Enjoy the Perks of Indian Diplomatic Passport

The passport issued to an Indian resident depends largely on their status and the reason for application. For example, a government official travelling to a foreign country for work purposes will be eligible for a white passport, while ordinary people travelling for leisure and business get a navy blue passport. Similarly, a diplomatic passport is issued for the high-ranking government officials that represent our country in foreign or travel abroad for government work.

The diplomatic passport, also known as Type D passport is issued in maroon color, and it’s reserved for people working in the Indian Administrative Service and IPS departments. It features a dark red color with “diplomatic passport” written in both English and Hindi. It also has the Indian emblem printed right at the centre.

Diplomatic Passport India Eligibility

Anyone who’s travelling abroad to accomplish the duty of the government will be eligible for a diplomatic passport. However, they must be foreign service officers or a professional who’s assigned a duty in the international country. The local citizens that are travelling for business purposes or for a vacation will not qualify for the diplomatic passport, as it is strictly reserved for government-authorized officers.

1. The Indians that work in the Indian Foreign Service department are eligible for a diplomatic passport for foreign trips.
2. Officers in the Branch A and Branch B of the IFS, as well as, Ministry of External Affairs
3. The blood relatives, spouse, and other relatives dependant on officers that fall into the category 1 and 2.

The relatives and close family members of the officers working in the Indian Foreign Service and Ministry of External Affairs are eligible to receive the passport if they are traveling abroad for education, vacation, and business purposes. In other words, if the government official gets a diplomatic passport, their family also becomes eligible for the same.

4. The government official or an ordinary person who is given diplomatic status due to the nature of the job in the international country. The central government might issue the diplomatic passport to the citizens that are given diplomatic status.

Diplomatic Passport India Benefits

The biggest advantage of the diplomatic passport is that it gives a special status to the holder. The migration procedure is pretty fast for government officials. The benefits of a diplomatic passport could vary from country to country, but a few common benefits that every diplomatic passport holder enjoys are as follows:

• The government officials are given special treatment at the airport and they have to go through a separate airport channel for the migration. In addition, the professionals are not subject to any delays due to passenger checks.
• They enjoy a special status in a foreign country too.
• Traveling to foreign countries is quite cheaper, as traveling is free of all the Taxes.
• They don’t have to Handle the immigration inquiries at the airport.

Application Process for Diplomatic Passport

Since a diplomatic passport is only for high-ranking professionals, its application procedure is a lot different from the normal passport application. If you meet the eligibility criterion, you can apply at the passport and visa division in New Delhi. You can also apply at the passport seva Kendra located near your address.

Here's a systematic guide:

• Complete the registration process through the Passport Seva Portal online
• Log into your account using your username and password details
• Select the option ”Apply for a diplomatic passport”
• Enter the necessary details as required in the submission form and hit “submit”.
• Schedule a visit to the Consular Passport center in New Delhi, ensure you carry the required documents with the application form.

Documents Required for Applying Diplomatic Passport

• A copy of the filled application form
• A copy of the ID card
• Form P-1
• Safe custody certificate
• Other required documents

Visit the Passport Seva Kendra portal to find more information regarding the documents required.

Note: After approval, the passport will be considered valid only until you haven’t completed the job you were assigned. Once the job is over, the passport has to be surrendered to the office. You always have the option of applying for the re-issuing of the passport.

Issuance and Re-issuance of the Diplomatic Passport

As the passport has to be surrendered to the office later, the diplomatic passport holders in India can no longer travel to foreign countries after it expires. The good news is you can get the diplomatic passport re-issued by submitting the necessary documents. You can complete the application form for re-issuance of the diplomatic passport and submit the following documents along with the application:

• A copy of the ordinary passport
• Existing diplomatic passport or the cancellation certificate of this passport
• ID card

For more details, visit the Passport Seva Kendra portal and collect the details of the documents required for the re-issuance of your diplomatic passport.

Hope this post helped you learn the basics of the diplomatic passport, the features that set it apart from other passport types, and most importantly, the procedure for applying for the diplomatic passport online.