Alert – Is your passport issued before 2001?

Is your passport issued before 2001? Is your passport handwritten? If yes, you should immediately renew it. International Civil Aviation Organization made it mandatory to machine readable passports across the globe. Passports which are hand written will not be acceptable post November 25, 2015 for issuing Visas to any country. People with passports valid for 20 years will also have to renew their passports.

The process for renewal is the same as when you do if your passport expires: the applicant has to produce the passport to provide details, and can opt for either the normal or tatkal method. The renewal fee for Rs 1,500 for normal service, Rs 3,500 for tatkal service for passport holders above 18 years of age. And for passport holders less than 15 years will have to pay Rs 1,000 for normal service, Rs 3,000 for tatkal. So, check your passport once!