Birth Certificate Mandatory For Passport If Born After Oct, 2023 – Trak.in
In a major update impacting passport applicants, the Government of India has announced that all individuals born on or after October 1, 2023, must submit their birth certificate as mandatory proof of date of birth while applying for a passport. This rule comes under the newly published Passport (Amendment) Rules, 2025, following the enactment of the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act, 2023.
No Change for Citizens Born Before October 1, 2023
For those born before October 1, 2023, the existing flexibility remains. Applicants can continue submitting any one of the alternative documents as proof of birth. These include:
- Transfer certificate or school leaving/matriculation certificate from a recognised institution
- PAN card
- Driving licence
- Electoral photo identity card (EPIC)
- Policy bond issued by LIC or public insurance companies
- Service record or pension order (for government employees)
This ensures that people born prior to the cutoff date are not required to produce a birth certificate and can use these accepted documents for passport verification.
Why the Change?
The primary goal of this amendment is to streamline and simplify documentation. The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act, 2023, designates the birth certificate as the single authoritative document to prove both date and place of birth for citizens born after the cutoff date. This will not only apply to passport issuance but also to other essential services like:
- Admission to educational institutions
- Issuance of driving licences
- Voter list registration
- Marriage registration
- Government job appointments
- Issuance of Aadhaar numbers
Bringing Uniformity and Ease
Before this amendment, a similar mandatory birth certificate rule existed for people born after January 26, 1989, but it was scrapped in 2016 to provide applicants with more flexibility. However, with digital records and centralized birth registration systems becoming robust, the government now aims to eliminate the confusion caused by multiple documents and ensure one unified proof of birth.
Conclusion
For new generations born from October 1, 2023, the birth certificate will now play a critical role in availing essential services. This update marks a step towards greater transparency, efficiency, and uniformity in identity documentation across India.
