The Embassy of India in Addis Ababa

Last Updated on July 14, 2014

i) Please go through the guidelines for the various categories of Passport, photograph specifications, requisite documents required for making a Passport application and the fee structure for each type of passport prior to preparing the application for submission. All applicants should submit the application in person for identification (including minors and new born babies).

ii) An ordinary passport is valid for ten years from the date of issue. Passport Issuing Authority may issue passports for a shorter duration. If the passport is issued for a short period for any reason, it can be renewed up to a maximum period of ten years without any additional passport fee. Minors are issued passports for 5 years or up to attaining 18 years, whichever is earlier.

iii) The Passport service asked for should be in the prescribed form and complete in all respects. No column should be left blank or vaguely filled with a dash, tick, etc. All signatures in the application should be using black ballpoint pen. Those who cannot affix their signatures like infants, minors or illiterate should put their thumb impression in the place of signature.

iv) It is an offence under the Passport Act 1967 to furnish false information in the application. Passport facilities would be denied on grounds of suppression of material information, submission of incorrect particulars, willful damage/loss of passport or for unauthorized change/tampering. The Passport can be impounded or revoked for violation of one or more of the provisions of the Passport Act.

v) It is an offence to hold more than one valid passport at a time.

vi) The scale of fees for renewal and various passport related services and various other passport related services, including all kinds of miscellaneous services on passport, are prescribed by Government of India from time to time.

vii) Photographs should be in colour, against a white background in dark color clothes in the size 51 mm X 51 mm. The photograph should have a frontal view, with both ears and chin to forehead being visible. Eyes should be open. There should not be any distracting shadows on the face or on the background. Head coverings are not permitted except for religious reasons, but the facial features from bottom of chin to top of forehead and both edges of the face must be clearly shown. The expression on the face should look natural. Photographs should not be older than 6 months. Applicant with White hair should have photos with blue background.

viii) Passport is a valuable document. It should always be kept either in your own custody or in the custody of a person duly authorised by you. If lost or destroyed, the fact and circumstances should be immediately reported to the nearest Indian Mission/Post and the local police.

ix) Indians holding handwritten passports must apply for Machine Readable Passports as hand written passports will not be honoured on international travel from November, 2015.