Page 2 - Passport

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

India, Moldova sign visa waiver pact for diplomatic passports holders

India and Moldova on Friday signed an agreement which after coming into force, will allow diplomatic and official passports holders of either country to travel to the other without a visa, the Ministry of External Affairs said. This agreement will add "further momentum" to the friendly and cordial relations between the two countries, it said. "Pavan Kapoor, Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs of the Republic of India and Ana Taban, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Moldova, on behalf of their respective governments, signed an agreement on visa waiver for diplomatic and official passports, today on 10 May," the statement said. This agreement, after coming into force "will allow holders of diplomatic and official passports of either country to travel to the other, without a visa", it said.

Can govt revoke Revanna's diplomatic passport? Not without a court order

MEA spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, clarified that Prajwal did not seek political clearance for his travel, which is typically required under such circumstances

Prajwal Revanna row: Visa-free entry to 34 nations with diplomatic passport

But a visa is mandatory for Indians in Germany. So, how did Revanna not need one? That's because he holds a diplomatic passport

The world's most powerful passports in 2024: Here is where India stands

The Henley Passport Index data show that worldwide mobility has changed significantly during the previous two decades

Henley Passport Index 2024: What is India's rank among other countries?

World's most powerful passport: The least powerful passport in the world is Afghanistan, which ranked at 104th spot with visa-free access to 28 countries

South Korea launches 'workation' visa for foreigners: All you must know

South Korea 'workation' visa: Foreign nationals with annual income twice as much as South Korea's per capita gross national income will be eligible to apply for the visa

Shortage of lamination paper results in pendency in Pak's passport printing

An acute scarcity of lamination paper, which is used in Pakistani passports and typically imported from France, has resulted in a sharp decline in the issuance of the key travel document in the cash-strapped country, media reports said on Friday. Thousands of Pakistanis, who need the green-coloured book, for travelling abroad for study, work, or leisure are stuck, with no end to their ordeal presently in sight, The Express Tribune newspaper reported. Quoting a senior officer of the passport office in Peshawar, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, the newspaper said, they could presently process only 12 to 13 passports per day as compared to 3,000 to 4,000 passports daily previously. The newspaper also quoted sources in different regional passport offices, who too, it said, were in the dark about a concrete timeline and that People may have to wait for another month or two. However, The Pakistan Observer portal quoted the Interior Ministry sources who said, The order for ...

Lost your passport abroad? Here's how to get back to your country

Losing your passport abroad can be a scary and exasperating experience. The most common way of replacing a lost passport can be a cumbersome exercise, however, it works

Big update: From Oct 1, this one document will hold the key to many

Starting October 1, your birth certificate is not just a piece of paper; it's going digital and becoming the most versatile document you'll ever need. Watch more for the details >