A passport, also known as a travel document, is a document issued by the government that gives us the right to travel abroad. It is an identity proof that contains details like Full name, place and date of birth, signatures, photograph, and passport number. It also acts as a piece of evidence to represent us as a citizen of a particular country.
Indian passport according to the HENLEY PASSPORT INDEX 2023 has been rated 85th in the world, which means that people holding Indian passports can travel to 59 countries without the requirement of a visa. A visa in simple words can be defined as permission given by a foreign country allowing the entry of a person into their country.
Who can apply for an Indian passport?
Any person who is a citizen of India can apply for an Indian passport but now the question arises that who is said to be a citizen of India.
So as per The Citizenship Act, of 1955, a person can be a citizen of India by:
- Birth: A person is a citizen of India if he/she is born in India subject to the fulfilment of the provisions of the Indian Citizenship Act
- Descent: A person is a citizen of India if he/she is born outside India but one of his/her parents is in India at the time of birth subject to the condition that all the provisions of the Indian Citizenship Act are fulfilled
- Registration/Naturalisation: A person is a citizen of India if he/she has been granted citizenship by the Ministry of Home Affairs or the Government of India.
A passport is an essential thing and almost all of us would be passport holders, but only some of us would know about the types of Passports that are issued in India.
So now, let us discuss the types of passports that are issued in India. So basically there are 3 types of passports in India, and they come in different colours which are used to differentiate them. The different types and colours of the passport are discussed below:
- Ordinary Passport (Blue colour): This Passport is normally issued to the general public for leisure and business purposes. This kind of passport is generally valid for 10 years in case of adults and for minors, it is valid for 5 years only. The Blue coloured passport is used to differentiate it which other passports with official status and is also used to represent India.
- Diplomatic Passport (Maroon colour): This passport is issued to designated members identified by the Government of India. Indian diplomats and other senior officials use this passport when they travel abroad for official work. The holders of this passport don’t require a visa to travel to any country and also get advantages like enjoying an easier and faster immigration process
- Official Passport (White colour): This passport is issued to public servants or any other person who is specifically authorized by the government to travel abroad for any official work. Officers working at the Indian Administrative Services or Indian Police Services Department are generally issued this passport. Citizens holding this passport are given privileges over others.
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