Passport

Visa-free countries for Indians: From Americas to Africa, here's the list

As of 2024, Indian passport holders have visa-free access to 58 destinations around the world

What is stopping govt from cancelling Revanna's passport, asks Congress

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh on Saturday asked the government what is stopping it from cancelling the diplomatic passport of suspended JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, who is accused of sexual abuse. The 33-year-old Hassan MP reportedly flew to Germany soon after the Karnataka State Commission for Women chairperson Nagalakshmi Chowdhary wrote to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to order a probe into the sexual allegations against him after scores of explicit videos and pictures went viral on social media. In a post on X, Ramesh questioned how Prajwal was allowed to escape. "What is stopping the PM from having the diplomatic passport to Prajwal Revanna cancelled? How and why was he allowed to flee the country like Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, and Mehul Choksi were?" the Congress leader asked. Prajwal, the grandson of Janata Dal (Secular) patriarch and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, has been accused of sexual assault after several videos allegedly featuring him with multiple wome

India, Moldova sign visa waiver pact for diplomatic passports holders

India and Moldova on Friday signed an agreement which after coming into force, will allow diplomatic and official passports holders of either country to travel to the other without a visa, the Ministry of External Affairs said. This agreement will add "further momentum" to the friendly and cordial relations between the two countries, it said. "Pavan Kapoor, Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs of the Republic of India and Ana Taban, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Moldova, on behalf of their respective governments, signed an agreement on visa waiver for diplomatic and official passports, today on 10 May," the statement said. This agreement, after coming into force "will allow holders of diplomatic and official passports of either country to travel to the other, without a visa", it said.

Can govt revoke Revanna's diplomatic passport? Not without a court order

MEA spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, clarified that Prajwal did not seek political clearance for his travel, which is typically required under such circumstances

Prajwal Revanna row: Visa-free entry to 34 nations with diplomatic passport

But a visa is mandatory for Indians in Germany. So, how did Revanna not need one? That's because he holds a diplomatic passport

The world's most powerful passports in 2024: Here is where India stands

The Henley Passport Index data show that worldwide mobility has changed significantly during the previous two decades

Henley Passport Index 2024: What is India's rank among other countries?

World's most powerful passport: The least powerful passport in the world is Afghanistan, which ranked at 104th spot with visa-free access to 28 countries

South Korea launches 'workation' visa for foreigners: All you must know

South Korea 'workation' visa: Foreign nationals with annual income twice as much as South Korea's per capita gross national income will be eligible to apply for the visa

Shortage of lamination paper results in pendency in Pak's passport printing

An acute scarcity of lamination paper, which is used in Pakistani passports and typically imported from France, has resulted in a sharp decline in the issuance of the key travel document in the cash-strapped country, media reports said on Friday. Thousands of Pakistanis, who need the green-coloured book, for travelling abroad for study, work, or leisure are stuck, with no end to their ordeal presently in sight, The Express Tribune newspaper reported. Quoting a senior officer of the passport office in Peshawar, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, the newspaper said, they could presently process only 12 to 13 passports per day as compared to 3,000 to 4,000 passports daily previously. The newspaper also quoted sources in different regional passport offices, who too, it said, were in the dark about a concrete timeline and that People may have to wait for another month or two. However, The Pakistan Observer portal quoted the Interior Ministry sources who said, The order for ...

Lost your passport abroad? Here's how to get back to your country

Losing your passport abroad can be a scary and exasperating experience. The most common way of replacing a lost passport can be a cumbersome exercise, however, it works

Big update: From Oct 1, this one document will hold the key to many

Maha govt asks police to visit passport applicant's home, if needed

The Maharashtra home department has issued an order asking police officials to visit the residence of a passport applicant, "if required, before clearing verification of the applicant's address. The aim is to prevent illegal immigrants and anti-nationals from obtaining an Indian passport, as per the government order issued on Monday. The preface of the order pointed out that central agencies have found organised gangs involved in issuing fake Aadhaar and PAN cards to illegal foreign immigrants. These gangs use residential addresses from north-eastern states, it said. Such foreign nationals then apply under the 'Tatkal Passport' service and influence the decision-making of police with the help of local administration, the order said. Such gangs are suspected to have been illegally supplying Aadhaar cards to illegal immigrants and anti-nationals. It is affecting the internal security of the country, the order said.

Defaced passport covers not acceptable, says MEA in stern advisory

The Ministry of External Affairs has issued a stern advisory to combat the growing misuse of Indian Passports as advertising platforms, a senior official said here on Thursday. It highlighted the alarming trend where travel agents have been defacing the cover of Indian Passports by pasting their agency or company stickers, said Dasari Balaiah, Regional Passport Officer and Head of MEA Branch Secretariat, Hyderabad in a release. The practice not only undermines the sanctity of the passport, but contravenes Union Government guidelines pertaining to passport maintenance, it said. "The outer cover of the Indian Passport carries the national emblem with the Ashoka Chakra on it and incorporates several security features aimed at ensuring its authenticity and integrity. Pasting adhesives or promotional stickers by agent can mask the national emblem and tamper with the security features and can be compromised--preventing verification of authenticity," the release said. It may also cause ..

Nil return: A must-do even for those with income below threshold level

Banks, passport and visa authorities ask for your ITR, and it's a prerequisite for tax refund

Every citizen has right to hold passport, renewal can't be refused: HC

Every citizen has a legal right to hold a passport and authorities cannot refuse to renew it merely on an apprehension that the earlier passports might have been misused, the Delhi High Court has said. The court, while dealing with a petition by an Indian citizen seeking a change in the date of birth mentioned in his passport, said denial of the travel document seriously impedes the rights of a citizen, and the authorities can refuse to renew a passport or cancel it only on grounds prescribed in law. In the present case, the authorities had refused to renew the petitioner's passport with the updated date of birth on the ground that the claim for correction did not seem to be genuine. The counsel for the passport authority told the court that approximately 14 years have passed since the issuance of the first passport to the petitioner, and he might misuse the travel document if the same is renewed or re-issued with a new date of birth. Rejecting the objection, the court noted that t

LIVE: Delhi court grants regular bail to outgoing WFI chief Brij Bhushan

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India passport ranking improves, jumps five spots in Henley Passport Index

Singapore replaced Japan to become the country with the most powerful passport. India also jumped five positions, ranking 80th. Indians can travel to 57 destinations without any visa

Singapore passport world's most powerful, replacing Japan: Henley Index

The US, which once topped the ranking nearly a decade ago, slid two places to eighth place

Passport, money, AirTag? Here's what has brought luggage woes back

A year after air travel stormed back from pandemic lows, overwhelming the system with airport chaos and luggage pileups, airlines are still struggling to keep up

Wait for US passports is creating travel purgatory, snarling summer plans

Seeking a valid US passport for that 2023 trip? Buckle up, wishful traveller, for a very different journey before you step anywhere near an airport. A much-feared backup of US passport applications has smashed into a wall of government bureaucracy as worldwide travel rebounds toward record pre-pandemic levels with too few humans to handle the load. The result, say aspiring travellers in the US and around the world, is a maddening pre-travel purgatory defined, at best, by costly uncertainty. With family dreams and big money on the line, passport seekers describe a slow-motion agony of waiting, worrying, holding the line, refreshing the screen, complaining to Congress, paying extra fees and following incorrect directions. Some applicants are buying additional plane tickets to snag in-process passports where they sit in other cities in time to make the flights they booked in the first place. So grim is the outlook that US officials aren't even denying the problem or predicting when