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Passport Services

First-Time Applicants

Please follow the instructions on this page if:

Note: If you are applying for the first passport for a child under the age of 18 who was born overseas, you must first report the child's birth.  You may apply for the child's first passport at the same time.

If you have never been issued one of the above listed documents but believe you have a claim to U.S. citizenship, you should e-mail us at mumbaiacs@state.gov, giving as many details of your situation as possible.  We will then let you know if there are any grounds for you to pursue your citizenship claim further.

Application requirements

You must apply for a passport in person but do not require an appointment.  Please bring the following with you to the Consulate:

  • Proof of U.S. citizenship:
    • a U.S. birth certificate; or
    • a U.S. Consular Report of Birth Abroad; or
    • a U.S. Certification of Birth; or
    • a U.S. Certificate of Citizenship; or
    • a U.S. Naturalization Certificate; or
    • a passport of your U.S. citizen parent(s) in which you are included;
  • Your original, long-form birth certificate: if your proof of citizenship is the U.S. passport of a parent in which you are included;
  • Proof of identity
    • a valid passport of any country;
    • a valid driver's license with photograph;
    • a national identity card with photograph;
    • a valid U.S. or state government ID card;
    • a U.S. military ID card; or
    • Any foreign passport that you may currently hold, have held, or been included in;
  • Any foreign passport that you may currently hold, have held, or been included in;
  • Name change documentation: If you have changed your name since your most recent passport was issued, you will be required to furnish name change documentation. Please follow this link for additional application requirements;
  • Passport application form DS-11: The instructions on this form are written for individuals applying for a passport within the United States.  As applications are processed differently outside the United States, please ignore the submission instructions on pages one and two of this form.  Form DS-11 must be printed on separate sheets of paper; do NOT print this form on front and back of the same sheet. For tips on completing the DS-11, follow this link;
  • Two identical passport photographs: The Consulate will reject any photographs that do not meet the specified requirements. Vending machine photographs and photographs printed on a home computer are unacceptable;
  • Fees: The application fee for an applicant under the age of 16 is U.S. $85.00 or Rs. 4080; aged 16 and over is $100.00 or Rs. 4800.  Accepted payment methods are as follows:
    • Cash: either U.S. dollars or Indian rupees; or
    • International money order to the exact U.S. dollar amount made payable to the "American Consulate General, Mumbai;" or
    • Demand draft drawn in U.S. dollars on a bank in the United States made payable to the "American Consulate General, Mumbai;" or
    • Demand draft drawn in Indian rupees on a nationalized or foreign bank payable to the "American Consulate General, Mumbai."

Note: The Consulate is not authorized to accept personal checks. Money orders or demand drafts must have been issued within the last five months.

  • If you would like to receive your new passport by courier, you must purchase a prepaid courier envelope from any western India VFS office for Rs. 166 and bring it with you. We regret that we are unable to accept the courier fees at the American Citizens Services Unit.
  • Additional documents may be required depending upon the circumstances of your case.
  • If applying for a child under the age of 16, you will also be required to follow additional instructions.

Processing time

An application for a full-validity (ten years for adults; five years for children under age 16) passport will be sent to the United States for printing with a secure, photo-digitized image of the bearer.  You should allow 15 working days for your application to be processed.
If you have an emergency need to travel within 15 working days and you can provide evidence of this travel, you may be eligible for an emergency limited-validity passport. Follow this link for further information.

For more information on First Time passport renewal please click here.