|
Passport Services
Please note that we have outsourced our Passport Services to our outsourcing agents, VFS Global. You are required to contact them directly for depositing your forms and fees. All your queries may also be directed to their staff. Their office addresses, timings, phone numbers and e-mail address can be found by clicking here. In addition to the fee mentioned on this page, you will be required to pay processing fee to VFS Global separately. Please consult them about the total cost and the exact procedure for remitting the fee.
GENERAL
Your Indian Passport is a valuable document. It should always be either in your own custody or in the custody of a person duly authorized by you. If lost or destroyed, the fact and circumstances should be immediately reported to the nearest Mission and to the local police.
We suggest that you keep photocopy of your Indian Passport in a safe place, separate from the passport. The photocopy should include the pages showing the personal particulars, validity of the passport, date/place of issue as also the stamp of departure from India, entry in Canada and visa issued by the Canadian authorities. Best would be that you take a computer scan of the Passport and e-mail the scanned copy to yourself. This way it will be available to you at all times and at all places.
Your Indian Passport establishes your identity in a foreign country. Hence it is IMPORTANT to have it re-issued before the date of expiry. The passport can be submitted for re-issue up to one year before the date of expiry.
All minors are required to have a separate passport. Old practice of including a child’s name in the Passport of either of the parents has been discontinued.
On acquiring Canadian nationality, the Indian passport should be submitted to the nearest Indian High Commission/Consulate for cancellation. It is returned to the holder after cancellation. Use of Indian Passport for travel to India after acquiring any foreign nationality is an offence and invites penalty. After acquiring Canadian citizenship, you do not remain an Indian citizen and need Indian visa to visit India.
There is a difference between Re-issue and Renewal of a passport. Passports are Re-issued after the expiry of their 10-year validity period. In case you were issued a Short Validity Passport (i.e. a passport with validity of less than 10 years), it can be renewed to extend its validity for a period up to 10 years from the date of issue. The Passport number does not change as the booklet remains the same. Only an entry is made in the passport extending its validity date. In the case of Re-issue of Passport, a new booklet is issued and your Passport number changes. A Passport which has completed its life of 10 years cannot be renewed.
It is an offence under the Passport Act, 1967 to knowingly furnish false information or suppress material information. Passport facilities can be denied on grounds of suppression of factual information, submission of false particulars, wilful damage, tampering of official documents or entries or transferring of passport.
Passport Service to Refugees
No Passport Services (and many other services such as OCI card or PIO card) are rendered to refugees or asylum seekers. Any Indian citizen who has sought refuge in any country on political or any other considerations (such as humanitarian or compassionate grounds) is not entitled to have his Indian Passport re-issued, renewed, or freshly issued. This is so as there is no reason for citizens of India to take "refuge" in a foreign country in view of excellent political, economic, social and financial opportunities available to citizens in India. Therefore, cases which have been or are being considered for Permanent Residency in Canada on political asylum or humanitarian/compassionate considerations (known as CR and HC class of cases) will not be given Indian Passport. However, such persons, for the purposes of returning to India, may apply for Travel Document through Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). They will be issued an Emergency Certificate (EC) which will be handed over to them at the time of departure from Canada at the airport by an officer of the CBSA. The EC is good for one-way travel from Canada to India. Please note that EC is not a Passport and is not valid for normal international travel. Also please note that an EC will have a note written thereon that it is being given due to the fact that holder had taken refuge in Canada. In India also, Passport facility may be denied to such a person, depending on the circumstances in which he was given the EC.
PROCESSING TIME
Issue of a Passport requires 6 to 8 weeks of processing time. All new passports have to be Machine Readable Passports (MRPs) as distinguished from hand written Passports which were being issued in the past. The MRPs are printed at the central printing facility in New Delhi on first-come-first-serve basis; and thereafter received at this High Commission in Ottawa by post for onward despatch to the applicants. Therefore, it is not possible for us to reduce the processing time. We request the applicants to be patient after submitting their application. We would not be able to respond to requests to expedite issue of Passport as we attend to applicants on first-come-first-serve basis.
There is no provision for Emergency Processing of Passport.
FEE SCHEDULE
Fee once paid is not refundable. In addition to the fee mentioned below, you will be required to pay processing fee to our outsourcing agents, VFS Global. Their office addresses, timings, phone numbers and e-mail address can be found by clicking here. Please consult them about the total cost and the exact procedure for applying and for remitting the fee.
1. The ordinary passport booklet containing 36 pages with a maximum validity of 10 years (no extra fee will be charged for renewals up to ten years if initial validity is less) = C$ 65
2. Passport booklet containing 60 pages = C$ 85
3.Change in address, inclusion of spouse's name, surname, date/place of birth, change of name, etc in the passports = C$ 20
4. Passport of children below 18 years = C$ 45
5. Lost/damaged passport (fee with fine) = C$ 255
RE-ISSUE OF PASSPORT
For Re-issue of Passport, you will need following documents:
* The application form (Click here) duly filled and complete. Please ensure that two specimen signatures of the applicant are affixed in the boxes provided and in the declaration column at Para 26.
* Existing Passport with one photocopy of first and last page.
* Three identical recent colour photographs (3.5 cm x 3.5 cm) not more than six months old, showing frontal view of full face against a light background.
* If the applicant is a landed immigrant, copy of the Record of Landing /Permanent Resident card, with one photocopy of both sides of card (original documents will be returned to the applicant within 10 working days after verification by the officer of the High Commission of India).
* If applicant is not a Permanent Resident, the original current immigration documents, i.e. work permit/student identity etc. has to be shown and one copy of both sides of the document submitted. If the applicant is a student, details of education institution along with period of stay is required. In case of work permit holder, details of employer and period of employment is required.
Additional requirement in cases for re-issue of Passport when the existing passport has expired:
* If the Indian passport expired within last one year, the applicant will be required to give a written, signed explanation why a new passport was not obtained in time. He should also declare in writing that he has not acquired foreign nationality.
* If the Indian passport had expired more than one year ago, a Search letter from Canadian Authorities certifying that the applicant has not acquired Canadian citizenship will be required. See the link http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/search.asp for more details.
* If the Indian passport had expired more than 3 years ago, the case is taken as a Fresh Issue of Passport. This involves fresh police verification from India. The process involves processing by multiple authorities and may take about 3 - 4 months to complete. A Search letter from Canadian Authorities certifying that the applicant has not acquired Canadian citizenship will also be required. See the link http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/search.asp for more details.
In all cases of re-issue of Passport when the appearance of the applicant has changed, a notarised affidavit mentioning change in appearance and personal interview with Consular officer is mandatory.
DUPLICATE PASSPORT IN LIEU OF LOST / DAMAGED PASSPORT
In case you have lost or damaged your passport, you will need to submit following document in addition to the documents required in a normal re-issue case:
* Photocopy of lost/damaged passport and/or the Passport number, if available.
* Police Report about the loss of passport
* If the applicant is a landed immigrant, copy of the Record of Landing /Permanent Resident card, with one photocopy of both sides of card (original documents will be returned to the applicant within 10 working days after verification by the officer of the High Commission of India).
* If the applicant is not a landed immigrant, copy of any other immigration document such as Visa, Work Permit, Student permit.
* Signed statement on how the applicant left India and came to Canada.
* Copy of the any local photo identity card.
Please note that issuance of duplicate passport in lost/damaged passport cases depends on clearances from various authorities and your case may take 8 to 10 weeks to process.
NEW PASSPORT FOR A CHILD BORN IN CANADA TO PARENTS HOLDING INDIAN PASSPORTS
In such cases, the child can acquire Canadian citizenship due to his place of birth being Canada. In case parents wish to obtain Indian passport for the child, birth registration with the Indian Mission is required before applying for passport for the newborn. Both the parents should sign a declaration of non-acquisition of Canadian nationality by the child and consent to issue of Indian passport to the child.
You will need to submit Application Form (Click here) duly filled in and countersigned by both parents. Copy of the record of landing or immigration document/PR card of the child and the parents would be needed. Also submit a copy of the birth certificate of the child showing the names of the parents. Personal appearance of the child may be required in some cases. Please also see the requirement for a normal Passport Re-issue case given above.
CHANGE OF NAME/SURNAME OF WOMEN IN PASSPORT CONSEQUENT TO MARRIAGE/DIVORCE
Please note that for change of name after marriage, Marriage Certificate (if issued from India) attested by the Consular Division of the Ministry of External Affairs, Patiala House, New Delhi is required. The High Commission of India, Ottawa cannot attest Marriage Certificates issued from India.
Following documents are required:
* Application form (Click here) duly filled in.
* Old passport with a photocopy.
* Three identical, recent colour photographs (3.5 cm x 3.5 cm), showing frontal view of full face against a light background.
* Declaration for non-acquisition of foreign nationality.
* Original marriage certificate attested by the Consular Division of the Ministry of External Affairs, Patiala House, New Delhi. Original will be returned and a copy retained.
* Divorce papers along with a photocopy, if applicable.
* Sworn Notarised Affidavit by the applicant mentioning about change in name.
* Husband's passport.
* Original landing record or immigration paper with a photocopy.
CHANGE OF NAME – OTHER CATEGORIES
In all other cases of change of name/surname in the passport, inserting advertisements in two English newspapers – one in local area where the applicant is residing and another in the area of permanent residence in India – is compulsory. After 30 days of the advertisements, following documents should be submitted:
* Application form for new passport, duly filled in.
* Old passport with a photocopy.
* Three identical, recent colour photographs (3.5 cm X 3.5 cm), showing frontal view of full face against a light background.
* Declaration for non-acquisition of foreign nationality.
* Sworn notarised Affidavit by the applicant about change in name.
* Original clippings of advertisements inserted in the newspapers.
* Original landing record or immigration paper with a photocopy.
A new passport will be issued to the applicant giving his new name.
MISCELLANEOUS PASSPORT SERVICES
(Change in address, change in date/place of birth, etc.)
Duly filled in Passport Application form (Click here)
Original landed paper or immigration document, with a photocopy.
Document in support of the change required. In case of change in date/place of birth, an Order of a First Class Magistrate from India is required.
The fee is – C$ 20
|
