The government has revised the Passport Rules, 1980, through a gazette notification issued on Friday. The updated regulations, now termed the Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2025, modify the list of documents accepted as proof of birth for passport applications.
Under the new rules, individuals born before October 1, 2023, can submit any one of the following documents as proof of date of birth:
- Birth certificate issued by the municipal corporation
- Matriculation or school leaving certificate
- PAN card
- Service record or pension pay order (for government employees)
- Driving licence
- Voter ID card
- Insurance policy bond from LIC or any other public company, provided it includes the date of birth
However, for those born on or after October 1, 2023, only a birth certificate issued by the Registrar of Births and Deaths, the Municipal Corporation, or any other authority empowered under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 (18 of 1969), will be accepted.
These changes streamline the process and ensure a standardized approach to verifying an applicant’s date of birth.