NEW DELHI: All citizens born after October 1, 2023 – the day the amended Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 2023, came into effect – will now be required to mandatorily attach their birth certificate as proof of date of birth while applying for a passport.
However, those born before this cutoff date can still submit alternative documents as proof of birth, as per the Passport (Amendment) Rules, 2025, published in the gazette notification on Friday. Alternative documents transfer or school leaving or matriculation certificate issued by a recognised school last attended of recognised educational board; PAN; service record or pay pension order in case of govt servants; driving licence; electoral photo identity card; or policy bond issued by LIC or public companies. In the past too, a cutoff date was set for mandatory submission of birth certificate – Jan 26, 1989. However, this was done away with in 2016, with Passport Rules amended to enable all applicants to attach as proof of birth any one of the documents listed above with their passport application.
The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act, 2023, provides for use of birth certificate as single document to prove date and place of birth of a person born on or after Oct 1, 2023, for services like issuance of passport, admission to educational institution, issuance of driving licence, preparation of voters’ list, registration of marriage, govt appointments, issuance of Aadhaar number, to enhance convenience and avoid multiplicity of documents to prove date and place of birth in the country.