Passport documents, one master checklist for every scenario
Fresh application, reissue, minor, lost booklet, name change or Tatkal — each case has its own document set, and most objections trace back to one missing or mismatched paper. This page maps the standard requirements; we verify your exact file before you book anything.
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Address proof and date-of-birth proof: the backbone of every file
Whatever your scenario, Passport Seva wants two things established beyond doubt: where you live now, and when you were born. Each is satisfied by any one document from an approved list — and the document you pick becomes the record your application and police verification are checked against.
Proof of present address — any one of
- Aadhaar card
- Voter ID card
- Electricity, water, or landline/postpaid mobile bill
- Gas connection proof
- Registered rent agreement
- Running bank account passbook with photo page (scheduled public or private sector banks, or regional rural banks)
- Income tax assessment order
- Employer certificate on company letterhead
- Spouse's passport copy showing the applicant's name as spouse
- Parent's passport copy, for minors
Lived at your present address under a year? The form asks you to declare every address from the preceding year — skipping one is a classic verification trap, because the police may still visit it.
Proof of date of birth — any one of
- Birth certificate issued by the Registrar of Births & Deaths or Municipal Corporation
- School leaving or matriculation certificate showing the date of birth
- PAN card
- Aadhaar or e-Aadhaar
- Driving licence
- Voter ID card
- LIC policy bond
- Service record extract, for government employees
Since the Passport Rules amendment of 2016, the birth certificate is not the only acceptable DOB proof, even for those born on or after 26 January 1989. The wider list above applies — confirm your own case on the official Document Advisor.
What each type of application adds to the backbone
Fresh passport — adult
The simplest file: one address proof, one DOB proof, and the online application. Full walkthrough on our fresh passport page.
- One proof of present address (list above)
- One proof of date of birth (list above)
- Application Reference Number (ARN) receipt or appointment confirmation for the PSK visit
Renewal / reissue
The portal calls every renewal a "Re-issue of Passport" — a new booklet, not an extension. Details on the renewal page.
- Original old passport
- Self-attested copies of its first two and last two pages
- Copy of the ECR/Non-ECR page
- Copy of any observation page or validity-extension page
- Proof of present address, if your address has changed
- Government/PSU employees: NOC (Annexure G) or Prior Intimation letter (Annexure H)
Minor (below 18)
The child's file leans on the parents' documents. See the minor passport page for consent rules in detail.
- Minor's DOB proof (birth certificate, school certificate or Aadhaar per the approved list)
- Present address proof in the name of the parent(s)
- Parents' passport copies if held, with spouse names endorsed — or the marriage certificate
- Annexure D — consent declaration, signed by both parents in the standard case
- Annexure C instead, where one parent's consent cannot be obtained (single parent, separation, parent abroad)
- For children under 4, a recent 4.5×3.5 cm photo on a white background is asked for — confirm current photo guidance on the portal
Lost, stolen or damaged passport
Treated as a reissue in the "lost/damaged" category, with higher government fees and two extra documents. Start with the lost passport page or the damaged passport page.
- Original police report (FIR/complaint) — for lost or stolen only; not needed when the damaged booklet is still with you
- Annexure F — affidavit stating how and where the passport was lost or damaged
- One DOB proof and one present address proof, as for a fresh application
- Copy of the old passport's first and last pages, if available
Name change
Always a reissue, and the document depends on the reason — this is where most confusion lives. Our passport name change page walks through each route.
- Marriage: marriage certificate, or Annexure J joint declaration with a joint photograph. A Gazette notification is generally not required for a marriage surname change.
- Divorce: certified copy of the divorce decree; the ex-spouse's name need not be furnished.
- Other name changes: sworn affidavit (deed poll) plus newspaper advertisements — one English daily, one local-language daily — and/or Gazette publication. The Gazette route is standard for government servants and used in other cases; if you need it, our gazette-for-passport service handles the publication end-to-end.
- Old passport and the standard reissue copies
Address change and DOB correction
Both are reissues too: an address change needs one proof of the new present address plus old passport copies; a DOB correction needs proof of the correct date — and, for substantial changes, possibly a court order. Talk to us before filing a DOB case.
Tatkal's stricter document requirement
Tatkal trades waiting time for scrutiny: because the passport is typically issued before police verification rather than after, the scheme leans entirely on your documents to establish identity, and applications carry a prescribed-document requirement over and above the standard address and DOB proofs.
The exact combination the rules require for your category should be generated on the official Document Advisor and confirmed at booking — do not rely on year-old blog checklists here, because an application that fails the Tatkal document test may be downgraded to normal processing while the Tatkal premium is not refunded. Our Tatkal passport page covers fees, realistic timelines and when Tatkal is actually worth it.
Before you pay the Tatkal fee
Confirm two things: that your case is eligible for Tatkal at all (some categories, including certain major name changes, may not be), and that you hold the required document combination. We check both in the ₹499 review before you book.
What goes in original, what goes self-attested
The working rule at every PSK and POPSK: carry all originals plus one set of self-attested photocopies. At the counter, the Citizen Service Executive scans your originals and hands them straight back; the photocopies stay with the file. Self-attestation simply means signing each photocopy yourself — no notary is involved in that step.
Three documents are exceptions where the original itself is submitted or surrendered:
- The old passport, in reissue cases — it is cancelled and returned with the new booklet
- The police report, in lost/stolen cases — the original FIR or complaint goes with the application
- Sworn annexures — Annexure F, D, C or J are executed documents, filed as signed originals
Nobody in a legitimate passport process asks you to hand over your original Aadhaar, PAN or certificates for keeps — not the PSK, and not us. If an "agent" asks to hold your originals, walk away.
What we cannot do
We verify, correct and organise your documents, and prepare your application so it survives scrutiny — but acceptance of any document rests with the Verification and Granting Officers at the PSK, and issue of the passport rests solely with the passport authority. Nobody can guarantee acceptance, and anyone who promises it is overselling.
The Document Advisor, and how we use it
Passport Seva publishes an official Document Advisor that generates the precise list for your combination of service, age and circumstances. Checklists on any website — ours included — are the standard pattern; the Advisor's output for your case is the requirement.
Our ₹499 assistance wraps around it: we run your case through the Advisor, read the output against the documents you actually hold, flag name, date and address mismatches (the top objection cause — see why applications get stuck), then help you fill, pay and book. Prefer paper? Print our downloadable passport checklist and tick items off first. For what the various annexures actually are, our annexures explainer decodes them in plain language.
The bottom line
You now know the process, the documents and the pitfalls. What we add is nine years of doing this daily — and a fixed price for taking the whole job off your desk. The quote is free; the time you save is yours.
Passport documents — common questions
Do I submit original documents at the PSK?
Is Aadhaar enough on its own for a fresh passport?
Is a birth certificate compulsory as date-of-birth proof?
What is self-attestation?
What extra documents does a minor's passport need?
What do I need if my passport is lost or stolen?
Do I need a Gazette notification to change my name in the passport?
What documents does a Tatkal application need?
I have lived at my current address for less than a year. What changes?
Will you check my documents before I book anything?
Not sure your documents will pass? Find out before you book.
Send photos of what you have on WhatsApp. We check names, dates and addresses across every document, tell you exactly what is missing, and quote a flat ₹499 for complete filing assistance — government fees always separate and shown to you first.