Birth certificates are mandatory for new Indian passport applicants

The Indian government has amended the Passports Rules to make birth certificates issued by the Registrar of Births and Deaths, a municipal corporation, or any other authority the only proof of date of birth for passport applications by those born since October 2023.

According to the Passports (Amendment) Rules of 2025, which will come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette, only birth certificates “issued by the Registrar of Births and Deaths or the Municipal Corporation or any other authority, empowered under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969” can serve as proof of date of birth for persons born on or after October 1, 2023.

Following the amendment, however, those born before October 1, 2023, can submit other documents as proof of date of birth.

These include transfer or school leaving or matriculation certificates issued by recognised schools or recognised educational boards with the applicant’s date of birth; Permanent Account Number (PAN) Card issued by the income tax department; copy of an extract of the service record of government employees or pay pension order of retired government employees, duly attested or certified by the officer-in-charge of the administration of the concerned ministry or department; a driving licence issued by the transport department of a state; election photo identity card issued by the Election Commission of India; or policy bond issued by the Life Insurance Corporations of India or public companies.