Is Birth Certificate Mandatory for Passport in India?

Many people asked this common question when applying for a new passport, “is birth certificate mandatory for passport?” Yes, it is mandatory if your date of birth is on or after October 1, 2023, you must submit a birth certificate as proof. As per under Passports Amendment Rules 2025.

For those born before that date, you can still use an Aadhaar card with a full date of birth. School marksheet, PAN card, or voter ID are also accepted if details match. But if anything is missing or shows a mismatch, the RPO may ask for extra proof.

In Tatkal cases, documents move fast only when every detail matches. If Aadhaar shows the full date and your school paper matches, most PSK centres accept it. But if there is a gap or confusion, your file may stop. Police verification can also get delayed.

Some people try with an affidavit on stamp paper. It works only if other papers are strong. If your Aadhaar, PAN, and school record match, RPO may allow it. But if anything is off, they will still ask for a birth certificate. That one paper clears doubt.

When you must show birth proof in passport process

For anyone born on or after October 1 2023, birth certificate is not optional. It is the only accepted document for confirming date of birth. This came from the Ministry of External Affairs under Passports Amendment Rules 2025.

Aadhaar, PAN card, school papers none of these are valid for this group, even if they show full DOB. The certificate must come from the Municipal Corporation or the Registrar of Births and Deaths as per the Registration of Births and Deaths Act 1969.

If the applicant was born before October 1 2023, birth certificate is not always required. An Aadhaar card with a full date of birth usually works if it matches the school leaving certificate. Some PSK counters also clear the file with a PAN card, driving licence, or voter ID if the birth date is clearly printed.

But the moment there is a mismatch say, birth year is different across papers or Aadhaar has no full date RPO flags the file.

In Tatkal cases this happens faster, especially during police verification. Many times the file sits without notice, waiting for stronger proof. That is when an affidavit on stamp paper gets submitted, but even then, it works only if other records match exactly. If there is even one inconsistency, the birth certificate gets asked without delay.

Alternative Documents Accepted During Passport Process

These are alternative documents to a birth certificate for passport application.

Matriculation Certificate

10th class marksheet works if it is from a recognised board and the date is printed, not handwritten. If the name or birth year on it does not match Aadhaar, it holds the file. No second chance if the board stamp or date layout looks unofficial. PSK stops it.

Aadhaar Card

People bring Aadhaar thinking it’s enough. Sometimes it is. But if the card only shows the year, like 1992, and not full format like 18-07-1992, PSK pushes it back. Happens more in Tatkal slots. Even e-Aadhaar printouts get rejected if the date format cuts short. Aadhaar only clears when the DOB is full and matches the school record.

PAN Card

A PAN card is accepted, but only if the full birth date is printed exactly as on other documents. If even one field shows difference—name format, DOB sequence, spacing—the system holds it. RPO checks all fields side by side. If the PAN has any mismatch, they ask for new proof or push the file under review.

Driving Licence

It looks valid. But if the date is unclear, typed wrong, or missing from the front page, PSK staff will not count it. People assume driving licence helps, but most delays happen when this one shows partial data. If it passes, it’s because every other document matched first.

EPIC Voter ID

Printed year is not enough. 1990 is not a date. Voter card only helps if it shows a full DOB. Anything less and PSK cuts it right there. Fastest rejection of all six.

 LIC Policy Bond

Some bring policy papers from LIC with birth date inside. Works when the paper shows issue date and full DOB printed by the company. But if it is missing one—just one line—RPO skips it. Older policies help more. Newer ones with generic printouts rarely get through.

What passport office checks when birth proof is missing

If birth proof is weak or missing, PSK cannot move the file confidently. They do not reject it outright, but the system flags it for deeper check. RPO pulls the file and matches every detail line by line.

• Aadhaar and PAN matched for full date of birth
• Annexure A used to confirm personal identity details
• Annexure E requested when birth certificate is missing
• Police file paused if documents do not match
• School record cross-checked if Aadhaar has partial DOB
• Tatkal files flagged faster with DOB issues
• PSK halts biometric if birth year looks off
• RPO holds file for backend address verification loop
• Application status stays in review until birth proof clears

This happens often. The file looks fine on paper, but one missing birth date or mismatch across fields stops everything. PSK may say nothing, but RPO holds it silently. Only strong document sets move without friction.

How to Apply a New Passport without Birth Certificate

If your birth year is before October 2023 and the certificate is not available, the passport application can still move forward. But only if every supporting document matches clearly. An Aadhaar card must show the full date of birth, not just the year. That date needs to match your school leaving certificate or your PAN card. If one shows 1992 and the other 1991, the RPO will block it.

School records are often accepted when they carry the exact birth date with a board stamp. PAN card is also cleared if the layout matches and no mismatch shows up on the form. But both only work when paired with Aadhaar. The data must hold up together. PSK checks this first.

If the certificate is truly not available, a birth affidavit can be used. It must be signed and stamped by a gazetted officer. The stamp paper must mention the full birth date and your parent’s names. PSK may still ask for a second document like voter ID, especially if anything looks unclear. Tatkal cases face tighter checks.

Some files move with Aadhaar and affidavit alone. Others stay stuck if even one line looks mismatched. RPO officers run the backend match across all papers. When they see birth date gaps or unverified affidavits, they hold the file.

Special cases where birth certificate becomes must

Some passport files do not allow workarounds. These are edge cases. If the system sees missing national records or conflicting details, it does not pass. Only a proper birth certificate clears it.

Minor with no Aadhaar

If a child has no Aadhaar and no digital school record, PSK cannot verify identity from other documents. Birth certificate becomes the primary proof. The file stays incomplete until it is uploaded, stamped, and verified under the 1969 registration act.

Birth outside India with no Indian proof

When the applicant is born outside India and has no document from Indian agencies, the RPO demands an official birth paper. Most of these cases are routed through Indian Mission Abroad, but passport clearance still depends on one valid certificate that proves date and place of birth clearly.

Adopted child without registered birth paper

In adoption cases, if the child has no registered certificate or formal adoption deed, PSK cannot confirm the origin. The passport file enters manual hold. Even with court orders, if the birth date is not officially logged under MEA records, the office requests the original certificate from the issuing body or adoption registration unit.

Tatkal passport flagged during police verification

Tatkal applications are fast, but police verification still triggers when date of birth is unclear. If Aadhaar and PAN mismatch or if the school record is old, the local police station marks the file. RPO then pauses it. The officer often asks for original birth proof to resume the process without error.

In these cases, the system does not give warning. The file looks fine until one document misses the mark. And when that happens, only the birth certificate can pull it back into process.