Passport renewal in India: what a re-issue actually needs
Quick answer: India does not renew a passport, it re-issues one — a new booklet in place of the old. You can apply at any point in the ten years before expiry, or up to three years after it has expired, and in the ordinary case you attach almost nothing: your old passport, and a proof of address only if you have moved. It costs ₹2,500 for a 36-page booklet, and the 10% discount for senior citizens does not apply to a re-issue.
Renewal, re-issue, and why the word matters
There is no renewal service on Passport Seva. What you apply for is another passport in lieu of the one you hold — a new booklet, which the form calls a re-issue. Even a clerical correction comes back that way, never as an endorsement in the passport already in your hand. You tick Re-issue of Passport and then give a reason:
- Your passport has expired, or is about to
- Your last passport expired more than three years ago
- You want to change the personal particulars printed in it
- The pages in the booklet are exhausted
- The passport is lost
- The passport is damaged — either beyond recognition, or still recognisable
Whichever reason you tick, the details of the passport you are replacing go in column 6.1 of the form. The same applies to an old passport that was lost or damaged: you still describe it.
When you can apply
The window is far wider than most people assume. You may apply for a re-issue within the ten years before expiry and within three years after it — so, in practice, at any time during the life of your passport and for three years afterwards — without fresh police verification, provided the police report on your previous passport was clear and there is no adverse entry in the system.
If your passport expired more than three years ago, the booklet treats that as its own case. You attach the same documents, plus the out-of-turn issuance documents where post-issuance verification is required: any three from a list that includes Aadhaar, voter ID, PAN, a driving licence, a bank or post office passbook, a birth certificate, a ration card and the last passport issued.
A passport does not have to be expiring for a re-issue. Exhausted pages, a change of address, a changed name or a damaged booklet are all reasons in their own right, and each one is a re-issue.
What to attach, by reason
Two rules run through every row below. First, you always carry the old passport in original, with a self-attested photocopy of its first two and last two pages, the ECR or non-ECR page, any page of observation made by the passport office, and the validity extension page if it is a short validity passport. Second, proof of present address is needed only if your address has changed since the old passport was issued.
| Your reason | Besides the old passport |
|---|---|
| Expired, or about to expire — within the window | Nothing, unless your address changed |
| Expired more than three years ago | The out-of-turn issuance documents, if post-issuance verification is required |
| Pages exhausted — an additional booklet | Nothing, unless your address changed |
| Renewal of a short validity passport | Proof of the documents that remove the reason the short validity passport was issued |
| Serving government, public sector or statutory body employee | A no objection certificate (Annexure G) and a prior intimation letter (Annexure H) |
| Retired government official | The pension payment order |
| Student going abroad, up to ten years from expiry | Proof of going abroad to study — admission letter, visa application copy or bank loan papers |
| Damaged, but number readable, name legible, photo intact | Proof of date of birth, and an affidavit on how it was damaged (Annexure F) |
| Lost, stolen, or damaged beyond recognition | See the section below — this one is different |
Changing a name, a date of birth or an address
Anything printed in the passport is changed the same way: by re-issue. A passport entry is never corrected by an endorsement in the booklet — even a clerical error, which the passport authority can rectify, comes back to you as a new passport.
| The change | Besides the old passport |
|---|---|
| A woman changing her name or surname after marriage | An attested marriage certificate from the Registrar of Marriage, or a joint photo declaration signed by both spouses (Annexure J) |
| Divorced or separated — changing a name, or deleting a spouse's name | The divorce order or decree, if divorced |
| Re-married — changing a name or a spouse's name | A marriage certificate or Annexure J, plus the death certificate or divorce certificate of the first spouse |
| Minor change of name — a spelling that does not change how the name sounds | Nothing |
| Major change of name | Clippings of two local newspapers or the state gazette notification, and two public or school documents in the new name |
| Name change for a government or public sector employee | The departmental gazette notification, and a fresh identity certificate in the changed name |
| Change of sex | A sworn affidavit, and certification from the hospital |
| Change of appearance | A recent photograph showing the current appearance |
| Change or correction of date of birth | Proof of date of birth |
| Change or correction of place of birth | An affidavit and proof of place of birth, plus a magistrate's order where the change crosses a state or country |
| Change of address | Proof of the new address |
| Change in signature | Nothing |
| Adding a spouse's name | A marriage certificate or Annexure J |
| Change of a father's or mother's name | Their passport in the changed name if available, or proof they changed it — service record, pension order, property documents |
| Deleting ECR | Documentary proof of a non-ECR category |
Only one name change is allowed under the ordinary procedure. A further complete change of name needs two documentary proofs that the name was actually changed — a woman adding her husband's surname, or anyone adding a father's surname, is not counted against that.
No marriage certificate at all? The joint photo declaration in Annexure J is the alternative, signed by both spouses. A 2016 rule in the Ministry's own compendium goes further and says no proof of marriage or dissolution is required in these cases; the current instruction booklet still lists the certificate or Annexure J, so carry one of them.
If the passport is lost or stolen
This is the one case that behaves like a fresh application. You attach:
- The police report in original
- An affidavit stating how and where the passport was lost or damaged — Annexure F
- Proof of present address, in every case, not only if you moved
- Proof of date of birth
- A self-attested photocopy of the old passport's first two and last two pages, including the ECR page, if you have one
- The other documents a fresh passport would need, as your case requires
A lost or stolen passport cannot ordinarily go under Tatkaal: the loss-of-passport procedure has to run first, though a passport office may accept one where the police verification report on record is clear and carries a photograph. Police verification is also required here — a re-issue in lieu of a lost passport is one of the two exceptions to the usual no-verification rule, the other being a complete change of name.
This is also why the photocopy matters. Keep a scan of the first two and last two pages of your passport somewhere you can reach from a phone, because that copy is the difference between a straightforward case and a slow one.
What a re-issue costs
| Service | Fee | With Tatkaal |
|---|---|---|
| Re-issue, 36 pages, applicant 18 or above | ₹2,500 | ₹5,000 |
| Re-issue, 60 pages, applicant 18 or above | ₹3,500 | ₹6,000 |
| Re-issue, 36 pages, minor below 18 | ₹1,750 | ₹4,250 |
| In lieu of a lost or damaged passport, 36 pages, 18 or above | ₹5,000 | ₹7,500 |
| In lieu of a lost or damaged passport, 36 pages, minor | ₹4,250 | ₹6,750 |
| In lieu of a lost or damaged passport, 60 pages | ₹6,000 | ₹8,500 |
These are the rates in Schedule IV of the Passports Rules as substituted with effect from 1 July 2026, and the Tatkaal column is the total payable, not an amount to add. The 10% discount for minors up to 8 and senior citizens above 60 applies to fresh applications only — expressly not to a re-issue. At a Passport Seva Kendra the fee is paid in cash; a District Passport Cell takes a demand draft in favour of PAO-MEA.
Police verification, and when the passport arrives
In most re-issue cases there is either no police verification or only post-issuance verification, depending on the records the passport office holds. The exceptions are a re-issue in lieu of a lost passport and a complete change of name. The Ministry's compendium adds that a change of name or other particulars is processed with verification before issuance, that a substantial change of appearance is treated the same way while a minor one is verified afterwards, and that every minor's application — fresh or re-issue — is pre-verified unless it is filed under Tatkaal.
| Application | Verification | Passport expected |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | Not required | 3rd working day after submission |
| Normal | After issuance | 3rd working day, without waiting for the police report |
| Normal | Before issuance | Within 3 working days of a recommendatory police report |
| Tatkaal | Not required | 1 working day after submission |
These are the timelines Passport Seva states it expects, not a guarantee. A police report that is not recommendatory stops the clock.
Tatkaal on a re-issue
Tatkaal needs no proof of urgency, and verification always happens after the passport is issued. It costs ₹2,500 more. But six re-issue cases cannot use it at all:
- Renewal of a short validity passport
- A lost, stolen or badly damaged passport
- A major change of name
- A change of sex
- A change in signature
- A change of a father's or mother's name
A damaged passport may be taken under Tatkaal for a first damage, or where the booklet itself is at fault — a cover coming away, stitching giving out — but not where the photograph is beyond clear recognition, unless two or more valid photo identity documents are produced.
Where to apply
Apply online at passportindia.gov.in (Passport Seva), pick Re-issue, pay, and book an appointment. Then go to a Passport Seva Kendra or Post Office PSK: they handle every passport service. A District Passport Cell, Speed Post Centre or Citizen Service Centre accepts fresh applications only, so a re-issue cannot be submitted there at all. Carry the originals — they are checked and returned at the counter — with a self-attested photocopy of each.
A child's passport, and the ECR trap at 18
A passport issued below 15 runs for five years or until 18, whichever is earlier; between 15 and 18 you can choose a full ten-year passport or one valid until 18, and the fee differs. When a child who held a short validity passport applies for a re-issue after turning 18, documents proving a non-ECR category have to be submitted — otherwise the new passport is stamped ECR.
- For an adult, the photograph is captured at the centre — nothing to upload
- A passport-size photo is needed for a minor's application and for certain annexures
- Taking a job abroad? Check what ECR means for you — see ECR passport and emigration clearance
Mistakes that cost people a second appointment
- Waiting for the passport to expire. You can apply any time in the ten years before expiry, and waiting past three years after it turns an easy case into a harder one.
- Photocopying only the first and last page. The booklet asks for the first two and last two pages, plus the ECR page and any observation page.
- Bringing an address proof you did not need — and not the one you did. It is needed only if you moved, but if you moved it is not optional.
- Expecting the senior citizen discount. The 10% is for fresh applications only.
- Booking at a District Passport Cell. Those take fresh applications only.
- Assuming an old error can be endorsed. A wrong spelling or date is fixed by re-issue, not by a correction in the same booklet.
Frequently asked questions
How early can I renew my passport?
At any point in the ten years before expiry — a passport does not have to be close to expiring. Applying within that window, or within three years after expiry, needs no fresh police verification if the report on your previous passport was clear and there is no adverse entry.
What documents are needed to renew a passport?
The old passport in original, with a self-attested photocopy of its first two and last two pages, the ECR page and any observation page. Proof of present address is needed only if your address has changed. Other reasons — a changed name, a damaged booklet, a lost passport — add documents of their own.
My passport expired four years ago. Can I still re-issue it?
Yes. A passport that expired more than three years ago is its own case in the booklet: the same documents, plus the out-of-turn issuance documents where post-issuance police verification is required — any three from a list that includes Aadhaar, voter ID, PAN and a driving licence.
How much does a passport re-issue cost?
₹2,500 for a 36-page booklet if you are 18 or above, ₹3,500 for 60 pages, and ₹1,750 for a minor. Tatkaal costs ₹2,500 more. Replacing a lost or damaged passport costs more: ₹5,000 for an adult 36-page booklet. There is no senior citizen discount on a re-issue.
Do I need police verification again?
Usually not. Most re-issue cases need either no verification or verification after the passport is issued. A re-issue in lieu of a lost passport and a complete change of name are the exceptions, and a change of name or other particulars is verified before issuance.
My passport was stolen abroad — what do I attach?
The police report in original, an affidavit in Annexure F on how and where it was lost, proof of address, proof of date of birth, and a photocopy of the old passport's first two and last two pages if you have one — along with the other documents a fresh passport would need.
Can I change my name and renew at the same time?
Yes — a change of name is itself a re-issue. A woman changing her surname after marriage attaches the marriage certificate or a joint photo declaration in Annexure J. Only one name change is allowed under the ordinary procedure.
Where do I submit a re-issue application?
At a Passport Seva Kendra or Post Office PSK, after applying and booking an appointment on passportindia.gov.in. District Passport Cells, Speed Post Centres and Citizen Service Centres accept fresh applications only.
General information, not legal advice — and ToolGalli is not affiliated with any government department. Document lists, fees and timelines change; confirm the current position on Passport Seva before you apply.