport holder
- Ghost picture of the passport holder (only passports issued since 2013)
- Signature of the passport holder
- The information page ends with the Machine Readable Passport Zone (MRZ).
- The Demographics page at the end of the passport book contains the following information:
- Name of father or legal guardian
- Name of mother
- Name of spouse
- Address
- Old passport number
- File number
Passport note
The passports contain a note from the President of India addressing the authorities of all territories:
“ | 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.
|
” |
“ | इसके द्वारा, भारत गणराज्य के राष्ट्रपति के नाम पर, उन सब से जिनका इस बात से सरोकार हो, यह प्रार्थना एवं अपेक्षा की जाती है कि वे वाहक को बिना रोक-टोक, आज़ादी से आने-जाने दें, और उसे हर तरह की ऐसी सहायता और सुरक्षा प्रदान करें जिसकी उसे आवश्यकता हो ।
|
” |
The note bearing page is typically stamped and signed by the issuing authority in the name of the President of the Republic of India.
Languages
The text of Indian passports is printed in both Hindi and English, two official languages of the Union.
Emigration check
Holders of Emigration Check Required (ECR) type passports need a clearance called an Emigration Check from the Government of India's Protector of Emigrants when going to selected countries on a work visa. This is to prevent the exploitation of Indian workers (especially the unskilled and less-educated) when going abroad, particularly to Middle Eastern countries. ECR type passport holders travelling on a tourist visa do not need a clearance; this is known as an Emigration Check Suspension.
Emigration Check Not Required (ECNR) status passports are granted to:
- Indian nationals born abroad;
- Indian nationals holding at least a matriculation certificate;
- all holders of diplomatic or official passports.
- all gazetted government servants;
- all income-tax payers (including agricultural income-tax payers) in their individual capacity;
- all graduate and professional degree holders (such as doctors, engineers, chartered accountants, scientists, lawyers, etc.);
- spouses and dependent children of category of certain holders of ECNR passports;
- seamen in possession of a CDC;
- Sea Cadets and Deck Cadets who have:
- passed their final examination on a three-year B.Sc. Nautical Sciences Course at T.S. Chanakya, Mumbai; and
- 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), or NIPM, Chennai, after production of identity cards issued by the Shipping Master at Mumbai, Kolkata, or Chennai;
- persons holding a Permanent Immigration Visa, such as visas issued by the UK, USA, or Australia;
- persons possessing a two years' diploma from any institute recognized by the National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT) or the State Council of Vocational Training (SCVT), or persons holding a three years’ diploma or equivalent degree from an institution such as a polytechnic recognized by the central or a state government;
- nurses possessing qualifications recognised under the Indian Nursing Council Act, 1947;
- all persons above the age of 50 years;
- all persons who have been staying abroad for more than three years (whether in one continuous period or in aggregate), as well as their spouses;
- all children up to the age of 18 years.
In accordance with a ruling by the Ministry of External Affairs, passports issued from 2007 onwards do not have the ECNR stamp affixed; instead, a blank page 2 of the passport is deemed to have been ECNR endorsed. As a result, only ECR stamps are now affixed to Indian passports. For passports issued before January 2007, no notation in the passport means ECR. For passports issued in or after January 2007, no notation in the passport means ECNR. If Emigration Check is Required, there will be an endorsement in the passport regarding ECR.
Features
Since 25 November 2015, Indian passports that are handwritten or with an original date of expiry extending to 20 years have not been valid under ICAO travel regulations.[8] With more recent Indian passports the personal particulars of the passport holder, that were hitherto printed on the inner cover page, are printed on the second page of the document. Another added security feature in the newer non-handwritten passports is a ghost picture of the holder found on the right side of the second page. Apart from stymieing criminals from printing fake passports, recent changes also help prevent smudging of the document because of inkjet printers.[9][10]
Fees
The price of a standard passport in India:[11]
- ₹1500 – Fresh issuance or reissue of passport (36 pages, standard size) with 10 year validity.
- ₹2000 – Fresh issuance or renewal of passport (60 pages, 'jumbo' size) with 10 year validity.
- ₹3500 – First time applicant or renewal with expedited ('tatkaal') service (36 pages) with 10 year validity.
- ₹4000 – First time applicant or renewal with expedited ('tatkaal') service (60 pages) with 10 year validity.
- ₹1000 – Fresh passport issuance for minors (below 18 years of Age) with 5 year validity or till the minor attains the age of 18, whichever is earlier.
- ₹3000 – Duplicate passport (36 pages) in lieu of lost, damaged or stolen passport.
- ₹3500 – Duplicate passport (60 pages) in lieu of lost, damaged or stolen passport.
Indian passports can also be issued outside India, for which fees varies by country.
Issuance
Passport Seva Kendra
In September 2007, the Indian Union cabinet approved a new passport issuance system under the Passport Seva Project. As per the project, front-end activities of passport issuance, dispatch of passports, online linking with police, and Central Printing Unit for centralised printing of passports will be put in place. The new system is trying to be 'timely, transparent, more accessible and reliable manner' for passport issuance. The applicant has to apply for fresh/reissue of passport through the Passport Seva system at one of the 77 Passport offices known as "Passport Seva Kendra"s operating throughout the country.
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 locally 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 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 the United States and has 4-second response time, while the US Passport has 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 readers, after which it would generate an access code which then unlocks the chip for reader access.[12]
In India, the e-passport is under its first phase of deployment and is restricted to Diplomatic passport holders. On 25 June 2008 the Indian Passport Authority issued the e-passport to the then President of India Pratibha Patil.[13] As of 2016, the Government has plans to issue e-passports to all of its citizens. Also the Government has authorized Indian Security Press to float a global three-stage tender for procurement of ICAO-compliant electronic contactless inlays along with its operating system, which is required for the manufacture of biometric Passports.[14] The necessary procurement have been initiated by India Security Press, Nasik by calling for Global tender for the supply of electronic contactless inlays.[15] The actual transition to the new age passport is expected to commence on the successful completion of the tendering and procurement process.[16]
Visa requirements
Visa requirements for Indian citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of India. As of 13 February 2018, Indian citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 59 countries and territories, ranking the Indian passport 81st in terms of travel freedom (tied with Ivory Coast, Senegal and Togo passports) according to the Henley & Partners Passport index, which is based on data supplied by IATA.[17]
Foreign travel statistics
According to the statistics these are the numbers of Indian visitors to various countries in 2015 (unless otherwise noted):
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Data for 2016
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 Data for 2017
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Counting only guests in tourist accommodation establishments.
- 1 2 Data for arrivals by air only.
- ↑ Data for 2012
- 1 2 3 Data for 2014
- 1 2 Data for arrivals by air only.
- ↑ Data for 2013
- ↑ Total number includes tourists, business travelers, students, exchange visitors, temporary workers and families, diplomats and other representatives and all other classes of nonimmigrant admissions (I-94).
- ↑ Data for 2015
Gallery of historic images
- British Indian passport issued during the colonial days
- Joint India-Pakistan passport issued to migrants to enable them to visit family, friends and ancestral homes located on the other side of the Radcliffe line
- Passport issued by the Dominion of India (1947–1950)
- Cover of a passport (1986)
- Indian Diplomatic passport and Indian Official passport
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Fee Structure : Document Advisor - Passport Seva". passportindia.gov.in. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ↑ "MEA CPV Division". CPV.
- ↑ India ranks third in issuing passports accessed 29 January 2016
- ↑ http://passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/pdf/Public_Advisory.pdf
- ↑ "41-year-old India-Bangladesh passport regime ends". Times of India. 2013-12-02.
- ↑ Tatkaal passports. "Tatkaal passports". www.passportindia.gov.in. CPV, Government of India. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
- ↑ "Passport Seva Miscellaneous Queries". passportindia.gov.in. CPV, Government of India. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
- ↑ the Times of India website article accessed 29 January 2016
- ↑ Oppili, P. (12 April 2013). "New passports with added security features dispatched". Retrieved 26 March 2018 – via www.thehindu.com.
- ↑
- ↑ "Indian Passport Fees" (PDF). Government of India. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
- ↑ "NDTV.com: After US tests, India to get first e-passport". ndtv.com. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ↑ "India to introduce biometric passports next year". secureidnews.com. 5 July 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
- ↑ "India to introduce biometric passports to all of it's Citizens". Ministry of External Affairs, Parliament Q&A – 1724. 27 July 2016.
- ↑ "Indian Security Press Global Tender for Supply Electronic contactless inlays" (PDF). Indian Security Press- Nashik, Tender No-54/2016-17. 27 July 2016.
- ↑ "India looks to Biometric Passports". Security Documentworld.com. 28 July 2016.
- ↑ "Global Ranking – Visa Restriction Index 2017" (PDF). Henley & Partners. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
- ↑ "Statistical Yearbook - Department of Commerce".
- ↑ Anuário de Estatística do Turismo
- ↑ "Tourism Statistics - IAATO". iaato.org. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ↑ "Tourism Statistics for Antigua and Barbuda". antiguahotels.org. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ↑
- ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 February 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
- ↑ "Number of foreign citizens arrived to Azerbaijan by countries".
- ↑ https://corporate.visitbarbados.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/2016-annual-statistical-report.pdf
- ↑ "Tourisme selon pays de provenance 2016".
- ↑ Annual Reports
- ↑ Estadísticas por Actividad Económica. Turísmo
- ↑ TOURISM STATISTICS Cumulative data, January – December 2017
- ↑ "Statistics Botswana". Statistics Botswana. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ↑ "Anuário Estatístico de Turismo 2017 – Ano Base 2016". Retrieved 2017-09-09.
- ↑ "Tourism Statistics Report". www.tourismcambodia.org. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ↑ "Service bulletin International Travel: Advance Information" (PDF). statcan.gc.ca.
- ↑ CIDOT. "Welcome to the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism (CIDOT) Destination Statistics Website". www.caymanislands.ky. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ↑
- ↑ "China Inbound Tourism Statistics in 2015". www.travelchinaguide.com. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ↑ The data obtained on request. Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo de Colombia
- ↑
- ↑ "Informes Estadísticos - Instituto Costarricense de Turismo - ICT". www.ict.go.cr. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ↑ TOURIST ARRIVALS AND NIGHTS IN 2017
- ↑ "2015 Visitors Statistics Report" (PDF). tourism.gov.dm. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ↑ "BCRD - Estadísticas Económicas". www.bancentral.gov.do. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ↑
- ↑ "Données détaillées". www.ispf.pf. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ↑ "International arrivals 2017".
- ↑ Tourismus in Zahlen 2016, Statistisches Bundesamt
- ↑ "Visitor Arrival Statistics - Research - Research and Reports". www.guamvisitorsbureau.com. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ↑
- ↑ TOURISM IN HUNGARY 2016
- ↑
- ↑ TOURIST ARRIVALS TO ISRAEL (EXC. DAY VISITORS & CRUISE PASSENGERS) BY NATIONALITY, Ministry of Tourism
- ↑ IAGGIATORI STRANIERI NUMERO DI VIAGGIATORI
- ↑ Monthly Statistical Report December 2017 Vol xxvii No 12
- ↑ "2015 Foreign Visitors & Japanese Departures" (PDF). jnto.go.jp. Japan National Tourism Organization. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ↑ Tourist Overnight and Same Day Visitors By Nationality during
- ↑ Туризм Казахстана. 2.4 Количество посетителей по въездному туризму
- ↑ Туризм в Кыргызстане
- ↑
- ↑ "TUG02. Visitors staying in hotels and other accommodation establishments by country of residence-PX-Web". csb.gov.lv. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ↑ Arrivals according to nationality during year 2016
- ↑ "DSEC - Statistics Database". www.dsec.gov.mo. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ↑ "Publications - Statistiques". tourisme.gov.mg. 27 May 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ↑ "TOURIST ARRIVALS TO MALAYSIA BY COUNTRY OF NATIONALITY DECEMBER 2017" (PDF). tourism.gov.my. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ↑ "December 2017 - Ministry of Tourism". www.tourism.gov.mv. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ↑ ANNUAIRE 2014
- ↑ "December 2017 - Ministry of Tourism". www.tourism.gov.mv. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ↑ "Visitantes internacionales por vía aérea por principal nacionalidad". sectur.gob.mx. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ↑
- ↑ "Table 4. Foreign tourist arrivals and overnight stays by countries, 2014" (PDF). monstat.org. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ↑ "Myanmar Tourism Statistics 2015" (PDF). Central Statistical Organization. Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 December 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
- ↑ Tourism Statistics 2015 p.20,31 Archived 31 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Toerisme in perspectief 2018
- ↑ "International travel and migration: December 2017". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
- ↑ "Wayback Machine". archive.org. 5 September 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ↑
- ↑
- ↑ The data obtained on request. Ministerio de Comercio Exterior y Turismo Archived 2 December 2016 at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑
- ↑ "2016 Annual Tourism Performance Report" (PDF). visitqatar.qa. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ↑
- ↑ "Въезд иностранных граждан в РФ". Fedstat.ru. 2017-10-18. Retrieved 2017-10-18.
- ↑
- ↑ "Visitor Arrivals". www.stb.gov.sg. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ↑
- ↑
- ↑ "Korea, Monthly Statistics of Tourism - key facts on toursim - Tourism Statistics". kto.visitkorea.or.kr. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ↑ "Tabla23984". www.ine.es. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ↑ "TOURIST ARRIVALS BY COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE 2016" (PDF). sltda.gov.lk. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ↑ "Suriname Tourism Statistics" (PDF). www.surinametourism.sr. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ↑ "Swaziland Tourism - Swaziland Safari - Swaziland Attractions - Useful Links - Research". www.thekingdomofswaziland.com. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ↑ "Visitor Arrivals by Nationality". taiwan.net.tw. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ↑ "The 2016 International Visitors' Exit Survey Report. International Tourist Arrivals. pp. 73–77" (PDF). nbs.go.tz/. NBS Tanzania. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
- ↑ "สถิติด้านการท่องเที่ยว ปี 2560 (Tourism Statistics 2017)". Ministry of Tourism & Sports. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
- ↑
- ↑ NUMBER OF ARRIVING-DEPARTING VISITORS, FOREIGNERS AND CITIZENS December 2017
- ↑ "Foreign citizens who visited Ukraine in 2017 year, by countries".
- ↑ Statistics for the Emirate of Dubai
Dubai Statistics, Visitor by Nationality - ↑ "Annual estimates on visits and spending in the UK by overseas residents, by purpose and region of visit". Office of National Statistics.
- ↑ "Table 28. Nonimmigrant Admissions (I-94 Only) By Selected Category Of Admission And Region And Country Of Citizenship: Fiscal Year 2016". dhs.gov. 16 May 2017. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ↑ "Распределение въехавших в Республику Узбекистан иностранных граждан по странам в 2015 году". data.gov.uz. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
- ↑ Tourism Statistical Digests
- ↑ "Tourism Trends and Statistics 2015 Annual Report – Zimbabwe A World Of Wonders". www.zimbabwetourism.net. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
External links
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