Birth certificate no longer needed for passport

NEW DELHI: The birth certificate would no longer be required to get a passport issued, the Ministry of External Affairs announced on Friday.

Speaking to media here, Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh said that birth certificate that specifies the date of birth is no longer mandatory for getting passport and documents such as PAN card, driving licence, Aadhaar card, or Matriculation Certificate will suffice.

He also announced that online passport application form now requires the applicant to provide the name of only one parent and not both.

This would enable single parents to apply for passports for their children. Besides, married applicants would not be required to provide any marriage certificate, the minister added.

The government on Friday announced that Aadhaar and e-Aadhaar card could be used as proof of date of birth (DOB) while applying for passports.

In order to streamline, liberalise and ease the process of issue of passport, the ministry has taken a number of steps in the realm of passport policy, expected to benefit the citizens of India applying for a passport, said V K Singh.

In case of proof of DOB, while filing the application, it has now been decided that all applicants of passports can submit any one of the documents — transfer/school leaving/matriculation certificate, PAN card, Aadhaar card/e-Aadhaar having the DOB of applicant, copy of the extract of the service record of the applicant, driving licence, Election Photo Identity Card (EPIC) or LIC policy bond.

Birth Certificate 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 can also be given as proof.

The government has announced new passport rules in order to streamline, liberalise and ease the process of issuing of passport, an official statement said.

With inputs from PTI/IANS