23 Nov 2023  |   06:37am IST

Birth certificate to be sole proof of birth by Passport Offices

Tampering with birth date on Aadhaar card has triggered this decision

Team Herald

PANJIM: Aadhaar Card will now no longer be accepted as proof of date of birth by Passport Offices, and only birth certificate shall be the proof of date of birth, for making passports.

Goa Passport Officer Nijo Varghese told O Heraldo that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), New Delhi has now decided not to accept Aadhaar card as a document of proof of age while applying for passports. The notification in this regard is likely to be issued soon.

Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had permitted use of Aadhaar Card as a document to prove applicant’s date of birth. As per the new passport rules enacted few years ago, instead of birth certificate which was mandatory, Aadhaar Card was accepted as proof of date of birth of the person applying for passport.

Though this decision was found benefitting the people applying for passports, it was found that few misused it.  

Also documents such as PAN card, driving licence, voter ID cards, LIC policy and matriculation certificate was also accepted for making passports. But now only birth certificate shall the proof of date of birth for making passports.

It is reliably learnt that the decision not to accept Aadhaar card as proof of date of birth has been taken following incidents of huge mismatch between the age mentioned in the Aadhaar card and the physical appearance of the applicant.