Passport a journey doc, not citizenship proof: Ministry of Exterior Affairs | India Information
2 min learnNew DelhiJun 24, 2026 11:55 PM IST
A PASSPORT is a journey doc, not a proof of citizenship, the Ministry of Exterior Affairs has stated.
Despite the fact that it’s issued solely to residents, it’s not a doc that establishes citizenship, officers clarified on Wednesday.
Earlier this 12 months, in the course of the listening to on the Particular Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the Supreme Court docket stated Aadhaar was not conclusive proof of citizenship, only a doc of identification.
The MEA additionally underlined measures integrated within the new chip-based e-passports, similar to biometric knowledge, to spice up world acceptance and scale back the chance of fraud.
Officers stated the federal government continues to broaden the convenience of companies with over 500 Passport Kendras and supply of 1.5 crore passports and associated companies in 2025.
With six working days for passports, excluding police verification, the time spent at passport seva kendras spans lower than 45 minutes, officers stated.
An MEA official stated for Indians, international locations with visa-free entry stand at 27, a rise from 16 in 2019. “Forty-seven international locations have visa on arrival (coverage) for Indians and 66 international locations provide digital visas for Indians,” the official stated, highlighting a slew of mobility agreements signed with European international locations within the current previous.
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“They (agreements) facilitate simpler mobility of teachers, college students, apprentices, common vacationers and companies. Additionally, create a mechanism for simpler return of unlawful migrants.”
The ministry will quickly organise a two-day Human Useful resource Mobility Discussion board to focus on authorized pathways for migration and facilitate networking between overseas employers and Indian nationals searching for jobs overseas.
Earlier within the day, on the event of the 14th Passport Seva Divas, Exterior Affairs Minister S Jaishankar shared a message on X, noting that the occasion marks the anniversary of the Passports Act, 1967, and serves as a mirrored image on the modernisation of India’s passport infrastructure.
