Passport

Delhi court orders charges against Sushil Ansal in false passport case

A Delhi court has ordered framing of charges against the Uphaar fire tragedy convict Sushil Ansal in a separate case for allegedly concealing criminal cases and submitting false declarations to renew a passport. Ansal was booked by the crime branch of Delhi Police in 2019, and he was accused of furnishing false information, as he failed to declare his conviction in the 1997 Uphaar cinema fire tragedy. Chief Judicial Magistrate Shriya Agrawal of Patiala House Courts, in a November 28 order, held that "prima facie, there is sufficient material" to proceed against Ansal for offences under Sections 420 (cheating), 177 (furnishing false information to a public servant), 181 (making false statement on oath) IPC and Section 12 (offenses related to passports) of the Passports Act, relisting the matter for formal framing of charges on January 13, 2026. The court said Ansal "has consciously concealed the details of criminal cases pending against him as also the order of conviction" in the swo

Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu rebuffs Chinese claims over traveller row

India has lodged a strong demarche after an Arunachal-born Indian citizen was held for hours at Shanghai Airport, prompting China to deny harassment and reiterate its territorial claims

Datanomics: India's passport weakens again as global mobility divide widens

India's passport strength stagnates at 57 visa-free destinations, even as China and high-income nations widen their global travel reach, the 2025 Henley Index shows

Trump-effect: US slips from top 10 in Henley Passport Index after 20 years

Henley Passport Index Updates: For the first time in 20 years, the US passport has slipped out of the world's top 10, with Singapore, South Korea and Japan leading the 2025 ranking

No passports, no study abroad: China limits public employees' travel

Across China, similar warnings are spreading as the authorities tighten control over state employees' contacts with foreigners

AgustaWestland case: Delhi HC eases bail terms for Christian Michel James

Delhi High Court eases bail conditions for Christian Michel in the ₹3,600-crore AgustaWestland money laundering case, allowing cash surety and deferring passport deposit due to expiry

Chip-based passports now in India: How it works | MEA | e-passports | Passport application

You’re about to witness a big tech upgrade that’s going to change the way you travel. We’re talking about India’s very own e-passports!

Supreme Court orders release of YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia's passport

The bench directed the release of Ranveer Allahbadia's passport, noting that investigations in the FIRs filed against him in Maharashtra and Assam have been completed

SC says probe against Allahbadia over, to hear passport plea on Apr 28

The Supreme Court on Monday observed the probe in relation to podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia was complete and said it would on April 28 hear his plea for the return of his passport in a case of distasteful remarks in a YouTube show. On February 18, the top court protected Allahbadia from arrest in multiple FIRs filed over his comments during a YouTube show and directed him to deposit his passport with the investigating officer of Police Station Nodal Cyber Police, Thane. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh said it would consider Allahbadia's plea on April 28. During the hearing, solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for Assam and Maharashtra police, said in the Guwahati FIR, the statement of one co-accused would be recorded whereas investigation was complete in relation to the FIR in Mumbai but a chargesheet was yet to be filed. The bench recorded Mehta's statement and observed the investigation qua Allahbadia was complete. The top court on March 3 allowed Allahb

Passport server crash causes nationwide chaos, cancelled plans, long delays

A nationwide passport server crash left thousands stranded, cancelling urgent travel plans and overwhelming centres with delays, confusion, and zero communication

Using forged passport may lead to 7 yrs in jail under new immigration Bill

Anyone found using a forged passport or visa for entering, staying or exiting India will be punished with a jail term of up to seven years and a fine to the extent of Rs 10 lakh if the new immigration bill is approved by Parliament. The legislation, piloted by the Union Home Ministry, also provides for mandatory reporting of information about foreigners by hotels, universities, other educational institutions, hospitals and nursing homes to enable tracking of overstaying foreigners. All international airlines and ships will also be required to submit at a port or place in India the passenger and crew manifest, the advance information of passengers and crew on board of such aircraft, vessel or other mode of transport. "Whoever knowingly uses or supplies a forged or fraudulently obtained passport or other travel document or visa for entering into India or staying in or exiting from India, shall be punishable with an imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than two years, but m

Beyond Vanuatu: Countries where rich Indians can easily get a new passport

Caribbean nations are the most popular choice among wealthy Indians, particularly those looking for tax advantages

Lalit Modi seeks to surrender Indian citizenship, secures Vanuatu passport

India has been pursuing legal proceedings against Modi for over a decade, seeking his extradition on charges of tax evasion and financial irregularities

New passport rules: Everything you need to know before applying

Planning to apply for a passport? The Indian government has introduced new rules you need to know! From birth certificate requirements to address proof changes, we break it all down for you.

New passport rules: Birth certificate to parent's name, here's what changes

New passport rules make birth certificates the only accepted proof of date of birth for individuals born from October 1, 2023, onward

Govt plans Rs 5 lakh fine, up to 5 yr jail for illegal entry under new bill

Stricter measures for foreign nationals entering India are part of the Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025, set to be introduced in the Lok Sabha

Henley Index: Singapore's passport is world's strongest, India at 80th spot

Singaporean passport holders enjoy visa-free access to 193 out of 227 destinations worldwide, placing the country at the top of the list

India's ranking drops to 85th in Henley Passport Index, Singapore tops

India's ranking has dropped by five points to 85 this year in a global passport index, topped by Singapore for the second consecutive year. The data draws from Henley Passport Index released by citizenship advisory firm Henley & Partners on Wednesday. "With historical data spanning 19 years, the Henley Passport Index is the only one of its kind based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA). The index includes 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations," according to its website. The index is considered the standard reference tool for global citizens and sovereign states when assessing where a passport ranks on the global mobility spectrum, it said. As per the index for 2025, India stands at 85th while the ranking of Pakistan and Bangladesh stood at 103rd (101st in 2024) and 100th (97th in 2024), respectively. India's ranking in the Henley Passport Index for 2024 was 80th globally. According to a data chart available on the firm's

Visa-free countries for Indians: From Americas to Africa, here's the list

As of 2024, Indian passport holders have visa-free access to 58 destinations around the world

What is stopping govt from cancelling Revanna's passport, asks Congress

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh on Saturday asked the government what is stopping it from cancelling the diplomatic passport of suspended JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, who is accused of sexual abuse. The 33-year-old Hassan MP reportedly flew to Germany soon after the Karnataka State Commission for Women chairperson Nagalakshmi Chowdhary wrote to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to order a probe into the sexual allegations against him after scores of explicit videos and pictures went viral on social media. In a post on X, Ramesh questioned how Prajwal was allowed to escape. "What is stopping the PM from having the diplomatic passport to Prajwal Revanna cancelled? How and why was he allowed to flee the country like Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, and Mehul Choksi were?" the Congress leader asked. Prajwal, the grandson of Janata Dal (Secular) patriarch and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, has been accused of sexual assault after several videos allegedly featuring him with multiple wome