In order to ease the process of obtaining passports, the Ministry of External Affairs has issued new rules and focused on setting up of many more passport offices across India.

One new rule is the relaxation in mandatory requirement of birth certificates for applicants born after January 26, 1989.

Now, documents like PAN and Aadhaar will be acceptable as proof of birth.

What documents are now acceptable as proof of birth?

Transfer/school leaving/matriculation certificates are now acceptable as proof of birth. Driving license and election photo ID card issued by the EC will also be valid.

Policy bonds issued by life insurance companies will also work.

For government servants, a copy of the extract of their service record can be submitted. Retired government officials can produce their pay pension order attested by the department in-charge.

Providing personal information also made easier

The MEA has also made providing personal information easier. Earlier, names of both parents were needed in the passport application.

Now only one name will do, even of legal guardians.

Sadhus and sanyasis will now be able to name their spiritual leader in the application instead of parents.

Marriage certificate is no more mandatory. Divorced people can choose not to name their former spouse.

Number of mandatory annexes cut down to 9

The number of annexes has been reduced from 15 to nine. While some earlier ones have been removed, others have been merged.

The annexes no longer need to be attested by select officials either. A person can now just submit a self-declaration on plain paper.

For work-related urgent passports, one can submit a self-declaration if they can't get a no objection certificate from their employer.

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