Emergency Certificate (EC)

• Incident Report: Write a letter explaining the situation to the Consulate General of India. 

• Affidavit: A notarised affidavit may be required.

• Photographs: Provide recent passport-sized photographs in the number the mission specifies, usually between one and four.

• Proof of Identity: Old passport copies, Indian photo ID (PAN card, Voter ID, Driver’s Licence, etc.), school certificate, or birth certificate. 

• Residence Proof: Proof of stay in the foreign country and address in India. 
• Travel Itinerary: A confirmed one-way ticket or itinerary to India, if the mission asks for it.
• Nationality Verification: A Nationality Verification Form and an Annexure ‘F’ declaration, if the mission asks for them to confirm your Indian nationality. 

The exact list of documents, the number of photographs and the fee can differ from one Indian mission to another, so check the requirements of the mission that will handle your application. 

Reasons to apply for an Emergency Certificate

The below listed are some of the reasons where you can apply for an Emergency Certificate:

• Loss, theft, or damage to your passport while abroad.

• Expiration of your passport with an urgent need to travel back to India.

• Inability to renew your passport abroad due to legal, documentation, or other constraints.

• Deportation or repatriation cases where the individual requires official documentation to return to India.

This certificate is typically valid for a single journey back to India and is issued by Indian missions or consulates.

How to apply for Emergency Certificate?

An Emergency Certificate can only be obtained by applying through an Indian embassy or consulate. To analyse and decide on the application, consulate officials may conduct a personal interview. The application form is filled in online on the Global Passport Seva portal, printed, signed and submitted with the supporting documents in the manner the Indian mission specifies.

In the event of deportation, the Emergency Certificate will be issued straight to the foreign country's deportation official.

Follow the steps given below to apply for an Emergency Certificate:

Step 1: Locate the nearest Indian embassy or consulate in the foreign country where you are.

Step 2: Fill out the application form for the emergency certificate, available online or at the mission.

Step 3: Submit proof of identity, recent photographs, and any available details of your lost passport or ID.

Step 4: Pay the applicable processing fee.

Step 5: Complete the interview with the consular officer for verification.

Step 6: After completing the process, the EC will be issued for your return to India.

The processing fee for an Emergency Certificate is $15 or its equivalent in the local currency, and some Indian missions also collect a small Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) fee along with it. 

The time taken to issue an Emergency Certificate depends on how quickly the mission can verify your Indian nationality and passport details. Some missions issue it on the same day when the documents are complete, while cases that are referred to the authorities in India take longer. 

After you return to India on an Emergency Certificate, you can apply for a new passport under the re-issue category with the reason Lost/Damaged Passport. Keep your proof of present address, proof of date of birth, an affidavit in Annexure ‘F’ describing how and where the passport was lost or damaged, the original police report, the original Emergency Certificate and, if available, a self-attested photocopy of the first two and last two pages of the old passport ready. 

For applicants aged 18 years and above, the normal re-issue fee for a lost or damaged passport is Rs.5,000 for a 36-page passport and Rs.6,000 for a 60-page passport, as revised with effect from 1 July 2026

What Is a Passport Identity Certificate? (EC travel term)

 Identity Certificate or IC is issued to the Tibetan refugees staying in India. This is carried out from the RPO (Regional Passport Office) in Delhi when recommended by the Bureau of HHDL (His Holiness the Dalai Lama), New Delhi. Along with the refugees from Tibet, stateless individuals can also apply for the IC (Identity Certificate) at the Regional Passport Office. They must apply under the jurisdiction of their residence at present.

The Identity Certificate issuance is subject to getting clearance by the External Affairs Ministry (CPV (Consular Passport and Visa) Division). Along with this, clearance is also required from the State Government (Police Department / Home Affairs Department) and FRRO for the grant of NORI (No Objection to Return to India) to get stamped on the IC (Identity Certificate).

The application form for the IC or Identity Certificate is available on the official website of the Passport Seva service. Log on to the passport seva portal and download the passport application form for the Identity Certificate. All Tibetan refugees who are currently residing in India must submit a properly completed Identity Certificate application form at the Regional Passport Office in Delhi. The fee associated with the Identity Certificate is Rs.1,000.

To apply online, register on the Passport Seva portal, log in, select Apply for Identity Certificate, fill in the form and submit it, and then pay the fee and book an appointment. Take the printed application form, self-attested photocopies and original documents to the Regional Passport Office that serves your present address. 

An Identity Certificate is generally issued for 10 years. To get it re-issued after it expires, the holder should return to India before the expiry and apply at the Regional Passport Office in Delhi, although Tibetan refugees enrolled in full-time courses at recognised foreign universities can apply for re-issue at the Indian mission in that country.

What is Passport Surrender Certificate?

Passport holders are given a surrender document so that their passports can be cancelled. This is mostly done by those who choose to give up their Indian citizenship in exchange for a foreign one. Official/Diplomatic passport holders, in addition to these passport holders, apply for surrender certificates for their diplomatic / official / ordinary passports. It is mandatory to surrender your Indian passport immediately after you acquire foreign citizenship.

Who can apply for Passport Surrender Certificate?

The process of getting a surrender certificate involves a few simple steps and involves a fee for people looking to forego Indian citizenship. For other categories of applicants such as diplomatic passport holders, the process involves visiting a passport office in person and only after that applying for the surrender certificate.

Applicants who are giving up Indian citizenship register on the Passport Seva portal, fill in the Surrender Certificate application form online and then visit the passport office with the required documents, while applicants abroad surrender the passport at the nearest Indian mission or post. Police verification is not required.

Fee for Surrender Certificates

The surrender certificate fee was revised with effect from 1 July 2026, and Indian missions abroad charge $40 or the equivalent in the local currency.

Documents Required for Surrender Certificate

Following documents are required to apply for a surrender certificate

• The original passport that is to be surrendered. 

• Proof of foreign nationality, such as a naturalisation or registration certificate. 

• The printed Surrender Certificate application form and self-attested photocopies of the supporting documents. 

• Three photographs of the applicant.

An expired passport can be surrendered, but only the applicant's latest passport can be surrendered. Impounded, revoked, suspended and cancelled passports cannot be surrendered.

LoC Permit Certificate

For Jammu and Kashmir residents who want to travel to see their close relatives who live on the other side of the Line of Control (LoC), RPO Srinagar and RPO Jammu issue LoC Permits. People who need this permit for valid reasons like attending a wedding are granted it.

These LoC Permits can also be issued by Pakistan Administered Kashmir (PAK) authorities to Jammu and Kashmir residents who are staying on their side of the Line of Control. The LoC Permit application can be downloaded from the Passport Seva portal.

You can download the form by visiting the Passport Seva portal. After downloading, the form must also be printed out. There is no fee associated with the Line of Control Permit. It is free of cost.

To apply, register on the Passport Seva portal, log in, fill in the LoC Permit form online, print one copy, sign it in blue or black ink and submit it with copies of the supporting documents at RPO Jammu or RPO Srinagar, as there is no offline facility. Infants travelling with an applicant need a separate permit, and permits are issued only after verification of the applicant's Indian antecedents and of the relatives across the Line of Control. 

Documents Required for LoC Permit Certificate

A copy of the following documents must be submitted in addition to a copy of the LoC Permit application form, properly completed and signed in blue or black ink:  

Proof of date of birth (any one of the following documents)  

• Matriculation Certificate  
• S.M.C. or T.A.C. Certificate
•  Passport 

Address proof (any one of the following documents)  

• Utility bills  
• Certificate of State Subject attested by a Gazetted Officer  
• Identity Certificate issued by the Election Commission of India
• Aadhaar Card 

Summary

An Emergency Certificate (EC) is a one-way emergency travel document that helps Indian citizens abroad return to India when a new passport cannot be issued in time, and this page also covers the Identity Certificate, Surrender Certificate and LoC Permit Certificate. Gather the required documents and apply through the nearest Indian embassy or consulate as soon as your passport is lost, stolen or damaged. Check the document list and fee for the certificate you need before you apply.