Indian Passport Renewal in the USA in 2026: Steps, Fees, Documents and Times
Pratik ยท 09 Nov 2026
Renewing an Indian passport from the US is overwhelming. Contact Akshar Travels and we handle it for you.
A government portal, a VFS Global checklist that changes through the year, notarized colour copies, affidavits and annexures, and a photo that has to pass international rules. The guide below explains all of it. If you would rather not read it, this is what we do when you hand us the file.
- We work out which consulate covers your state and fill the government form for that office.
- We match every name, date and address against your current passport before anything is uploaded.
- We tell you exactly which documents your case needs, and which ones must be notarized.
- We get the photo and signature right and upload them with your documents.
- We handle VFS: the payment, the labels, the mailing and any hold email inside the seven days.
- If you are now a US citizen, we file your surrender certificate instead and line up your OCI.
The short answer
To renew an Indian passport in the USA, you fill the government form on the Passport Seva mission portal, upload your photo, signature and documents there, then pay VFS Global and send the printed form with your current passport to the VFS centre for your consulate.
Everything below is checked against the Embassy of India in Washington, the VFS Global checklists for the USA dated November 2026 and the Passport Seva photo rules. We renew passports for families across the US, so this is the page we would want you to read before you start.
$146
A normal adult renewal, 36 pages: $125 passport fee, $2 welfare fund, $19 VFS fee.
3 to 4 weeks
Normal processing for a complete file, plus the mailing time each way.
$271
Tatkal for an adult, 36 pages, when you need the passport fast.
3 days
Tatkal processing in working days, once the consulate has a complete file and clear police verification.
Who needs to renew, and when
You can apply for a new passport up to one year before your current one expires, and you should: the original goes in the envelope with your application, so plan around trips. These are the cases the Embassy lists, and what each one means for your file.
| Your situation | What you apply for | Tatkal |
|---|---|---|
| Passport expires within a year, or has already expired | Re-issue of passport | Yes |
| All the pages are used | Re-issue of passport | Yes |
| Married and adding your spouse's name | Re-issue with a change in details: spouse's passport copy plus a marriage certificate or a notarized joint photo declaration | Yes |
| Your own name changes, including a new surname after marriage | Re-issue with a change in name and a notarized name-change affidavit | No |
| You want the address in your passport changed | Re-issue with a change in details and proof of the new address | Yes |
| Passport lost or stolen | Re-issue in lieu of lost, with a police report | No |
| Passport damaged | Re-issue in lieu of damaged | No, if damaged beyond recognition |
| A child's passport running out | Minor re-issue. Under 15 the passport is valid for 5 years; from 15 a 10-year passport; from 18 the adult checklist | Yes |
| You have become a US citizen | Not a renewal. You surrender the Indian passport and take a surrender certificate, then apply for OCI | Does not apply |
The steps, in order
Open a new account on the mission portal
Go to mportal.passportindia.gov.in/mission and register with a new email address before you fill anything. You choose your consulate only when you create the account, so if you ever applied under another consulate, start a fresh account.
Fill the form and upload everything
Choose re-issue, 36 or 60 pages, and the right jurisdiction. Upload an ICAO-compliant photo, your scanned signature and every supporting document. A file without the uploads is returned unprocessed. Dates go in as DD/MM/YYYY, and nothing can be edited after you submit.
Print the form and note the ARN
Write down the Application Reference Number and print the form. Sign the last page by hand. Filling the government form does not finish the process; the paper file still has to reach VFS.
Register, pay and print labels at VFS
Complete the VFS questionnaire, pay and generate your shipping labels. The ARN must match the VFS payment receipt. Pay online by Visa or Mastercard (a 3.75 percent card charge applies) or send a money order or cashier's check to VFS Services (USA) Inc. Personal checks are refused.
Send the envelope and watch your email
Mail the checklist as the cover page, the form, your current original passport and the documents, one application per envelope, on A4 paper; or book an appointment at the centre. VFS updates the status 48 to 72 hours after your file arrives. If they put it on hold, you have 7 days to send what is missing.
The Embassy's consular wing in Washington. Your file goes to VFS first, then to the Embassy or consulate for your state.
The documents for your case
Pick the line that describes you. The lists come from the VFS Global checklists for the USA dated 1 and 3 November 2026. Send copies unless a line says original, and keep every name and date matching your current passport.
Adult renewal
The core list. Every other case starts here.
- The printed government form, signed on the last page, with photo and signature already uploaded.
- One physical photo, 35 by 45 mm, white background, taken in the last six months.
- Your current original Indian passport, plus copies of the first and last pages.
- The affidavit for change of appearance and signature, signed. It is required from everyone, even with no change.
- Annexure E, signed.
- A notarized colour copy of your US status: green card front and back, visa with I-20 or I-94 or I-797, EAD, or I-797A.
- A colour copy of proof of your US address: state ID, driving licence, a utility bill under three months old, a signed lease, mortgage or Form 1040. No PO box.
- The VFS payment receipt, the VFS checklist as the cover page and your return label.
Tatkal renewal
Open to anyone living in the US with a valid passport and valid status. The list is the adult list, with one difference.
- Everything in the adult renewal list.
- The affidavit for change of appearance and signature with a recent photo, not older than six months, affixed.
- The envelope marked Adult TATKAL, Passport Re-issuance.
- Not available for: a lost, stolen or badly damaged passport, a short-validity passport, a change of name, sex, date or place of birth, or a parent's name. Adults cannot change appearance or signature under tatkal; children can.
Lost or damaged passport
The higher fee applies, and tatkal is not open to a lost passport.
- Everything in the adult renewal list, including the damaged passport itself.
- Annexure F, signed.
- For a lost or stolen passport: a detailed, approved police report naming you and the lost passport, saying how it was lost, no more than six months old.
Change of name or address
Add the papers that prove the change.
- Adding a spouse: the spouse's passport copy, first and last pages, plus a marriage certificate or a notarized joint photo declaration signed by both of you.
- Taking your spouse's surname: the same papers, plus the notarized name-change affidavit.
- Any other name change: the notarized affidavit, a notice in a national daily in India and one in the US (or a state gazette), and two public or school documents in the new name.
- New Indian address: one proof such as Aadhaar, a bank statement with photo, a driving licence, a utility bill under three months, a voter card, or a parent's passport.
- New US address: the new address on the form and a proof that matches it, with the return label to the same address.
A child under 18
Both parents take part. A child under 15 gets a five-year passport.
- The printed form, signed by both parents on page 4 below the child's signature or thumb impression, with one Indian and one US address.
- The photo, the child's current original passport and copies of its first and last pages.
- The affidavit for change of appearance and signature, and Annexure E.
- Annexure D, signed by both parents and notarized. A parent abroad has it notarized there and adds a notarized no-objection letter.
- Annexure C, only if one parent has not given consent.
- Both parents' Indian passport copies, self-attested, and notarized copies of both parents' US status.
- The child's US status, notarized, US address proof and the birth certificate copy.
| Case | Add to the core list | Notarized |
|---|---|---|
| Renewal | Nothing extra | US status copy |
| Tatkal | Recent photo on the appearance affidavit | US status copy |
| Lost | Annexure F, police report under six months old | US status copy |
| Damaged | Annexure F, the damaged passport | US status copy |
| Name change | Name-change affidavit, marriage papers or newspaper notices | US status copy, name-change affidavit |
| Address change | Proof of the new Indian or US address | US status copy |
| Child | Annexure D, parents' passports and status, birth certificate | Annexure D, child's and parents' US status |
What it costs, as of November 2026
Three amounts make up every fee: the government passport fee, a $2 contribution to the Indian Community Welfare Fund, and the $19 VFS Global service fee. Older guides online still show a $75 passport fee; the Embassy's table, updated on 6 November 2026, shows $125.
| Service | Government | Welfare fund | VFS | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult renewal, 36 pages, 10 years | $125 | $2 | $19 | $146 | $125 government, $2 welfare fund, $19 VFS |
| Adult renewal, 60-page jumbo | $175 | $2 | $19 | $196 | $175 government, $2 welfare fund, $19 VFS |
| Child under 15, 5 years | $90 | $2 | $19 | $111 | $90 government, $2 welfare fund, $19 VFS |
| Child 15 to 18, 10 years, 36 pages | $125 | $2 | $19 | $146 | $125 government, $2 welfare fund, $19 VFS |
| Tatkal adult, 36 pages | $250 | $2 | $19 | $271 | $125 passport and $125 tatkal fee, $2 welfare fund, $19 VFS |
| Tatkal adult, 60 pages | $300 | $2 | $19 | $321 | $175 passport and $125 tatkal fee, $2 welfare fund, $19 VFS |
| Tatkal child under 15 | $215 | $2 | $19 | $236 | $90 passport and $125 tatkal fee, $2 welfare fund, $19 VFS |
| Lost or damaged, adult, 36 pages | $250 | $2 | $19 | $271 | $250 government, $2 welfare fund, $19 VFS |
| Lost or damaged, adult, 60 pages | $300 | $2 | $19 | $321 | $300 government, $2 welfare fund, $19 VFS |
| Lost or damaged, child under 15 | $215 | $2 | $19 | $236 | $215 government, $2 welfare fund, $19 VFS |
| Surrender certificate, for new US citizens | $40 | $3 | VFS fee | $43 plus VFS | $40 government, $3 welfare fund, plus the VFS service fee |
Card payments carry a 3.75 percent convenience charge. Return shipping is extra if you buy it from VFS; check the current figure on the VFS page. The 10 percent discount for children up to 8 and adults over 60 applies to fresh passports, not to renewals.
How long it takes: normal and tatkal
The clock starts when the consulate has a complete file. Add the mailing both ways, and the 48 to 72 hours VFS takes to log your envelope.
| Normal | Tatkal | |
|---|---|---|
| Processing | 3 to 4 weeks, excluding shipping | 3 working days, excluding shipping; VFS says 3 to 4 business days when police verification is clear |
| Police verification pending | Can take up to two weeks in India; a relative can visit the police station to help | About 30 days or more |
| Complex cases | The consulate may call for more documents | About 30 days or more for adoption, a child applying with one parent, a major name change or a duplicate passport |
| Who can use it | Everyone | Valid passport and valid US status; not for lost passports or most changes of details |
| Adult fee, 36 pages | $146 | $271 |
| Return mailing | About 10 to 15 business days by USPS if you send no return label | The same; send a prepaid label to save the time |
The Consulate General of India in New York. If you live in New Jersey, this is your consulate.
Which consulate handles your state
You select the consulate on the government form and at VFS, and both are decided by where you live. Choose wrong and you fill a new form. New Jersey renews through New York; the Bay Area through San Francisco.
| Consulate | States and territories |
|---|---|
| New York | New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Ohio, Pennsylvania |
| Washington, D.C. (Embassy) | District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Bermuda |
| Atlanta | Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands |
| Boston | Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont |
| Chicago | Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin |
| Houston | Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma |
| Los Angeles | Southern California (Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Imperial, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Kern and San Luis Obispo counties), Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico |
| San Francisco | The rest of California, including the Bay Area, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Hawaii, Guam |
| Seattle | Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota |
US citizen now? Surrender instead
India does not allow dual citizenship. Under the Citizenship Act of 1955, an Indian who voluntarily takes another nationality stops being an Indian national, and must surrender the Indian passport and obtain a surrender certificate. An expired passport can be surrendered too.
It matters most for OCI. A former Indian citizen cannot get an OCI card without the surrender or renunciation certificate, and it is the step where most OCI files stall. The surrender goes through the same portal and VFS, for $40 plus the $3 welfare fund and the VFS service fee. If a late-surrender charge applies to you, check the current figure on the VFS page.
Read our guide to the OCI card from the USA, or let us file the surrender and the OCI together.
The photo, the step that sends most files back
Since 1 September 2025 only ICAO-compliant photographs are accepted. The photo you upload and the one you send must be identical, and the size is not the 2 by 2 inch US format.
- 35 by 45 mm printed, 630 by 810 pixels uploaded, in colour.
- White background; wear a coloured shirt so you stand apart from it.
- Face fills 80 to 85 percent of the frame, full head from hair to chin, not tilted.
- Eyes open and visible, mouth closed, natural expression, no hair across the eyes.
- No shadows, flash reflections or red eye; take glasses off.
- Taken in the last six months, never edited. Head coverings for religious reasons only, with the full face showing.
A booth or pharmacy photo set to the US 2 by 2 inch size will not pass. Ask for 35 by 45 mm on white.
Why files come back
Photo and signature not uploaded
VFS returns the file unprocessed. Upload both on the government portal before you print the form.
The wrong consulate
The consulate is set when you create the portal account, and the wrong one means a new form. Check the table above before you register.
Details that do not match your passport
Every entry has to match the current passport. Where something changed, send the document that proves it. VFS staff cannot edit your online form for you.
Copies not notarized, or notarized wrongly
The US status copy must be in colour and notarized with stamp and signature. A notary stamp whose expiry date has been corrected by hand is refused.
Address proof that does not count
No PO box, nothing expired, and do not cut the driving licence copy down. The return label must go to the same address as the proof.
A personal check
Pay online by card, or send a money order or cashier's check made out to VFS Services (USA) Inc.
Missing papers not sent in time
When VFS emails a hold, send what is missing within 7 days. A file still incomplete after 20 days goes back to you, with the passport and welfare fund fees refunded less postage.
An old online form, or tatkal for the wrong case
VFS suggests a fresh form if yours is more than 150 days old, because forms can expire at 180 days. And a name change or a lost passport cannot go under tatkal.
Air India's Newark to Delhi flight. Book once the new passport is back in your hands.
Travelling while the passport is in process
Plan on not travelling abroad. Your current original passport goes into the envelope with the application, and VFS sends it back, cancelled, together with the new one. Until then you have no Indian passport in hand.
So apply well before a trip: up to a year before expiry is allowed. If a trip comes up at short notice, tatkal is the route for a straightforward renewal. For a real emergency, the Embassy and consulates also issue an Emergency Certificate; call your consulate to ask whether your case qualifies.
One thing does not stop you. If police verification in India is still pending when your new passport arrives, the passport is valid and you can travel on it.
We can renew it for you
Akshar Travels renews Indian passports for adults and children, tatkal included, with the right consulate for your state, and files surrender certificates for families who have become US citizens. We check every page against the checklist before it goes in the envelope.
Akshar Travels
Fees, documents and timelines checked in November 2026 against the Embassy of India in Washington, the VFS Global passport pages and checklists for the USA, the Passport Seva photo guidelines and the consular jurisdiction list of the Consulate General of India in Chicago. Rules change; check the official pages before you pay. Pictures from Wikimedia Commons: New India House, home of the Consulate General of India in New York, by Gryffindor (CC BY-SA 3.0) and by Jim Henderson (public domain), the Embassy of India consular wing by Ajay Suresh (CC BY 4.0), the Consulate General of India in San Francisco by Aquintero82 (CC BY-SA 4.0), the Air India Boeing 777 by Charles from Port Chester, New York (CC BY 2.0), the Indian passport cover by Sulthan90 (CC BY-SA 4.0) and the photo booth in Winschoten by Donald Trung (CC BY-SA 4.0).
FAQ
How do I renew my Indian passport in the USA?
Create a new account on the Passport Seva mission portal, fill the re-issue form for the consulate that covers your state, and upload an ICAO photo, your signature and your documents. Print the form, register and pay at VFS Global, then mail the form, your current passport and the documents to VFS, or hand them in by appointment.
How much does Indian passport renewal cost in the USA?
As of November 2026 an adult renewal with a 36-page booklet costs $146: the $125 passport fee, $2 for the Indian Community Welfare Fund and the $19 VFS Global fee. A 60-page booklet is $196, a child under 15 is $111, and tatkal for an adult is $271. Card payments add 3.75 percent.
How long does Indian passport renewal take in the USA?
The Embassy of India gives 3 to 4 weeks for a normal renewal and 3 working days for tatkal, counted once the consulate has a complete file and not including shipping. Tatkal can take about 30 days or more while police verification in India is pending. Add the mailing time to and from VFS.
What documents do I need to renew my Indian passport in the USA?
For an adult: the signed printed form, one 35 by 45 mm photo on white, your current original passport with copies of the first and last pages, the affidavit for change of appearance and signature, Annexure E, a notarized colour copy of your US status and a colour copy of your US address proof. Lost, name change and child cases add more.
Can I get a tatkal Indian passport in the USA?
Yes. Tatkal is open to anyone living in the US with a valid passport and valid status, such as a green card, visa, EAD or I-797A. It costs $271 for an adult with a 36-page booklet and takes about 3 working days. It is not available for a lost or badly damaged passport, a name change, or a change of date or place of birth.
Where do I renew my Indian passport in New Jersey?
New Jersey is under the Consulate General of India in New York, with New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Select New York when you create your Passport Seva account, then send the file to VFS Global for New York or book an appointment there. Akshar Travels files renewals for New Jersey families from start to finish.
Can I renew an expired Indian passport from the USA?
Yes. The Embassy of India lists an already expired passport as a reason for re-issue, and you apply the same way as for a passport that is about to expire, sending the expired passport with the application. If you have since become a US citizen, you surrender the passport instead of renewing it.
How do I change my address on my Indian passport in the USA?
Apply for a re-issue with a change in details. Put the new address on the government form and send proof of it: for an Indian address, a document such as Aadhaar, a bank statement with photo, a utility bill under three months old or a parent's passport; for a US address, a proof that matches the address on the form.