Passport For Minor

A minor as per Indian Laws is a child below the age of 18 years. Passport for minors can be done by his/her parents. Parents can also apply for a passport for their newborn child as per the laws governing the issue of Indian passport.

In case of absence of one of the parents due to the death of the parent, another parent can apply for the passport of their minor child. In case of absence of both the parents due to their death, the legal guardian of such child can apply for his/her passport.

Validity of Passport for Minor

The validity of any general passport issued in India is for a period of 10 years. However, this general rule is different in case of a passport issued to a minor.

Given below are the details of the validity of a passport issued to a minor.

• A minor below the age of 15 years will be issued a passport for a validity period which is earlier of
• 5 year, or
• Till they turn 18 years

• In case of a minor who is between the ages of 15 years and 18 years, such minor can apply for a passport with validity of 10 years.

What are the documents that are needed to apply for a minor passport?

The application process for a passport for minors has been streamlined to a great extent. The process has been made quite simpler and requires certain basic documents to be submitted as part of the application process.

These basic documents are mentioned below.

• Documents relating to the proof of birth of the child (Birth Certificate)
• Current Address Proof of the Parents.
• In case an application is made by a single parent, the current address proof of such parent is to be provided.
• Copy of passport of both the parents
• In case of application by a single parent,  copy of passport of such parent is required to be submitted

Apart from the above documents, the parents or the legal guardian of the applicant ahs to provide an affidavit in the prescribed form as per the type of application made. The details of such annexure are given below.

What is the application process for minor passports?

The application procedure in case of applying for a passport for a minor is similar to applying for a regular passport.

The first step is to book an appointment with the nearest PSK (Passport Seva Kendra) for the most suitable time where both the parents of the minor child can be present at the PSK for further application process.

The availability of both the parents is mandatory in case of a standard application. In case the presence of one or both the parents is not possible a corresponding annexure for such reason (as mentioned above) has to be submitted along with the application.

The physical presence of the minor child for whom the passport is applied has to mandatorily be present in all the cases.

The fees for passport application have to be paid online at the time of making the online application. The total fees charged for the passport application of a minor is starting from Rs. 1,000 for a fresh passport of a minor under the Normal Scheme up to Rs. 5000 depending on the type of scheme as well as the applicants age, reasons for re-issue in case of a re-issue request.

The applicant can get the exact amount of fees to be paid for the type of application needed by selecting the relevant parameters on the website of the ‘Passport Seva’. The link for the same is given below,

Home >> Fee Calculator

However, the passport application for minors below or equal to the age of 8 years will get a rebate of 10% on the application for a fresh passport.

Key Points to Remember while Applying for a Passport for Minors

The passport application for a minor has to be accompanied by the required documents and annexure and copies of the passport of the parents of such minor. There are many points to be considered while applying for a passport for minors.

• When the parents of the minor child have a valid passport, a copy of such passport has to be submitted along with the application form. A valid passport for this case is a passport where the name of spouse has been endorsed in such passport. Upon submission of such passport copies, the police verification can be avoided for the minor.
• If the name is not endorsed, the parents have to apply for a new passport which has the name of the spouse endorsed for it to be accepted as a valid passport for the application of a minor passport for their child.
• The application also requires the submission of Annexure E along with the other documents which is a standard affidavit.
• Parents are also required to submit Annexure D in case either both the parents are not available or the custody of the minor is with a legal guardian instead of the parents.
• If the consent of both the parents is not available, Annexure C has to be submitted along with the application form.
• In case one of the parents is aboard, the signature of such parent is essential for the completion of the application and if such signature is not available the parents have to submit Annexure D or Annexure as the case may be.

Photo Rules for Minor Passports

The photographs of the minor have to be attached in the application form to make it complete. There are many guidelines to be followed to ensure that the photograph attached is valid and accepted.

Such guidelines that have to be followed are mentioned below.

• The applicant requires only one colour photograph to be pasted as per the specifications or guidelines provided by the Passport Seva.
• The photograph has to be of frontal view of the full face of minor which has to be clearly visible
• The photograph has to be a recent passport size photograph of dimensions 4.5cm length x 3.5cm width.
• Parents have to ensure that the expression of the face should be natural (no grinning, frowning or raised eyebrows)
• It has to be printed on good quality photo paper
• The photograph has to be in colour and has to be pasted in the designated box on the application.
• Another important requires is regarding the background of the photograph which has to be plain white and the dress of the minor has to be of dark colour
• Print of the photograph should be clear and with a continuous-tone quality
• Another important feature is that the eyes of the applicant has to be open and both edges of the face must be clearly visible and the head of the minor has to be in the centre of the frame and both ears should be visible

FAQs – Passport for Minor