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You can easily renew your Indian Passport in the USA after 10 years with VFS Global.
A step-by-step process for re-issue of the passport with the Indian embassy in New York, Houston (Texas), Washington DC, Atlanta (Georgia), Chicago (Illinois), SFO (San Francisco, California), and Seattle Indian consulate.
Choose the correct embassy based on your address to avoid rejection.
This article will discuss:
Passport Renewal Process Snapshot
A high-level overview of your journey from application to delivery.
Govt. Application
Create and fill out your application on the official Indian Government Passport Seva website.
VFS Registration
Register on VFS Global, link your application, and pay the mandatory shipping and service fees.
Mail Documents
Gather all physical documents, notarize copies, and mail the package using the provided FedEx label.
Verification
VFS checks your file and forwards it to the Embassy, who may trigger police verification in India.
Passport Printing
Once cleared, the Indian Embassy prints your new passport and hands it back to VFS.
Home Delivery
VFS mails both your new passport and your old (canceled) passport back to your US address.
Processing Time
Timelines depend on where your last passport was issued and the service type you choose.
Last Passport Issued in USA
Standard RenewalLast Passport Issued in India
Requires Police VerificationTatkal Service
Urgent / ExpeditedDocuments Required
Create all affidavits and annexures required for Indian passport renewal in one go with our easy-to-use app.
Indian passport renewal documents
An original and most recent passport is required to be sent. All other OLD passports, if any, are not required.
Recent changes in VFS process in USA required two sets of photos:
- Two Photos of 2×2 inch size for printing on paper
- One digital photo of 35x45mm (630×810 pixel) for uploading on Indian government portal.
You can check how to click and edit photos using your smartphone for Indian passport.
The photo should have a light-gray background and not off-white or white.
You can get passport-size photos online or at Walmart, CVS, or Walgreens.
The passport application form will be provided by the Indian government site for printing. Detailed steps are given below.
Indian embassy requires your education details to decide if an ECR Stamp is required on your passport or not.
We recommended sending a copy of the Highest Educational Qualification Degree like an MCA or MBA. It is not required but there is no harm in sending it.
Check if you need ECNR or ECR.
Professional Visa Filing Service
Your trusted partner for a smooth application process.
Expert Support & Preparation
Get hassle-free visa extension and EAD filing professional support. Includes preparation, printing, photo editing, mailing and RFE preparation.
Fast & Efficient Service
Applications filed within 1-2 days with all documents ready. Emergency filing is also available to meet urgent deadlines.
Passport Photo Assistance
We professionally edit your photos to meet all US visa requirements, including background removal and proper alignment. Photo printing is included.
You can safely opt to get the USA address printed on an Indian passport. There is no harm.
AI Passport & Visa Photos in Minutes!
No studio, no waiting. Get perfectly compliant photos from your phone.
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See how our AI transforms your phone photo into an embassy-ready passport picture!- Rental Lease Agreement (Month to Month is acceptable) OR Home Mortgage bill – Should not have expired at the time of submission. Rental agreement with future start date?
- Any utility bill (Electricity/ gas/ water/ landline telephone bill) – Must NOT be older than 3 months. Home Internet Wi-Fi bills and Mobile bills are NOT accepted.
- Driver’s License OR State ID – Both front and back are required. A Learning / temporary driving license is accepted.
- A US bank statement is NOT valid address proof.
Indian address proof is required if you want to add or change the current Indian Address printed on your passport.
Does the current passport have an Indian hostel as a permanent address?
- Any Indian utility bill (Electricity/ gas/ water/ landline telephone bill) – Must NOT be older than 3 months
- Aadhar Card
- Indian Drivers license
- Recent Bank Statement from Indian Government Bank. The front page is required. It should have an affixed photograph. Check a sample of SBI’s passbook with affixed and stamped photographs here.
A change of appearance form is required. You can either download and fill out the form yourself or use this app to create one.
Everybody’s presence changes a little as you age.
Download the VFS document checklist here. Print and fill it out as you collect documents.
Annexure E affidavit is required and you can get it from the VFS site.
You can also create the same form using this app which validates all your data and offers a full refund if it is rejected by the Indian embassy.
Photocopy of the First 5 pages of YOUR passport along with the last 2 pages. You can use an app-based scanner.
- First page with Photo, then page numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
- Page numbers 34, 35, 36, and the last page with the address.
- Total of 10 pages.
Are you Married and want to add your Spouse’s name to the new passport?
- Include Spouse’s Passport’s front (page with picture) and back page (with address) OR
- Spouse Green Card
- Current Valid US Visa (including dependent Visa) OR
- I-797 OR
- Green card OR
- Employment Authorization Card (EAD) or
- I- 797 approval notice or
- Valid I-20
You can even use the USCIS receipt number copy.
H1B / H4 Extension pending with USCIS? Apply with i797C.
- US Visa – B1/B2 is NOT a valid visa for passport reissue.
- i94 is not valid Proof either.
It is optional. You can send if you want. This is primarily used to take a decision on you ECR/ECNR stamp in the passport.
If your passport was stolen, then you should include the copy of police report and fill Annexure F.
Annexure D is required for the Child’s Indian passport. You can create this affidavit using this app which will validate all the data to make sure it is not rejected by the Indian embassy.
- Annexure D is signed by both mother and father.
- Mother – Current Valid US Visa OR I-797 OR Green card OR Employment Authorization Card or I-797 approval notice.
- Mother – Passport first (Photo) page and last page (address page).
- Father – Current Valid US Visa OR I-797 OR Green card OR Employment Authorization Card or I-797 approval notice.
- Father – Passport first (Photo) page and last page (address) page.
If your current passport was lost or damaged, then you need an Annexure F affidavit too.
Registration Steps – Indian Govt Website
Start your passport application on the Indian government website.
You will need to register for each person separately on this website. We suggest using this website on your laptop or PC as the site is messed up on mobile.
Click the ‘Register’ button and fill in the details.
Verify email to complete registration.
You will be asked to log in again after you have activated your account. Log in again and then this screen will be visible:
Select the option “Apply for Ordinary passport – Application for fresh passport/Re-issue of Passport (Blue cover passport)“
Passport Application Steps – Indian Govt Site
Start the Passport application by filling ‘passport-type‘ section.
These are the sample values that will apply to most people.
These are the sample values that will apply to most people.
- Choose ‘Re-issue of passport‘.
- Choose ‘Change in personal particular‘ and then select ‘address‘ if you are changing your address from India to the US or a different address within the USA. You can select more options if you want to change more things on your passport.
- Choose ‘Validity expired within 3 years/Due to expire‘.
- Select the Type of application as ‘Normal‘ or ‘Tatkal’. Tatkal will have a higher fee than normal.
- Select ‘Type of Passport Booklet‘ as ’36 pages’. Most people only need 36 pages unless they travel a lot and your passport pages get full within a couple of years.
Click next and fill in ‘Applicant details‘. Click next once done.
Once you click ‘Save’, your application is saved and an ‘Application reference number’ (ARN) is generated and shown on top of the current page:
Enter family details like Father, mother, and spouse name.
Spouse name is mandatory if you have selected the marital status as ‘married’.
Your presence at an Indian address is not mandatory. Indian embassy understands that you are physically present outside India.
It is mandatory to provide at least one Indian address in the form. It will be used for police verification. You can give your parent or relative’s Indian address.
You can choose these combinations:
| Passport Print Address | Other Address |
| USA | Indian |
| Indian | USA |
In this example image, we are opting to print a US address on the passport and then providing an Indian address as ‘other address’:
Note:
- Indian mobile number should be valid as someone will call it for police verification.
- Choose the correct Indian police station as per your Indian address to avoid delays in your application.
- Your relative should be able to vouch for you when they call.
- As is expected in most places, they may have to give a nominal amount as ‘chai paani‘ to the police officer. The usual amount that most people have reported to have paid is about INR 1000 to 2000. They expect it as you are earning in Dollars 🙂
We suggest providing details of the person who you know in the USA. You can provide anyone from India too. It’s your choice.
Complete Previous Passport Details, Passport Review steps.
Preview of the new passport’s biometric page. Verify your information and click next.
The last step is to verify all the details and then submit your application. You can make changes before clicking the ‘Submit‘ button.
Your application is locked once you click ‘Submit‘ and changes cannot be made.
Once you have submitted it, you can print the application from the Applicant Home page.
VFS Global Website – Fee Payment & Shipping
VFS’s website and the instructions are half baked and it seems they have been given the contract at the last moment.
The link given on the VFS website will waste your time filling out the form even before registration.
But, the problem is that there is no other way to register either (at least we could not find any).
VFS services are used for postal Envelopes, Payments & shipping of your documents.
Visit the VFS global website and create an application there.
This is also not a mobile-friendly website. So, we suggest using a desktop.
Select the ‘Passport‘ box (Blue color) and then you will see a new form open up:
Click the button ‘Proceed‘.
The total fee for Indian passport renewal is $100+. VFS service fee is also added separately.
Now, once you click the ‘proceed‘ button, you will be asked to register and activate the registration by email. Once you are done, you will have to REDO the whole VFS application. Amazing!
Click ‘Create a new application’.
Enter the details again on this page after logging in to the VFS portal system.
Enter the details again on this page after logging in to the VFS portal system.
Click the ‘proceed’ button and you will be asked to add a customer.
Click ‘Add customer‘ and you will see this screen where you will be asked to once again enter all your information.
Make sure you enter the Indian government website’s ARN number in the ‘Govt reference number’ field:
Click the ‘Submit‘ button.
Many people have complained that they are not able to see the ‘select courier service’ after adding a customer.
Try this as it worked for us:
- Log out and Log in again to the VFS Global portal.
- Click the ‘retrieve incomplete application‘ button (blue color) given on the left-hand side menu.
- Use your registered email (used to register on the VFS site) and click search.
- You should now be able to see the ‘Select courier‘ option on the customer list screen as shown in our next step below.
- If you are still not able to see the ‘select courier service‘ option, then click the ‘Edit‘ link given in the ‘Actions‘ column next to your name list. This should show the courier service option.
You reach the customer list screen.
Note down the VFS reference number. This will be required to search your application if you are automatically logged out.
We recommend VFS’s shipping option. They use FedEx and the cost is $30 for two-way shipping.
If you decide to use your courier service, do not forget to send a pre-paid envelope for return shipping.
- USPS prepaid labels have an expiry date and hence are not accepted by VFS.
- You can use UPS but the prepaid label with UPS Store address is not acceptable.
Click submit.
Enter your mailing address here and not VFS Global’s address.
The USA address on your prepaid shipping label should match the proof of address document submitted.
Click the ‘confirm application’ button and then you will be automatically taken to a payment site named ‘Adyen.com’.
Once the online payment is completed, you can download the shipping labels and send your application package.
Self Attest & Notary
Self attest means that you should sign yourself on the photocopy. No notary is required.
Self-Attestation List
Sign each photocopy in blue or black ink before mailing.
Required for All
If Applicable (Conditional)
What is Self-Attestation? Simply write “True Copy of Original” followed by your signature and the current date on every photocopy.
Signature & Self-Attestation Rules
For the Child:
- Age < 5: Use Thumbprint (Left for Boys, Right for Girls).
- Age 5+: Child must sign/write their name.
- Child must sign/thumbprint all photo-copies too.
For the Parents:
- Self-Attest: Mother signs her copies; Father signs his.
- Mother cannot sign for Father (and vice versa).
- Both parents must sign the Govt Form (Page 4).
Minor Document Checklist
Child’s Documents
- ✅ Passport Copies (1-5 & Last 2)
- ✅ Original Birth Certificate
- ✅ US Visa / GC / I-797 (Color)
- ✅ Annexure D (Notarized)
- ✅ Annexure E (Self-Declaration)
Parents’ Documents
- ✅ Mother’s Passport (Color)
- ✅ Father’s Passport (Color)
- ✅ Mother’s Visa/GC (Color)
- ✅ Father’s Visa/GC (Color)
- All parent copies must be notarized.
Address Proofs
- US Address: Utility bill/Lease in either parent’s name.
- Indian Address: Utility bill/Aadhar in either parent’s name.
Notarization Checklist
Crucial All copies must be Color Photocopies and stamped by a Notary Public.
USA Address Proof
Color copy of Driver’s License or State ID. Both sides required.
Legal Status (Visa/GC)
Color copy of valid Visa, Green Card, or I-797 Approval/Pending notice.
Annexure D (Child)
Minor OnlyMust be signed by both parents in the presence of a Notary.
Change of Appearance
Mandatory for ALL applicants, even if no change occurred.
Yes, it is 100% mandatory. The Embassy requires this affidavit for every renewal to verify your current identity against the old photo in their records.
- Check the box: “My appearance has not changed.”
- Paste paper photo on the form.
- Must be notarized even if no “change” is reported.
Step 3: Package & Mailing Instructions
Assembly Order
- VFS Checklist on top: Tick every box as you go.
- Photos: Paste one photo on the Govt. Form and one on the ‘Change of Appearance’ form. (Do not staple).
- Original Passport: Place your expiring passport in a small paper envelope for extra protection.
Shipping with FedEx
Pick up a FedEx Envelope/Pak (Free) from any FedEx Office. Use the label generated from the VFS portal.
Note: Labels expire 15 days after generation.
Track Your Status
Stage 1
Stage 2
Return shipping is handled automatically by VFS if you paid the fee. No need to send your own return envelope.
Track on VFS SiteRefund
We have documented the process and VFS application refund policy separately here.
FAQ
The ECR and ECNR proof is not required for Indian passport renewal in the USA.
The ECR/ECNR status is available on page 2 of the Indian passport.
If it is not there or nothing is mentioned in your passport, you can select option ECNR (Emigration check not required) on point 13.
You can send a photocopy of your highest educational qualification degree like an MCA (Masters in Computer Applications) for ECNR proof.
If you do not attach any proof and your old passport does not have the ECR stamp, you will automatically be considered eligible for ECNR.
No notarization is needed. Just Self-attest with your signature and mark the photocopy with “For ECNR – Documentary proof”.
You can get Indian Passport photos at Walmart, CVS, or Walgreens. ePassportPhoto offers free delivery and just $1.5 per picture.
Your local city library, Bank (like Bank of America, and Chase), and your own office are the FREE notary options for Indian passport renewal.
USPS, FedEx, and other local mail shops would charge around $5+ per page of the notary.
An Aadhar number is not mandatory for Indian passport renewal in the USA.
The Indian passport application website does make it mandatory to provide a spouse’s name if you select your marital status as ‘Married’.
