Child passports
How to get a passport for a child in India
A child's passport needs the child's birth proof, a parent's passport details and a signed parent declaration, and the declaration form depends on whether both parents agree. This guide gives what the official Passport Seva documents state about validity, fees, documents, the declaration forms and Tatkaal for minors, and says what we could not read.
Sourced 23 October 2026. We downloaded and read each official PDF linked below on 23 October 2026. Fees, forms and rules change, so check the Passport Seva portal before you apply. This is a summary, not legal advice.
The steps, as the official booklet gives them
- Choose the service. The booklet says fresh passport if the child has never held one. Tick Normal, or Tatkaal if you need it urgently.
- Leave validity blank for a child under 15. The booklet says minors under 15 leave the Validity Required column blank, and the passport is valid for five years or until the child turns 18, whichever is earlier.
- Give the parents' passport details. The booklet asks for the passport numbers of both or either parent or the legal guardian, and the nationality of any parent who is not Indian.
- Attach the documents. Birth proof, address proof, copies of the parents' passports and the declaration form that fits your case. The table below lists them.
- Sign in the child's box. The booklet says the signature box should hold the minor's signature or thumb impression, and that parents should not sign in it.
Child passport rules from the official documents
One row per topic. Every fact comes from the linked document, read on 23 October 2026.
| Topic | What the official document says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Annexure D | The specimen declaration by the applicant's parent or parents, or guardian, for issue of a passport to a minor, written on plain paper. It carries both parents' signatures, and states that the child is a citizen of India and that the signatories take responsibility for the child's expenses. A legal guardian attaches the court order appointing them. The booklet lists it as document 47, signed by both parents | Annexure D, application booklet, sourced 23 October 2026 |
| Annexure C | The specimen declaration by one parent when the other parent has not given consent, written on plain paper. It lists nine reasons, among them that the other parent lives or is travelling abroad, that the parents are divorced or judicially separated, that a divorce case is pending, that the other parent is wilfully denying consent, or that the other parent has deserted the child. Each reason names its supporting documents, such as a court order or a copy of the other parent's passport. Where the other parent has visitation rights, the form says that parent's consent is also required. The booklet lists it as document 46 | Annexure C, application booklet, sourced 23 October 2026 |
| Annexure H | Not a form for a child. It is the Prior Intimation letter that a government, public sector or statutory body employee gives their employer before applying for their own passport | Annexure H, sourced 23 October 2026 |
| Validity | A minor under 15 gets a passport valid for five years or until 18, whichever is earlier. A minor aged 15 to 18 can apply for a 10-year passport, or for one valid until 18 | Application booklet, sourced 23 October 2026 |
| Fees | Fresh passport or re-issue for a minor under 18, five years or until 18, 36 pages: Rs 1,750. The 10-year 36-page passport, including a minor aged 15 to 18 who wants it: Rs 2,500. The Tatkaal fee is Rs 2,500 in addition to the application fee. A 10% rebate on the basic fee applies to a minor aged 8 or under on a fresh application | Application booklet, fee list, sourced 23 October 2026 |
| Documents | For a minor whose parent holds a valid passport with the spouse name endorsed: proof of address (a parent's passport, first and last page, is accepted), proof of date of birth, an attested photocopy of the passport of both or either parent, and Annexure C or D. A birth certificate issued by the Registrar of Births and Deaths or another empowered authority is the first proof of date of birth listed, and the booklet says it should show the child's name. If it does not, the parents give a declaration on plain paper stating the child's name | Application booklet, documents list, sourced 23 October 2026 |
| Police verification | If either parent holds a valid passport with the spouse name endorsed, the minor's passport is issued without police verification. If neither parent holds a valid passport, it is issued only after police verification. If a parent's passport lacks the spouse name, the parent adds it or shows a marriage certificate | Application booklet, sourced 23 October 2026 |
| Tatkaal | No proof of urgency is required, and post-police verification is done in all Tatkaal cases. The booklet lists categories that cannot use Tatkaal, among them children adopted by Indian parents, children of parents separated but not divorced, a child of a single parent born out of wedlock, a minor with one deceased parent, and minors from Nagaland | Application booklet, sourced 23 October 2026 |
Notes on the table
The booklet is an abridged version of the instructions and points readers to the Passport Seva website for anything in doubt. Its file properties show it was created on 23 June 2026. Its embedded sample forms differ from the standalone Annexure PDFs, so we describe Annexures C and D from the standalone files.
Annexure C also says that not submitting the other parent's consent affects only the issue of the passport, and has no bearing on naming both parents in it.
If one parent cannot sign
Annexure C is the form for this case. Choose the reason that fits, and attach the documents that reason names. For two reasons, where the other parent is wilfully denying consent and where the other parent has deserted the child, the form leaves it to the PIA to decide whether your documents are enough. The booklet lists an application on behalf of a minor from a single parent among complex cases that take approximately 30 days, excluding the day of submission. Ask a Passport Seva Kendra whether that applies to you.
Where to apply
The booklet lists a Passport Seva Kendra, a Post Office Passport Seva Kendra, a District Passport Cell, a Speed Post Centre and a Citizen Service Centre. It says only Passport Seva Kendras offer all services, and that the other centres accept fresh passport applications only. It says a photograph is not required for applications at a Passport Seva Kendra or Post Office Passport Seva Kendra.
What we could not read
The Passport Seva portal pages for fees, FAQs and the Annexures list are built with JavaScript, and they returned only an empty page when we fetched them on 23 October 2026. The Passport Manual compendium PDF would not connect. So we state nothing that rests only on those pages: the rule on whether both parents must attend the Passport Seva Kendra, the biometric visit for infants, the age rule for photographs, and the portal's own fee table. Confirm those on the portal.
Plan the trip
- Going abroad with a child? Check entry rules with the visa-free finder for Indian passport families.
- Total the costs with the family trip budget calculator.
- Pack with the family packing list generator.
- Read family trips abroad from India: entry rules and fees first.
Ula, your AI travel companion, plans and books trips with your OK and remembers how you travel. It is in early access, and you can join the waitlist. The visa finder and the calculator work without it.
What we left out
We left out appointment booking steps, the portal's fee table, the documents for adopted children and children born through surrogacy, and any processing time beyond what the booklet states.
Sources
- Passport Seva, application form instruction booklet: passportindia.gov.in, sourced 23 October 2026
- Passport Seva, Annexure D: passportindia.gov.in, sourced 23 October 2026
- Passport Seva, Annexure C: passportindia.gov.in, sourced 23 October 2026
- Passport Seva, Annexure H: passportindia.gov.in, sourced 23 October 2026
Questions
How long is a child's passport valid in India?
The Passport Seva booklet says a minor under 15 gets a passport valid for five years or until the child turns 18, whichever is earlier. A minor aged 15 to 18 can apply for a 10-year passport or for one valid until 18. Sourced 23 October 2026.
How much is a child's passport fee in India?
The booklet's fee list gives Rs 1,750 for a fresh passport or re-issue for a minor under 18, five years or until 18, 36 pages. Tatkaal adds Rs 2,500, and a 10% rebate on the basic fee applies at age 8 or under on a fresh application. Sourced 23 October 2026.
What is Annexure D for a child's passport?
Annexure D is the specimen declaration by the parents or guardian for issue of a passport to a minor. It carries both parents' signatures, and a legal guardian attaches the court order. Sourced 23 October 2026.
What if one parent will not sign for the child's passport?
Annexure C is the declaration by one parent when the other has not given consent. It lists the reasons and the supporting documents each needs, and says the other parent's consent is also required where that parent has visitation rights. Sourced 23 October 2026.
Is Annexure H a consent form for a child?
No. Annexure H is the Prior Intimation letter that a government, public sector or statutory body employee gives their employer before applying for their own passport. Sourced 23 October 2026.