Indian Passport
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Here’s My Passport Name Change Experience in India (Not Easy)

Following procedure to change the name in Indian Passport was shared by Akshay.

Indian PassportOverview of the procedure to change the name in Indian Passport in India

  • Change the Name in Gazette
  • Newpaper Ads
  • Apply for  Name Change with Regional Passport Office
  • Police Verification
  • New Passport Issued

Change the Name in Gazette

Name change procedure is really simple at gazette level.

You fill out the form available at the counter, attach ID & residence proof, pay the requisite fees and it’s done! It takes around 4 weeks to get your info published in the govt. gazette.

Once your changed name is published in the gazette, you need to collect gazette copies from the Govt. press.

Three copies are given for free on showing the receipt, for extra copies you gotta pay Rs. 20/- per copy (as per the rules).

I took 10 copies including free copies, coz you dunno where u will need them in future.

The guy at the press took Rs. 100/- from me instead of 140/

  • Rs 100 (India) about USD 2.14

I was so surprised!! Since when Maharashtra Govt started giving discounts?

I asked where shall I get the receipt for the extra copies?

He got angry! He said u got ur copies na? now go!!

Only then I realized he kept all 100/- for himself, and gave me copies illegally as there was huge pile of copies lying nearby!!

How many copies he gave away that way, for so many years who knows?

He had very expensive mobile, I observed!!

Now guys!! I really wanted to complain about him right there, but 2 other staff workers said “just go!”.

I was extremely angry and cursing myself why I didn’t video recorded this episode?

I usually do such things when I hit public offices!)

{Corruption Occasion No.1…I was helpless!!}

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Anyway, Once Gazette work is done, what you gotta do next is make an affidavit, put advt.s in two newspapers, one local newspaper published in ur mother tongue language and one national daily preferably English newspaper.

Real pain begins from here!!!

Passport scrutiny is now made so tough and stringent u kick yourself in ur a*s every now and then why u changed your name!! basically what has changed is only the formalities have increased but not the vigilance.

Everything is fine until you submit online passport application form & take an appointment.

Passport Office

When you go to passport office to submit the required documents, fees and form, you begin to realize what mischief u have done!!

When my token number announced I went to the designated counter. Read on!

Passport officer (Lady): renewal huh? Ur passport expires in 2013 u have 1 more year!
Me: Mam, applying for a change of name too!!

PO: Name change?? Why? Ur name looks nice? It’s a Lord Ganesha’s name!! why u r changing this beautiful name ur parents gave u lovingly?
Me: (Duh!!) Mam! My new name is also given by my parents only, everybody knows me more by nick name rather than my actual name, so decided to change!!

PO: is that the only reason u wanna change ur name?
Me: Yes Mam!

PO: do u have any criminal cases pending against you or have u been jailed etc?
Me: !!! ( I really lost my cool here!! Man I am decent and very innocent 21 y/o student, thinks 5 times before even killing an ant!!) ( and BTW, It was not her duty to ask or verify my background, it was the police job!)
Me: Not at all mam! All Qs related to this are answered in my application only!! You can check them!

PO: (I think she took is as an insult!!) Please wait I will call ur name!!
Me: Ok mam! (she returned me my entire file!)
(Waited for 2 Hrs in that small cubical, interrupted PO 2 times, 1 st she said “I will call u”, me: OK!, 2 nd time: didn’t I say I will call u??

Me: ok!! I was so sleepy, I was thinking of leaving the Passport Office and change back to my old name and reapply just for the renewal)
After 2 hrs, Now I almost lost it!! I went to her counter and asked her;
Me: Whats the matter Mam? Why u have kept me hanging while u r clearing other cases? Shall I see the Head Passport Officer?

PO: Ok! Show me ur file!
Me: Gave all the documents.

She kept reading everything , gave me 2 stares which made me recall my past to find whether I have any rape cases on my name!!)

After 10 long minutes, she said ok!

I accept your application, visit the local police station after 7 days, pay the fees to the next counter!!

I paid the fees took my receipt, thanked PO profusely and ran away!!

U might think that’s it!!

Negative!!

Visit to Police Station

After 7 days I visited Police Station, only to find my application was not arrived! I said ok! It might take a bit longer so waited for another week, visited Police Station again!!

Guess what!! The lady at passport office literally yelled at me.

Why are you coming everyday? We will inform once the application is reached to us!!

(Wtf??) as per the procedure one has to visit the Police Station and present himself!!

I said I want to meet the DSP, that DSP was out so waited for 1.5 hrs.

When he arrived, I stormed into his office and told him that I applied a fortnight ago and lady saying my app has not arrived yet.

He summoned her, she brought that register, applications of ppl who had applied after me were already there but mine!

Only my application was missing!! DSP asked me to check next week.

I kept on visiting the Police Station every week for next 5 weeks!!

I was so tired to go to police station, once I called the phone No., asked for passport deptt, that lady picked up!

Me: Mam my name is ABC, I just wanna know whether my application has arrived or not!
She screamed at me that we don’t give any info on phone, u come in the evening at 6pm!!

I urged her I am visiting since 5 weeks, just let me know if application is arrived or not!! That’s it!! (it was so easy, inwards register was in front of her, all she needed to do was look into it and reply!!) But she blatantly refused!!

So I visited the PS for 2 more weeks with the same disappointment in return!!

Finally after 9 weeks, my application arrived at the police station!!

Reason for the delay as DSP told me, after the Kasab episode, name change is taken very seriously and CID checks all the records to verify claims of innocence are true!!

Now the Best Part !! the Climax!!

There were 3 people at the passport office all were entitled to do the same duty i.e. attend the applicant, check his entry in the inwards register, fill out the necessary forms of police clearance, and let him go! Just a 5 min procedure all in all!!

Guys it was my birthday on that day!!

I reached at 11:30am there!! The guy took out my application and started talking to his colleagues about whatever was coming to his mind, giving least attention to me!!

40 mins were passed, and no progress!!

He was looking at me, cracking general jokes etc etc. finally after half an hr, he took my form and yelled at me!!

You haven’t filled the witness application!!

I had submitted witnesses already in the original form!!

He told me, after Kasab and Company’s high profile visit to India, we have prepared a new application, 2 witnesses in the same society needs to fill that form and attach their ID docs only then I can get my application proceed!!!

He handed me a poorly readable photo copy of the application, asked me to get him 20 photocopies (for the office stock)

{corruption incident No.2, where I was totally helpless as my work was at stake}.

Within an hour huffing-puffing me got the photocopies, went back to my apartment, got the necessary signs and documents and rushed back to Police Station!! It was 2:30 pm, I had not eaten on my birthday!!

Torture continues guys!!

Once again I found myself sweating with racing heart sitting in front of that guy!!

That guy had a smirk on his face how he made me run for my life!!

He again started passing the time for 30 mins!! At 3:00pm he finally started filling the Police Clearence form!!

A very short form, nothing big to fill in it!!

One clause was, what is the intention for applying the Passport.

I answered “for MS in US”. Now!

He started lecturing me about brain drain etc!!! I kept nodding !!

He was sitting on that clause for 60 min!!! his colleague even interrupted twice to finish my work fast!!

But he kept telling story after story, all time pass!! It was 4:30pm when he went to fill next clause, my DOB!! And it dawned on him it was my birthday!! he proudly told me its his 3 rd time attending a birthday guy for passport application!!

I said “Great Sir!!” (in mind I told myself “if this guy continues teasing me like this for one more Hr I gonna have a murder case on me on my b’day!”

How helpless we find ourself in front of worthless govt. servants!!!)

Now he wanted party from me!! (I was almost about to ask whether he needed bribe to fill out my application, I had decided to pass 500/- or even 1000/- to him to get rid of this nonsense, I wanted to rush home-I was hungry, suffocated, tired!!)

I told him to come to my home, I will give him party!!

Finally he send me out to buy sweets!! ( I wanted to add strong laxative in those Burfees!!) I came back with that box of sweets, he made me give those sweets to all the staff there!! He took the bigger pie!!

I was so exhausted, wanted to call my area Corporator now!! But anyway, he completed that one page form finally at 7 PM!

I asked his permission to leave, he surprised me that I have to wait till DSP signs on it!!
DSP arrived at 8:30pm…I was waiting OUTSIDE the police station for 1.30 hrs standing on my two feet, my head numb & dizzy!! he put my form at top priority for the signature!

That DSP signed my form and at 8:45pm I was free to leave!! I reached my home at 9:30PM straight went to my bed buried myself under the mattress and passed out without any food or drink!! (literally!!!) finally 10 HR long nightmare came to an end!!

Passport arrived after a month, even today when I look at that booklet, I get nightmares like I am denied passport!

*****

YOu have read how to change your name in the passport in India.

It was easy to change the name for a kid, but it took this person 10 months to change the name in Indian passport and other documents in USA.

Do you have similar passport application experience to share?

Its easy to share your experience now. Go here and post your experience to be published in this blog.

Note – Above experience is published with minors edits ( slangs and typo’s).

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53 Comments

    1. Hey, could you tell me the documents that you needed?
      The reason is that when I checked the official site a while back you only needed the Aadhar and some other documents for a minor name change. And gazette and newspaper clippings for a major name change.

      And now the official sit says you need the documents, gazette, and newspaper clippings everything. Now the site also does not have a differentiation of minor and major name change.
      could you guide me?

  1. My name is Sanjay Gehlot as updated in pan card ,adhaar card ,ESIC Card,voter id card ,bank passbook I work from last 6years in Infosys …while making passport I a facing issue like my sslc,puc, degree has only Sanjay …..please help me asap

  2. Hello, My name is Arjuny M R. I have never expanded my initials earlier in any document and both parents name start from R but I have taken my mother name. Now Iam applying for passport. Arjuny Marur Radha is my full name. Is there any issue because I’m taking my mother name, full name of my mother is Radharani, and my father name is Raghuveer .

  3. I know this a old topic!!!!! my father-in-laws name in the passport was misprinted which comes under minor name change….. we have modified to original name but they didnt issue new passport instead they attested in sepearate page in passport? Which name we have to mention in the DS160???

  4. Hello, I need some advice. My name is Geo Harrison. My fatherโ€™s name is Wilfred Sudhaman Safaer. In all my documents, from birth certificate to degree certificate, my name is Geo Harrison W. The initial โ€œWโ€ stands for Wilfred. When I applied for passport, I did not mention any surname, so they automatically put my fatherโ€™s full name โ€“ Wilfred Sudhaman Safaer as my surname. Now I am trying to change it to Wilfred, and the passport office is asking at least two documents where my name is โ€œGeo Harrison Wilfredโ€. Which documents could I get my initials โ€œWโ€ expanded to Wilfred?

  5. For changing name in Passport. You need.
    1) Gazette Notification or name change published in two newspaper (use gazette publication and 1 newspaper publication which is pre- requisite for gazette publication in Central Government).
    2) Then change your name in atleast two public documents i.e. driving license, Aadhar card, etc.
    When you clear above two points successfully, then apply for name change in passport. FULLY n FINAL!!!

    1. This procedures also changed last month. Now the new procedure is bring the birth certificate of your real name. I am back of this about 1 year.they said me go bring adhar card and any other document. I brought it today they said again procedures changed. I am fed up of these procedures…..

  6. Hard luck man.!! I heard they have improved since 2014. I have a quick question. I need to renew my passport too.

    1. Did you get the new passport? (They have made some changes from old passport they information page different like it has a separate page, basically new style edition)
    2. Did you get your old name and a new name on the information page or your old name is on the last page of observation page? Or you got a passport just with the new name?

  7. I also changed name and it was fairly simple! Need to get an affidavit of name change from court, then get it published in two news papers (one local and one national newspapers). Apply for name change in passport office. I got the new passport with name changed just in 3 days.

    1. Hi Prashant,

      Did you change in your education document also Or not?

      After gazates documents, can I apply for new passport on working base?

      As in my educational documents is not possible to update my new name.

      Pls reply

      Thanks

  8. Hi Dear,

    The name of my 8 year son is written as UTTERKERSH SAXENA in his Old Passport which was issued more than 5 years back.

    Now I have to apply fro new passport for him but I want to change the spellings of his name as UTKERSHA SAXENAA, which is written in his Adhhar No. & School also.

    Please let me know what will be the process for making these small change in the spellings of his name.

    Kindly reply ASAP.

    Thanks & Regards.

    1. You should talk to the Indian Passport Office to learn the procedure for correcting the names. I think it should be same as name change (Ads in NEws Paper, etc)

  9. Hey guys.

    Urgent query.

    I have my middle name (initial) as ‘X’ (for eg.) in all my documents viz. 10th/12th marksheet, license, etc. Is there any way to remove the middle initial in passport without going for affidavit/newspaper ad? I just want my first and last name shown, without middle name/initial.

    Kindly reply asap! Thanks a ton!

  10. Hi dear,

    My name in current passport is Vavilala Siddarth but I need to add my middle name “Rao” in my new passport. Please help me for process to add middle name.

    I have Pan Card and Aadhar card with Middle Name .

    Thanks in Advance.

  11. I think nothing in India works without corruption..3 times I went with the docs they asked for and every time I was harassed for a new document..they dont provide proper info on the website and realize things only at d last stage..total harassment especially for women..they expect to produce docs with ur new name when I haven’t changed my name anywhere..

  12. Hi
    I have changed my name recently and I have a gazette publication of name change. Is there any need of publishing about name change in local news paper for changinh name in passport

  13. Just came back from the passport seva kendra, my overall experience was good. Am still awaiting police verification but i am sipping the evening tea and got the message that my verification has been initiated. The over all procedure has changed a lot since TCS took over the contract (in ahmedabad). All the online processing is done by them so there is no room for error. My case is that of minor change in name i.e. from JEET to JIT. i was complaining to the assistant passport officer that the passport official committed the mistake and wrote JEET instead of JIT and I also shown him my signature which was for JIT. He was very kind and humble and opened my application form of year 1997 and showed it to me. Said its your mistake with a smile. It was nice to see that India is improving and young indians are now in the govt. sector with a no bullshit mentality or ego issues. Sometimes we need to look at ourself and our mistakes as well. You get a lot more with kindness than with an I am something attitude when it comes to govt. offices. We deal with 1 whereas they deal with 100 of us so …… However, my process was smooth coz i thoroughly read all the instructions and kept the necessary affidavits documents and forms ready.

    1. @Jit, It would be of great help if you could share what all affidavits and forms are required. I saw it on passport site but I am still confused. I too have a minor name change, same case as yours. I have my name ‘Niket Thakker’ on all my documents but on my previous passport it was by mistake written as ‘Niket Thakkar’ and that’s why my passport re-issue was also done under my previous passport name so I want to apply for name change. Its just a spelling mistake in last name. Apart from Annexure E, is anything required if I want to apply for tatkal? Moreover annexure E says that I need to submit proof of name change in newspapers and somewhere I read that after publishing that I need to wait for 30 days before I can apply for re-issue under minor change of name in Ahmedabad PSK. Is that true or I can apply immediately?

    2. Isn’t Jeet and Jit a minor change in name? Why did you require newspaper advertisements? I am also going through a similar case that’s why I am asking

  14. Hi Raghu ram,

    Appreciate your response.
    Do they print old name on the new passport.
    I think if they don’t then every time i enter USA I will need to give explanation.

    If not can I request passport department to print old name too.

    1. I’m not sure if they would print the old name ( I doubt it). They will give the old passport back to you ( wuth cancelled stamp).

  15. Hi,
    I want to remove my middle name from my given name. Do I just need to submit an application to reissue passport with the my name as my give name? My all other documents have my name. I am not sure how they added my father’s name as the middle name. Do I need to submit other documents with the application form? Please advise.

    1. Hi did you get answer for the same?
      I am dying to get rid of my middle name from my first name.
      Please let me know. Thanks!

  16. 2 Years back ,I had changed my name (Major change) and now I have my new name on my passort but my graduation and other educational document still with my old name .Will there be any issue if i go for UK VISA for 11 month

  17. I’m curious to find out what blog platform you happen to be
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    my latest site and I would like to find something more safe.

    Do you have any solutions?

  18. Hi Raghuram,

    That was a very detailed explanation on the name change. But I believe my case is slightly deviated.
    I would like to brief. Please add in your inputs, that will surely be of great help.

    My every document right from birth certificate to passport, carries the name “PRASHANTH”
    There is no Middle name and Last name in it. Whenever I am going to fill anything, there will be mandatory last name field. So far I am filling with my Dad’s surname. It wasn’t a issue so far. I have visited 2 countries and right now staying in Malaysia from past 9 months.

    I would like to change my name from “PRASHANTH” to “PRASHANTH BILLAVA” when I come back to India next time. But I don’t have any proofs which supports my last name. How should I be starting this? Is this the same case as yours?

    I am mainly concerned about my future visits either to US or Europe, all entries requires Last name field and I am not sure what to mention. So far it worked fine. Please suggest how should I be proceeding with my name change.

    Thanks ๐Ÿ™‚

    1. Talk to a travel agent who are specialized with passport applications. Bottomline – You need a Surname in the passport.

  19. Hello Rahuram,

    Thank you for sharing your experience. It was very helpful. I’m changing my name as well. Did you submit the address proof’s in the new name or old name

  20. Few tips to handle this kind of situations and people:
    1. Assume confidence
    2. Confident body language and voice tone
    3. Don’t take it personal
    4. Most of the govt. servants are either stupid or sick, they are never going to change so change yourself and your attitudes
    5. Keep calm and relax, take few deep breaths before you face this kind of people and situations
    6. Live in the present moment, don’t carry this memories with you to ruin your day
    7. Enjoy (don’t get irritate) Assume that this is the examination of your patience and tolerance.
    8. Keep a spy pen and record everything so that you can use it to teach them a good lesson. Submit this video to newspapers and televisions.
    9. Believe that common people like you and me could teach a good lesson to these people and work on it to change this system.
    10. Never pay bribe
    11. Detachment with result (stay in the moment) otherwise you will get stressed
    12. Never get angry with these people otherwise they may delay your work or something more harmful like …you can imagine!
    13. Don’t behave like a victim
    14. Never give over respect
    15. Don’t ask, “May I come in sir?”
    16. Never use too much politeness
    17. They are also humans like you and me and they also have some weak points and emotions. Perhaps they are not enjoying their work and that’s why they are treating people like this.
    18. Your attitudes, beliefs and confidence these things are more powerful than these people. Use your common sense and sense of humor.
    19. Drop hesitation and fear be bold
    20. ENTER INTO THE SCENE LIKE A KING!!!!

  21. My name is Dhaninkula Manjula. My birth certificate has the name Danemkula(Spelling mistake) Manjula,i got an affidavit done saying it’s Dhaninkula and not Danemkula.

    The problem is that,all my educational docs have my name as D.Manjula.

    Now there are two different names Dhaninkula Manjula (Birth certificate) and D.Manjula(Edu Docs).

    Appointment for passport is scheduled on 30 april.so i wanted to ask which name should i get on passport? The one the birth certificate has i.e, Dhaninkula Manjula or the one my acad docs has i.e, D.Manjula.

    If i get it done as Dhaninkula Manjula and register for GRE then later there might be a problem in application and VISA process because of these two different names.

    because of this confusion i have not yet registered for GRE.
    Please Tell me what to do.

    I have to register for GRE as soon as possible.

  22. I have changed my name and got new passport as my old passport expired. Now my question is the visa in my old passport has my old name so will there be any problem going to India with that visa name and re-entering USA? do I have to go for new visa stamping on the new passport with new name? btw here in my county I didnt require to go to court for advertising in newspaper. They didn’t take any proof and still my Ad was published. Please respond to my query.

    1. I’m also having the same question.so finally what you did? applied for new visa or else you went with your old visa(with old name)??? please respond

  23. if there is just a internal spelling change (like from Sandip to Sandeep) you can just do an affidavit and change it in passport. Its not called change of name its called name correction, you might need some proof to show the right name of yours. When you want to change entire name like “Sanjeev” in the place of “Sandip” its called name change. In such case you do all what i did.
    Also, if you want to delete or add some part in your name or surname like lets say your surname is “das” and you want to add “gupta” in it so that it will become Dasgupta or your name is “Sandipkumar” and you want to remove kumar and keep only Sandip, then its called name change. And it needs entire procedure to follow.

  24. I want to correct my surname. Itโ€™s very minor change which i need to do. Does it required Change the Name in Gazette and Newspaper Ads.

  25. OK, I know all these bad things and more, that’s why I once wrote the amazingly disputed blog post about why I don’t want to go back to India.

    This said, I wonder how many persons reading this blog appreciated that the poor DCP was working until like 9PM.

    I leave work at 5:30 everyday and feel like I have worked real long hours when I leave at 6PM.

  26. very bad experience. but was there any strong reason for you to change the name? now you must be having your 10th board certificate, college marksheets, transcripts, degree and in all those documents you will have to change your name also. also universities and embassy become confused that your transcripts are of different name and your passport with different name. add to that if you have applied previously for US visa or travelled abroad on your old passport, more problems will come in future.

  27. Points i want to stress upon thru this blog post are,

    1. As i said they have increased formalities but NOT the vigilance. How? The Newly added form of witness is required to be filled in by two neighbours living in the “same” building. Now, there is a big loophole. One can easily fake it and attach light bill photocopies with it! Since electricity board simply drop piles of bills of a particular society openly, anyone can steal them! Same with the telephone bills. Police NEVER visit for the verification of the identity (due to shortage of personnel, immense load of other law and order related work etc), at least they should call the witness no.s to verify ? They dont do even that! Whats the point in such formality?

    Its totally easy to get a mobile connection on fake proof, ditto with almost all indian official documents! And its happening right now everywhere!

    2. Corruption! Happens in every govt office, even when i want to stop it, i cant unless i want to sacrifice my valuable time. Its nice to shout against corruption with Anna Hazareji but impossible to curb in reality.

    3. I went to muncipal corporation, there i came to know, i can change my name on birth certificate itself! Charge is 5,000/-!. Of course its a bribe and guy will illegally change name in the main register itself & issue a new birth certificate! As per the rules one can never change name on birth certificate!

    My actual query was, will change of name harm / lessen the prospects to get F1 visa since many certificates (SSC, birth certificate etc) will carry old name on them? Will visa officer ask me about this? Do i need to submit name change proof (Gazette copy etc) while applying for visa? If there an iota of possibility of lessening the prospects i am planning to retain my old name as still i have sufficient time in hand to proceed.

    1. If name is changes in your passport, you don’t have to worry about F1 visa, since you have different names in certificates.

      In DS-160 there will be an option to list all previous used names. You can list your old name there.

      1. And what about during the application process? My SSC certificate will have different name while transcripts will have new name. How to tackle this situation? Do i need to inform the school i am applying that i have changed my name & submit its proof?

  28. Hi,
    That was your bad luck, i am living in mumbai these days , I just have to append my surname with my name. The procedure was same as you mentioned, But it took only 2 weeks for applying and doing all the formalities including police verification .
    PS : I get it done when i went to my hometown chandigarh for 2 weeks over there only.

    1. I would think, last name additions/deletions/modifications are way simpler and have much less criminal risk involved.

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