Emergency Certificate, Surrender & LOC Permit Certificate

Emergency Certificate

Emergency Certificate is a one-way travel certificate. It is issued to Indian citizens who are currently in a foreign country but need to return to India due to an emergency. It is generally issued to applicants in circumstances such as stolen, lost or damaged passports when they are traveling abroad. These certificates are only issued when the Indian Government does not approve a fresh passport. An emergency certificate is valid just for a month, during which the applicant should travel back to India.

Application for an Emergency Certificate

The only way of getting an Emergency Certificate is by applying in person at any Indian consulate. The authorities at the consulate conduct a personal interview and review the application to decide whether to approve the application. The application process cannot be executed online, via mails or through any other mode except for an interview in person.

In the case of deportations, this certificate is issued directly to the deportation officer of the concerned foreign country.

Identity Certificate

Identity Certificate or IC is issued to Tibetan refugees who are staying in India. The certificate is generally issued by certain RPOs (Regional Passport Office) in Delhi following a recommendation by the Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama (HHDL) in New Delhi. Apart from these refugees from Tibet, stateless individuals may also apply for the Identity Certificate at the RPO, under the jurisdiction of their present state of residence.

The issuance of the Identity Certificate is subject to the approval and clearance granted by the Consular Passport and Visa (CPV) Division of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Besides this, few other requirements like clearance from the State Government (Police Department or Home Affairs Department) as well as an FRRO for the grant of a No Objection to Return to India is required for the stamping on the IC.

Identity Certificate Application

The official website of Passport Seva has the application form for an IC. Applicants can log on to passportindia.gov.in and then download the application form for the Identity Certificate.

All Tibetan refugees residing in India are required to submit the duly filled out Identity Certificate application form at designated Regional Passport Office in Delhi. Stateless individuals staying can apply at the passport offices within the jurisdiction of their current state of residence.

The Validity of the Identity Certificate

The IC is issued with a validity of 10 years. Applicants must also pay a processing fee to obtain an IC. The exact amount has to be calculated using the 'Fee Calculator' available on the official website of Passport Seva.

Surrender Certificate

The surrender certificate is for passport holders to cancel their passports. It is mainly applicable to people who are letting go of their Indian citizenship in favor of foreign citizenship. Additionally, diplomatic or official passport holders can also apply for a surrender certificate to forgo their diplomatic/official/ordinary passports. In such a scenario, the applicant must surrender their Indian passport within 3 months (90 days) of naturalization in a new country.

The procedure of getting a surrender certificate includes a few simple steps. It also involves a fee, especially for people who are looking to forego their Indian citizenship. For other kinds of applicants like diplomatic passport holders, the procedure involves a visit to a passport office in person to make the application.

Fees and Documents for Surrender Certificates

Surrender certificate fees are separate for different categories of applicants.

• The applicants who acquired foreign citizenship prior to 1st June 2010 have to pay Rs.500

• The applicants who acquired foreign citizenship after 1st June 2010 have to pay Rs.5,000

The documents to be submitted are:

• Original passport

• Foreign nationality proof

Application Procedure

Both online and modes of application are available for obtaining a Surrender Certificate.

Online

• To initiate the online process, applicants need to register with the Passport Seva web portal.

• Once they receive the Login ID and password, they must login to their account on the portal.

• Next, they must select the ‘Apply for Surrender Certificate’ option.

• They will be redirected to another page containing the application form which is to be filled and submitted.

• In the next page, applicants should select the ‘View/Print Submitted Form’ option and then print the application form.

• Finally, the applicant must submit this form by attaching all related documents at the concerned RPO.

Offline

Applicants can apply for the same in an offline way by first booking an appointment with the concerned RPO and then performing the formalities as the authorities direct.

LoC Permit Certificate

The RPOs at Srinagar and Jammu issue LoC Permits to the residents of Jammu and Kashmir. This document is for those who wish to visit their close relatives residing in PAK (Pakistan Administered Kashmir) across the LoC (Line of Control). This document is issued to people strictly for valid reasons such as attending weddings or funerals. Similarly, PAK authorities also issue such LoC Permits to people of Jammu and Kashmir residing on their side of the LoC.

LoC Permit Application Form

The LoC application form can be easily downloaded from the official website of Passport Seva. One must first register and log on to passportindia.gov.in and then access the form.

Fee and Documents for the Line of Control Permit

• There is no fee for the Line of Control Permit.

• When applicants submit the duly filled out LoC permit application, they must attach a few documents with it like:

Proof of Birth: (anyone)

• Passport.
• S.M.C. / T.A.C. Certificate.
• Certificate proving Matriculation (attested by a Gazetted Officer).
• Annexure A (only for applicants who are illiterate).

Address Proof in India: (anyone)

• Aadhaar Card.
• Electricity bill.
• Mobile phone bill/landline bill.
• Certificate of State (attested by a Gazetted Officer).
• Identity Certificate (issued by the Election Commission).

The Line of Control Permit for Infants

If applicants have an infant traveling with them to the other side of the LoC, then a separate permit is required for the infant. The procedure for obtaining the permit is the same as that for adults.

LoC Permit Application Form Submission: Applicants must either visit the Jammu Passport Office or the Srinagar Passport Office or SSP CID (CB) sector offices to submit the LoC Permit application and the associated required documents

Police Verification for Line of Control Permits: The LoC Permits are issued only after all the information about the applicant is checked and verified by the CID (Criminal Investigation Department) as well as the SIB (Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau). Additionally, the identities of the applicant’s relatives who live in Pakistan Administered Kashmir (PAK) are also verified if the RPO requests for it. Similarly, PAK authorities also send requests to the RPOs of Srinagar or Jammu to verify the identity of Indians residing on the Indian side of the LoC. Then RPOs  get the same verified from the CID or SIB and accordingly the PAK authorities issue the concerned permits to the individuals who successfully clear the verification round.