What is Diplomatic Passport?

The diplomatic passport's meaning refers to the fact that it is a special travel document that is provided to the government officials of a country. The diplomatic passport provides many privileges and different immunities to individuals when they are on international travel. The Ministry of External Affairs in India has the authority and powers to issue a diplomatic passport to individuals who are eligible.

What is the Importance of a Diplomatic Passport?

The diplomatic passport is very important because it ensures that the holder experiences smooth diplomatic interactions and they are safe and secure during the journey. There are so many diplomatic passport benefits, which are given below. Here are the reasons why the diplomatic passports have so much significance:

Facilitation of Diplomatic Functions: For all the individuals who are engaged in diplomatic functions, this passport streamlines the travel process for them. It puts them in the priority list, and they do not face any issues during the journey. It represents that the holder of this passport is on official government business and is eligible for certain perks in the foreign country.
Symbol of Official Representation: This passport acts as a symbol of official representation of government-related authorities. It represents that the ebraer is a government's representative and he/she should be given credibility. Diplomatic passports facilitate access to events and diplomatic channels.
Immunity and Privileges: These passports give the bearer immunity from certain legal processes. It is valid only in the host country. The holders of the diplomatic passports are also given some other privileges, such as exemptions from some taxes and duties.

What is the Eligibility Criteria of a Diplomatic Passport?

In India, the diplomatic passport is only issued to those people who have specific positions in the government. These passports are not for the common citizens of the country. Here is the category of people who are eligible to get diplomatic passports:

The government officials of High ranks, including the ministers and secretaries.
Ambassadors, Consular staff, and Diplomats.
Those individuals who represent India in the International organisations or firms.
All the family members of the diplomats, such as children, spouses, and official hostesses.

Documents Needed to Apply for a Diplomatic Passport in India

If an individual wants to apply for a diplomatic passport, then they must submit the specific documents to validate their diplomatic status and eligibility. Here is the list of the needed documents:

1. Identification Document: A valid and official government-issued ID is needed to confirm the identity of the applicant.

2. Forwarding Officer's Letter: You need a letter from the Forwarding Officer stating the need for the diplomatic passport.

3. Head of Office Certificate: You need a certificate from the head of the office from where you apply for the diplomatic passport, confirming their role.

4. Current Official/Diplomatic Passport: You need to submit the original official or diplomatic passport, if it is needed.

5. Safe Custody or Surrender Certificate: If the original diplomatic certificate is held by the Ministry of External Affairs, then you need to submit the surrender certificate.

6. Passport-sized photographs: You have to submit at least two recent passport-sized photographs with a white background.

Fees and Processing Time for Diplomatic Passport

The fees and the processing time for the diplomatic passports are given below:

Fees for Diplomatic Passport

There is one advantage of having a diplomatic passport in India, which is that you don't have to pay any application fees. It is not like the other passports, which require a certain amount of fees for issuance and renewal. The diplomatic passports are used for official government duties, hence they are issued free of charge. Elimination of the application fees makes the whole passport process very straightforward for the eligible officials, as it eliminates the financial barriers.

Processing time for Diplomatic Passport

The processing time for the diplomatic passports is shorter than that of the regular passports. After you have submitted your application for the passport, it usually takes up to 3 to 5 days to process and issue the diplomatic passport. The fast process makes sure that the individual can travel urgently for government duties without any delays.

How to Apply for a Diplomatic Passport

There is a structured process for obtaining a diplomatic passport, and here are the main steps for it:

Step 1: Visit the official website of Passport Seva and create an account on it.

Step 2: Select the option saying "Apply for Diplomatic passport/Official passport".

Step 3: Fill out all the required details with the correct information.

Step 4: After completing the online application, submit it to the local passport office along with the necessary documents. You can also submit it to the Consular, Passport, and Visa (CVC) division in New Delhi.

After the verification is successful, you will be issued your diplomatic passport.