Documents Required for Indian Passport Renewal in USA

To renew an Indian passport in the USA, the documents required are your original passport plus color copies of specific pages, a notarized copy of your U.S. legal status document, a notarized proof of your U.S. address, the printed online application, a notarized Annexure E self-declaration, a notarized affidavit for change of appearance and signature, two ICAO-standard color photographs, and the applicable fee. VFS Global processes every application on behalf of the Indian Embassy and consulates, and a missing notarization or wrong photo standard on any single item is enough to send the whole package back.

Your Original Passport and Photocopies

Send the current Indian passport itself, together with color photocopies of the first five and last two pages, which carry your biographical data, photo, and family details.¹ The original travels with the application and comes back to you along with the new booklet, which means you will not have a valid passport during the six to eight weeks of standard processing.

Proof of U.S. Legal Status

Consular officers verify that you are lawfully present in the U.S. before issuing a new passport. Submit a color photocopy of the document that fits your status, notarized with a stamp and signature.² Acceptable documents include:

Green Card, front and back, in color.
Valid visa stamp in your passport for H-1B, L-1, F-1, and other non-immigrant categories.
Employment Authorization Document (EAD), front and back.
I-797A Approval Notice, if your visa was recently approved or transferred.
Expired visa with pending extension: submit the expired visa together with the I-797A approval notice and the I-797C receipt notice showing the extension was filed on time.¹

A plain photocopy without a notary stamp is the single most common reason applications come back.

Proof of U.S. Residential Address

Your address decides which consulate has jurisdiction, so VFS checks it carefully. Submit a color, notarized copy of any one of the following:²

Driver’s license, front and back, in color.
State ID card, front and back, in color.
Utility bill (gas, electricity, or water) dated within the last three months.
Landline telephone bill dated within the last three months.
Rental lease agreement, month-to-month or current annual.
Home mortgage statement or income tax return.

P.O. Box addresses are not accepted, and the name and address on the document must match your online application exactly. If the permanent Indian address printed in your current passport has changed, you will also need supporting documents such as an Aadhaar card or other acceptable Indian address proof to update it. If the Indian address stays the same, the copies of your existing passport pages are enough.³

The Online Application

India no longer accepts paper application forms. Complete the passport application online through the Passport Seva portal by registering an account and working through your personal details, family information, address, emergency contact, and previous passport data. The portal generates a unique Application Reference Number (ARN) that links your online record to the physical documents you mail in.⁴ Print the completed form, note the ARN, and continue on the VFS site to finish the submission.

Annexure E: Self-Declaration

Every adult applicant must complete Annexure E, a declaration on plain paper affirming that you have not acquired citizenship of another country, that you have not been convicted of an offense involving moral turpitude in the past five years, and that no criminal proceedings or warrants are pending against you in India.⁵ Annexure E must be notarized.² False information can result in passport revocation and criminal penalties under the Passports Act, 1967, including up to two years of imprisonment.⁶

Affidavit for Change of Appearance and Signature

Separately from Annexure E, VFS requires a notarized affidavit confirming any changes to your physical appearance or signature since your last passport.⁷ The checklist lists it as mandatory even when nothing has changed, so treat it as a standard part of every renewal package.

Photographs

Include two identical color photos meeting International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards. Photos must be 2 inches by 2 inches (51 mm × 51 mm) with a plain white background and no shadows on the face or background.⁸ Head height from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin should measure between 1 inch and 1⅜ inches (25 mm to 35 mm). Keep a natural expression, and do not wear eyeglasses or uniforms. Most pharmacies and photo kiosks can produce ICAO-compliant photos, but confirm the white background, since U.S. passport photos follow a different standard.

Fees

The total depends on age and booklet size. All amounts below include the passport fee, the $2 Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) contribution, and the $19 VFS service fee:⁷

Adult (18 and older), 36-page booklet: $96 ($75 passport fee + $2 ICWF + $19 VFS fee).
Adult, jumbo 60-page booklet: $121 ($100 + $2 + $19).
Minor under 15, 36-page booklet: $71 ($50 + $2 + $19).
Minor aged 15 to 17, 36-page booklet: $96, the same as an adult.

VFS accepts Visa and Mastercard, along with money orders or cashier’s checks made payable to “VFS Services (USA) Inc.” An online convenience charge of 3.75% applies to card payments. Cash and personal checks are not accepted.⁷

Extra Documents for Specific Situations

The list above covers a straightforward adult renewal. Several common situations add documents on top of it.

Adding a Spouse’s Name

Submit either a marriage certificate or a joint photo declaration signed by both spouses, known as Annexure J.³

Surname or Name Change

Women changing surname after marriage can submit a marriage certificate or Annexure J; after divorce, submit the divorce decree. A full name change requires a notarized affidavit of name change, and for changes unrelated to marriage the authorities may also require a notice published in two newspapers, one in English and one in a regional language.³

Minors Under 18

Both parents (or a legal guardian) must sign Annexure D, a notarized declaration authorizing issuance of a passport to the child, and each parent must provide identification details such as a passport number, Aadhaar number, or other government ID.⁹ Notarized copies of both parents’ U.S. legal status documents must also be included.² A guardian signing in place of a parent must attach the court order making the appointment. A child under 15 receives a passport valid for five years; those aged 15 to 17 receive a ten-year passport at the adult fee.⁷

Lost or Damaged Passport

Apply under the “Re-issue in lieu of lost/damaged passport” category, and use the separate VFS checklist for these cases rather than the standard renewal checklist. Report the loss to the nearest police station and include the written police complaint report; it is mandatory.¹⁰ Complete Annexure F, a sworn declaration describing when and where the loss happened, your travel history on that passport, and whether any earlier passports were also lost.¹¹ A photocopy of the lost passport helps but is not required; you will still need its number, dates of issue and expiry, and place of issue for the application.

Notarization Checklist

Because a single missed notary stamp will bounce the whole package, it helps to line up everything that must be notarized before your visit to the notary:

The color copy of your legal status document (Green Card, visa, EAD, I-797A, or other).
The color copy of your U.S. address proof.
Annexure E, as an original notarized document.
The affidavit for change of appearance and signature, as an original.
An affidavit of name change, if applicable.²
Annexure D, for a minor’s application.

Notaries are available at most banks, UPS stores, and shipping centers, and some mobile services will come to your home. Fees are charged per signature, so getting every document notarized in a single visit is the most efficient approach. Print the VFS checklist for your specific application type, mark off each item, and organize the papers in the order the checklist specifies. All dates on the forms must use the DD/MM/YYYY format, and each family member needs a separate application and checklist.⁷

1
VFS Global. Adult Checklist – Re-issue of Passport
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VFS Global. Re-issue / Fresh of Passport Checklist
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Passport Seva. Document Required for Re-issue of Passport
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Passport Seva. Process to Apply for Fresh / Reissue Ordinary Passport
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VFS Global. Annexure E – Specimen Declaration of the Applicant
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Indian Kanoon. The Passports Act 1967 – Section 12
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VFS Global. Passport Information
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VFS Global. Requirement of Photograph for Passport / VISA / OCI
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Passport Seva. Annexure D – Specimen Declaration by Applicants Parent(s) or Guardian for Issue of Passport to Minor
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Consulate General of India, San Francisco, USA. FAQs on Passport
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Passport Seva. Annexure F – Specimen Declaration of Applicant for Obtaining a Passport in Lieu of Lost/Damaged Passport