Passport Regulates Indians' Departure, Not Meant To Prove Citizenship: MEA
Passport Regulates Indians' Departure, Not Meant To Prove Citizenship: MEA Published By, Last Updated: July 15, 2026, 07:17 IST The clarification comes days after senior
Passport Regulates Indians' Departure, Not Meant To Prove Citizenship: MEA Published By, Last Updated: July 15, 2026, 07:17 IST The clarification comes days after senior MEA officials, speaking during Passport Seva Divas on June 24, described the passport as a travel document Rapid Read File photo of Indian passport. (IMAGE: NEWS18 FILE) The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday said an Indian passport is a document issued by the government to regulate the departure of Indian citizens from the country, amid an ongoing political debate over whether it can be used as proof of citizenship. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said passports are issued only after due verification under an established process and are governed by the Passports Act, 1967, and the Passports Rules, 1980. He also noted that fewer than eight per cent of Indians currently hold a passport. “An Indian passport is a document that, as per the Passports Act, 1967, is issued by the Government of India to regulate the departure from India of citizens of India," Jaiswal said while responding to queries on the issue.
“It is issued after due verification laid out by an established process. The issue of passports to Indian citizens or any other individual is governed by the Passports Act, 1967 and Passports Rules, 1980," he added. The clarification comes days after senior MEA officials, speaking during Passport Seva Divas on June 24, described the passport as a travel document and not a document to establish citizenship. The officials were responding to questions on whether a passport could be accepted as proof of citizenship during the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls being carried out in several states. They had said that while a passport is issued for international travel, it is not intended to serve as proof of citizenship. The remarks sparked a political controversy, with several Opposition parties, including the Congress, questioning how a passport issued by the Government of India could not reflect the holder’s citizenship.
The Congress accused the Centre of attempting to lay the groundwork for arbitrarily denying citizenship rights to certain Indians and criticised the MEA’s position on the issue. Reiterating the government’s stand, Jaiswal said passports are issued strictly in accordance with the legal framework and after due verification, while highlighting that only a small proportion of Indian citizens currently possess the travel document. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Key Questions Answered Will this MEA clarification impact future citizenship debates? The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) clarified that an Indian passport is a travel document regulating departure, not proof of citizenship. What other documents prove Indian citizenship? The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has clarified that an Indian passport is a travel document, not conclusive proof of citizenship. Citizenship is determined under the Citizenship Act, 1955. Could passport rules change after this controversy?
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