Passport FAQ

FAQ ON PASSPORT

Q: Where and how can NRIs in the Netherlands apply for passport services?

A: You need to fill out the application form online at the [Passport Seva portal and book an appointment at (link). All applications for Passport may be submitted at the Embassy of India in The Hague (Buitenrustweg 2, 2517KD, The Hague, Netherlands).

Note**: Diplomatic and Official passport applications are submitted directly at the Embassy with prior email confirmation.

Q: What are the basic requirements for re-issuing an Indian passport?

A: For re-issuing a passport (e.g., due to expiry or exhaustion of pages), you need:

i) Duly filled and signed online application form.

ii) The current passport (original and photocopy of first and last pages).

iii) Four recent passport-sized photographs (3.5 x 3.5 cm, light background, full frontal view. Click here for photo specifications.

iv) A copy of your Dutch residence permit or proof of renewal (original to be shown).

v) Proof of address in the Netherlands.

- Additional documents may be required for specific cases (e.g., change of name, address, or appearance).( please visit check list link).

Q: How many days takes to receive a Passport after the status “your passport has been printed and being forwarded to the Embassy/Consulate. The Embassy/Consulate will contact you once they receive the passport for dispatch” ?

A: Usually it takes around 10-12 working days to receive your Passport after the above mentioned status. During the period the Embassy does not entertain any requests for expediting the process.

Q: What is the validity of an Indian passport?

A: An ordinary passport is valid for 10 years for adults. For minors (under 15 years), passports are valid for 5 years or until they turn 18, whichever is earlier. Minors aged 15–18 can opt for a 10-year passport. The Passport Issuing Authority may issue passports for shorter durations under certain conditions

Q: What are the requirements for a passport for a child born in the Netherlands?:

A: 1 An Indian Government passport application form duly filled in online (https://portal3.passportindia.gov.in/Online/index.html ) Thumb print of the child should be on the form in lieu of signature. Print out should be in a portrait mode. Each page on a separate sheet.

2 Application form for registration of birth of a minor child at an Indian consulate duly filled in online (https://indiancitizenshiponline.nic.in/#)

3 Four photographs conforming to Indian Government norms as per specifications mentioned on our website (5 cm * 5 cm) A Photo service complying with the Indian norms are not available in the Embassy. For photo specification click here.

4 No objection letter signed by both parents (annexure C/D case to case basis) :

Annexure C Annexure D

5 A copy of the parent’s marriage certificate and originals for verification

6 Photocopy of both parents’ passport (first and last pages as well as any pages including any endorsements) and originals for verification

7 Photocopy of the Dutch resident permit of both parents and originals for verification

8 Original and one copy of full version of Birth Certificate issued by local municipality

9 Photocopy of one of the following to prove the Indian address of the parents of the child: electricity, gas, landline/mobile telephone bill

10 Photocopy of an uittreksel (extract from the municipality) with the Dutch address of the child

12. The presence of both parents and child is advisable.

**Note**: If only one parent is applying, the other parent must provide written consent.

Q: Why is Police Verification required for issuance of Passport?

A: Passport is an extremely important and valuable document. In order to ensure it does not go to the wrong hands, police verification is required to ascertain details furnished by the applicant. The applicant or his representative should contact the concerned police station for the police verification process.

Q. What should NRIs/Tourist do if their passport is lost, stolen, or damaged?

A: For NRIS, File a police report for the lost/stolen passport.

Apply for a renewal of passport (refer FAQ for Passport renewal)

For Tourists Apply for EC (Please refer EC FAQ’s) OR apply for Short Validity Passport, It will take 10 to 12 working day to get new short validity (one year) Passport. (please visit the link).

Q: Can NRIs change personal particulars (e.g., name, address, or spouse’s name) on their passport (visit Check list link)

A: In case of changing the Indian address:
Any one of the below options:

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Copy of Voter ID card; copy of Aadhar card; copy of passbook issued by Government authorized public sector banks e.g. State Bank of India (without ID proof); copy of passbook issued by a private sector bank e.g. HDFC, Axis Bank, ICICI (with a photo ID card); copy of property registration or copy of parent’s/spouse passport along with one proof from the aforementioned list

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Note: While filling an online form, out of ‘Passport Printable Address Details’ and ‘Other Address details,’ one address has to be a Dutch address.

In case of changing the Indian address to Dutch address

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Uittreksel in International/English Format from Town Hall with the applicant address details (less than 6 months old)

If adding / deleting spouse name

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Original marriage certificate, Apostilled, with a self-attested photocopy and self-attested photocopies of passport and residence permit card of the applicant’s spouse (original Passport and resident card to be shown at the time of submission of application)

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If name of spouse is not matching with Marriage Certificate, additional sworn affidavit will be required declaring 'one and same person' to include spouse name in the renewed passport. (The sworn affidavit needs to be issued before applying for passport renewal.)

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OR divorcees applying for a change of name are required to furnish the divorce decree authenticated by the Court

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OR in case of change of name following death of spouse, photocopy of death certificate of the spouse (Original to be shown at the time of submission of the application)

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OR remarried applicants applying for change of name/change of spouse’s name will be required to produce the divorce /death certificate in respect of first spouse, marriage certificate (see conditions above) and photocopy of present spouse’s Passport (original passport to be shown at the time of submission of the application).

If the applicant has changed their name after marriage / remarriage / divorce / death of spouse etc.

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(Affidavit for Maiden Name Change in case of marriage https://www.indianembassynetherlands.gov.in/page/forms-and-other-consular-information/) / Deed Poll/Sworn Affidavit in case of re-marriage, divorce or death of spouse

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AND Original marriage certificate with a self-attested photocopy and self-attested photocopies of Passport of the applicant’s spouse (original Passport to be shown at the time of submission of application)

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OR divorcees applying for a change of name are required to furnish the divorce decree authenticated by the Court

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OR in case of change of name following death of spouse, photocopy of death certificate of the spouse (Original to be shown at the time of submission of the application)

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OR remarried applicants applying for change of name/change of spouse’s name will be required to produce the divorce /death certificate in respect of first spouse, marriage certificate and photocopy of present spouse’s Passport (original passport to be shown at the time of submission of the application).

If the applicant has changed their name for reasons other than the above (substantial change in name):

Provide two supporting public documents in India, such as Aaadhar Card, Voter Card or PAN Card etc. with the updated name.

Applicants seeking to change first name or surname, or both are required to place advertisements in a prominent newspaper of usual place of residence in Netherlands AND in a prominent daily newspaper of area of permanent address in India/Department of Publication, Government of India
Important: Applicant must wait 5 weeks after publication before applying
full page of the publication where name change was declared by applicant. Document should clearly show the date, name of the Newspaper/Publication/Gazette and the content. Unreadable scanned copies will not be accepted.

If change in Parent’s name:

Provide two supporting public documents in India, such as Passport copy, Aadhar Card, Voter Card or PAN Card, School Leaving Certificate etc. with correct names of the parents.

For any other changes in the laminated pages of the passport, a new passport will be issued i.e., change in appearance, change in signature etc.

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Affidavit For Name Change

Affidavit For Maiden Name Change

Affidavit for Change of Appearance

Sworn Affidavit

Note: The above are the general mandatory requirements. The applicant may be advised to submit some more documents, after scrutiny of the application on a case-to-case basis.

Q: What happens if there is a discrepancy between the name on the passport and the Dutch residence permit/visa

A: If there is a significant difference between the name on the Indian passport and the Dutch residence permit/visa, the applicant must rectify or clarify the anomaly before passport services can be provided. Supporting documents (e.g., marriage certificate, court order, or affidavit) may be required to resolve the discrepancy.

Q: Can NRIs apply for a Tatkal (expedited) passport service?

A: Tatkal service is not available at the Embassy of India, The Hague. Passport processing may take 4-6 weeks and be subject to Police verification clearance from concerned Police authorities.

Q: What is an Emergency Certificate, and when is it issued?

A: An Emergency Certificate is a one-way travel document issued to Indian nationals for return to India in cases where:

- A passport is lost, damaged, or expired, and a new passport cannot be issued immediately (particularly genuine emergency cases and tourist visiting Netherlands).

- The individual is under deportation orders.

Q How to apply for Emergency Certificate?

A: The application for online application form for the EC may be submitted directly at the Embassy (Buitenrustweg 2, 2517KD The Hague, The Netherlands) on any working day between 9:30-12:30.

Documents required for Emergency Certificate

Print-out of the online filled in application form. The form should be duly signed with photograph (2 inch x 2 inch) with white background affixed.
Original expired/damaged passport and a copy of the same.
Copy of the Passport in case of lost/stolen passport.
Copy of Police report if the passport is lost/ stolen.
Copy of the confirmed air ticket to India with departure from Schiphol Amsterdam only. (Before booking air ticket, applicants may check with the airlines if handwritten EC’s are accepted for travelling.)
A letter requesting for EC with valid reason.
3 Photographs of the Applicant. (2 inch x 2 inch in size with white background).
Proof of legal stay permission in the Netherlands in case of NRIs in genuine emergency cases. It is necessary to furnish proof of a valid Visa or Residence Permit.

Q Can EC be issued to travel/visit third country or within Europe/Schengen area?

A- Strictly No. EC is only issued to return to India in genuine emergency cases only.

Q: Can NRIs retain their Indian passport after acquiring Dutch citizenship?

A: No, Indian law does not allow dual citizenship. If an NRI acquires Dutch citizenship, they must surrender their Indian passport within 3 months and apply for an OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) card for visa-free travel to India. The OCI card provides most NRI privileges.

Q: What precautions should NRIs take to avoid passport-related scams?

A: The Embassy has warned about fraudulent calls/emails impersonating Embassy or Dutch officials requesting personal or financial information. Do not share sensitive details over phone or email, and verify requests through official channels.

Q How can NRIs track their passport application status?

A- To track your Indian passport application status using the Passport Seva portal, you can use the online tracking tool. You'll need your Application Reference Number (ARN) and date of birth to check the status of your application.

Q:-What are the photo specifications for an Indian passport?

A:Photographs must:

- Be 3.5 x 3.5 cm, with a light background.

- Show a full frontal view with natural skin tone.

- Be no older than 6 months.

Photo specification click here

Q: What should NRIs do if they need to travel urgently to India?

A: If your passport is lost and has genuine emergency (only in case of death cases in blood relation), contact Indian Embassy on attcons.thehague@mea.gov.in and after approval of competent authority, apply for an Emergency Certificate for one-way travel to India.

Q: Can I travel with less than six months Passport validity?

A: The six-month passport validity rule is a common requirement for international travel. The immigration authority may stop you from travelling. You can contact concerned immigration authorities for more information.

Q: What is a jumbo Passport?

A: Jumbo passport booklet contains 60 pages. Frequent travellers may apply for a jumbo passport booklet. The fee for Jumbo passport is higher than the fee for regular passport. Please check the fee structure for the booklets on our website at the time of application. Requests for change of passport book from normal to jumbo or vice-versa will not be entertained after the application has been processed and passport is issued.

Q: Do I need to enclose my original passport with my passport application? What if I have to travel while my application for re-issue is under process?

A: First of all, please note that kindly ensure that you enclose the passport in original. You cannot withdraw your existing passport after submission of your application. Original passports are required to be submitted for verification at the time of submission of applications which will be cancelled and returned to you at the time of handing over of the new passport. In case you need to travel when your passport application is under process, you need to apply for an Emergency Certificate at the Embassy and the application for renewal will be cancelled without any refund. New passports can then be applied in India only. (Note- Interim withdrawal of Passport is allowed in genuine serious cases only (email on attcons.thehague@mea.gov.in for approval and once you apply for Passport, you can not travel to India on existing Passport as it will be cancelled during the process.)

Q: My passport is still valid. However, all pages of my passport are exhausted. What should I do? Can I have an additional booklet? How can I apply for the same?

A:You have to apply for a new passport. Please note that additional booklet is not issued in any cases. You will have to apply for re-issue of passport with a fresh application. The new passport will be of 10 year validity for adults and 5 year validity for minors. You can apply for a normal MRP booklet (36 pages) or a Jumbo MRP booklet (60 pages). It is advisable to apply for a Jumbo passport in case you have a requirement of frequent travel.

Q: I understand that after I receive my new passport, my old passport will be cancelled. Will the visas on my old passport be also cancelled?

A: Please note that your old passport has to be cancelled before the new passport is handed over to you. However, your old passport will be returned to you along with the new passport. Visa, if any, on the old passport remain valid. However, you are advised to check with the country concerned if there is any mandatory requirement of applying for a new visa when you get a new passport. The Embassy does not take any responsibility for validity of any visa on your old passport.

Q: What does the photocopy of the passport with the application mean? Do I have to send all the 36/60 pages or just the first, the last and the page showing my VISA ?

A: Please send/enclose clear copies of the first page, last page, and the page on which visa is affixed. There is no need to send complete photocopies of your entire passport unless specifically asked to do so. Applications with illegible and poor quality photocopies will be summarily rejected.

Q: Can I also apply for passport for a newly-born child at the time of birth registration?

A: Yes as long as your application for birth registration is fully complete and all documents are in order, you can submit passport application of your child along with the supporting documents. Please ensure that the application form is signed by both the parents to confirm their no objection to the issue of passport. Thumb impression of the child is to be put in the specimen signature box on the application form.

Q: How can I collect the documents?

A: There is no provision of document collection from the Embassy. The applicant needs to submit

.	Prepaid self-adressed Envelope for return of Ready Passport or documents with the application. Book prepaid airway bill with POST/Courier service in the Netherlands for receiving processed documents. This should be submitted along with an A4 size self-addressed envelope.

Q: What is the mode of fee payment?

A:The fee chart for various Consular services is given on the Embassy website. applicants who submit their applications at the Embassy have to make the payment directly to the Embassy. Applicants may make payment of consular fee through Debit cards.

Q: I need a birth certificate. I have not received birth certificate from India. Is it possible for the Embassy to issue me a birth certificate based on my passport? What documents I need to bring to the Embassy for the same?

A: Embassy can issue a certificate equivalent to Birth Certificate based on the entries in your Indian passport. You are required to put up an application in the Misc. Services Application Form along with your Indian passport Residence Permit (please visit the link).

Q: I am in the Netherlands but my spouse has applied for passport for our minor child in India. How can I confirm my no-objection to the application?

A: For issue of a passport to a minor in India, generally the consent of the parent residing in the Netherlands is required. Since you are in the Netherlands, you would need to send an affidavit confirming your consent /no objection for submitting the same with minor’s passport application in India. Please visit https://passport.gov.in for more information.

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