US visa new rules: Collect passport in person or get it delivered for ₹1200

From August 1, 2025, US visa applicants in India must collect passports in person or pay for home delivery, ending third-party pick-up options

Got your US visa approval and want your friend in Delhi to collect the passport for you? You can’t do that anymore. The US Embassy in New Delhi said that from August 1, 2025, passport collection through a third party or representative will no longer be allowed. The embassy said the change is to improve the safety and security of applicants’ passports and documents.

 

Under the new rules, all visa applicants must collect their passports and related documents in person. For those under 18, a parent or legal guardian can collect the passport, but must bring an original consent letter signed by both parents. Scanned or emailed copies will not be accepted.

 

To make things easier for those who cannot visit in person, the embassy is offering a home or office delivery service for ₹1,200 per applicant. This can be booked by updating delivery preferences online.

 

Steps to update your delivery option:

 

• Log in to your profile at https://www.ustraveldocs.com/in/en/

• Click on “Document Delivery Information” on the Visa Application Home page

• Select your name

• Choose the delivery method

• Submit the changes and log out

 

If there is a technical issue, applicants can use the “Feedback/Requests” option in their profile, attaching a screenshot of the error along with the preferred delivery location. The embassy said applicants should not contact the call centre for these updates, but instead check the “Messages” section on the Visa Application Home page or the official website for more information.

 

Before these rules came in, US visa applicants in India could authorise someone else—such as a family member, friend or travel agent—to collect their passport and visa documents from a designated collection centre. The representative only needed an authorisation letter signed by the applicant, a photocopy of the applicant’s government-issued photo ID, and their own valid ID.

 

For minors, there was no requirement for an original consent letter from parents; a signed copy, even if scanned or emailed, was accepted. This meant many applicants did not need to visit the collection point themselves unless they preferred to.