Passport may not serve as address proof - Fusion - WeRIndia

So far, passport, one of the vital documents is served as proof of address. But, with the new decision of the External Affairs Ministry, it may no longer serve as a valid proof of address.

This is due to the non-printing of the last page of the travel document which contains address of the holder.

A statement from the Ministry has been released on this issue. The last page of the passport includes details of legal guardian or father, mother and spouse in addition to their address.

But, now the Ministry has decided not to print the last page.

Instead of printing the last page, all passport holders who need Emigration Check Required or with ECR status would be issued a passport with orange passport jacket and the remaining passport holders with non-ECR status would get a blue passport as usual.

A three-member panel has provided these recommendations to the Ministry.

The panel members include officials from the ministry of external affairs, and the ministry of women and child development. These were accepted by the Ministry.

It was decided not to print the last page of the passport and other travel documents issued under the Passports Act, 1967 and Passport Rules, 1980 from here onward.

The panel examined several issues while suggesting the recommendations and considered the requests of single parents and mothers or children who insisted on not mentioning their father on the document. The issues of adopted children are also being taken into consideration.

The new passport booklets would be designed by the Indian Security Press (ISP), Nasik eventually. The passports would continue as usual with the printing of last page till the Ministry get new passport booklets from the ISP.

However, the existing passports which have last page printed would remain valid till their expiry that is printed in the booklet.

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