Passport for senior citizens in India

Posted on: Sep 27, 2023 | 3 mins | Written by: HDFC ERGO Team

Passport for senior citizens in India

There can be a lot of reasons for senior citizens to travel abroad. It could be either to meet their children, for medical conditions or to relax after retirement. It is highly recommended to opt for overseas travel insurance, to safeguard your abroad trip. Irrespective of the reason, a senior citizen passport is needed for the same. if you do not already have one or it is up for renewal, here is all that you need to know about it.

Eligibility for senior citizen passport

To be able to apply for a senior citizen passport, an individual must meet the following eligibility criteria.

1. The applicant must be at least 60 years of age and must not be a resident of Jammu and Kashmir.

2. For an applicant from Jammu and Kashmir, they must meet any of the following.

◦ Must be born in Jammu and Kashmir.

◦ Must have a permanent address in Jammu and Kashmir.

◦ Must have a present address in Jammu and Kashmir.

Type of passport form needed

If you want to apply for a senior citizen passport, there isn't a different type of passport application form. The application form is the same as that of an ordinary adult passport. To download the form, you can visit the Passport Seva Kendra website. Downloading the form will allow you to fill it out with ease and without rushing. And once you are done, you can upload the form online.

Alternatively, you can visit a PSK and fill out the form and submit it to get a senior citizen passport.

The passport application process for senior citizens

Passport for senior citizen in India does not have any special procedure or separate type of passport as well. senior citizens are issued a standard passport that is valid for a duration of 10 years. The process of application involves police verification. Also, you must be physically present at the PSK to complete the verification process and it cannot be done by anyone else on your behalf. Here are the steps that you need to follow for the same.

1. Access the official PSK website and create an account.

2. Download the passport application form.

3. Fill out the application form and upload it to the portal.

4. Pay the necessary fees for applying for a new passport or renewing an existing passport.

5. Unlike a standard passport application, senior citizens do not need to book a slot and they can walk into the PSK.

6. Once you complete all the formal processes in the PSK, such as document verifications and biometric data collection, you will be issued with an ARN or Application Reference Number. You can use the ARN for any further communication.

Passport renewal for senior citizens or application for a new passport requires you to visit the PSK. Following are the official working hours of PSKs. You can schedule a visit according to the following. And another important thing to note is that all PSKs are open from Monday to Friday.

Working hours	9:30 am to 4:30 pm
Lunch break	1:30 pm to 2:00 pm
Issuance of token	9:30 am to 4:00 pm

Documents required for senior citizen passport

To apply passport for senior citizen in India, you must submit documents for the following categories.

1. Address proof

◦ Rental agreement

◦ Photocopy of the passbook of a bank account

◦ Aadhar card, Pan card or voter ID card

◦ Telephone bill, water bill, electricity bill, driving licence or gas connection.

2. Age proof

◦ Any proof of date of birth

◦ Matriculation certificate

◦ Pan card, Aadhar card or voter ID card

3. Other supporting documents

◦ Property documents

◦ Pension documents

◦ Income tax assessments

◦ Freedom Fighter identity card

◦ SC, ST and OBC certificate

Senior citizen passport fee

You must be aware of the senior citizen passport fee before you can apply for one. Whether you are applying for a new passport or renewing an existing one, you can avail of a discount of 10% on the passport fee. Thus, the senior citizen passport fee is slightly lower than other adult citizens in the country.

The Senior citizen passport fee for 36 pages is INR. 1,350 and that for a 60-page passport is INR 1,800. However, these charges are only for normal passports.

Senior citizen passport renewal

Passport renewal for senior citizens is a bit lenient as compared to other adults. For starters, senior citizen passport renewal can be done at least a year before the expiry of the current passport. And they can even renew the passport after its expiry, without any penalty.

Passport renewal for senior citizens requires the following documents.

1. The current passport is original along with the self-attested first two and last two pages of the passport.

2. Proof of address for the current address and can be any of the following.

• Telephone bill

• Electricity bill

• Water bill

• Aadhar card

• Rental agreement

• Proof of gas connection

Once the application process is complete and you receive the passport, it is only sensible to opt for a senior citizen travel insurance plan before you plan to travel abroad. The plan will safeguard your trip and protect you from any medical emergencies, loss of baggage, cancellation of trips, accidents or loss of documents as well.

FAQ

1. Is there any benefit of being a senior citizen and applying for a passport?

There isn't any different process for applying for a passport for senior citizens. They must go through the process in the same way as any other ordinary citizen. Also, there aren't any special benefits as far as the application process is concerned.

2. What is the validity of a passport for a senior citizen?

The validity of a passport for a senior citizen is the same as that of a normal citizen, at 10 years. You can either apply for a 36-page passport or a 60-page passport, depending on your travel needs.

3. What documents should a senior citizen submit for a passport?

Senior citizens must submit proof of address, proof of date of birth and any other supporting documents for the passport application process.

4. What is the process of renewing a passport for a senior citizen?

To renew a passport, senior citizens must apply online or visit their nearest PSK and provide the necessary documents for renewal. They must also submit a copy of the application form and pay the necessary fees.

Conclusion

Apart from a concession in the passport fee and the lack of scheduling an appointment, the senior citizen passport process is identical to that of an adult citizen. Above is all the information necessary to apply for a new passport or renew an existing one. Depending on the country that you are flying to, it might be mandatory to apply for travel insurance. Make sure, you buy one before travelling.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purposes only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

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