Indian passport renewal — the forms that need a notary
The annexures and Change of Appearance form that need a notary for Indian passport renewal in the USA.
Now booking. Call (925) 319-8855.
Renewing or reissuing an Indian passport from the US goes through VFS Global. Several forms in that packet need a California notary, and one catches almost everybody.
Useful today, whoever does your notarization.
The one everybody forgetsLink to this section
The Change of Appearance form.
It is required for adult applicants even if nothing about your appearance has changed. You still fill it in, and it still needs notarizing.
People discover this at the VFS counter, after taking a day off. Do not be that person.
Forms that commonly need notarizingLink to this section
Requirements depend on your case, and VFS is the authority. These are the ones that come up again and again:
Change of Appearance form — adults, essentially always.
Annexure D — for a child's passport. Both parents sign in front of the notary. Both must be present at the same appointment, each with their own photo ID.
Annexure E — a self-declaration, commonly required.
Annexure F or L — only if the passport was lost or damaged, with the police report.
Copies of supporting documents — some are self-attested (you sign the photocopy yourself, no notary), some need notarizing. Read the VFS checklist closely. People mix these two up constantly.
Other declarations — address change, name change, marital status, minor's consent, depending on your case.
Confirm your own list with VFS.
These forms are revised regularly. A notary can notarize anything you bring, but cannot tell you which forms your application needs.
Bringing childrenLink to this section
For a child's passport, Annexure D must be signed by both parents in front of the notary.
That means:
- Both parents at the same appointment
- Each with their own valid photo ID
- The child does not need to be present for the notarization
If one parent is abroad or unavailable, they can usually sign in front of a notary wherever they are and send it — but check with VFS first, because single-parent and guardian rules are specific.
A mobile visit makes this much easier when getting two working parents into one room is the hard part. Mobile visits →
What to bringLink to this section
- Your photo ID. Which IDs work. The five-year rule catches a lot of people.
- Your forms, filled in but not signed.
- For a child's passport: both parents, both IDs.
A notary provides the notarization only. Filling in the forms is not permitted.
Does any of this need an apostille?Link to this section
Usually no.
Notarized affidavits and annexures submitted to VFS or the consulate in the US normally just need the notary stamp. Apostille applies to civil records — a US birth certificate, marriage certificate or name-change order — not to routine passport forms.
If your case does need one, here is how to file for it yourself — a notary cannot issue it.
TimingLink to this section
Notarizing passport forms takes about 10 to 15 minutes.
If you already have a VFS appointment, get the notarization done a day or two ahead, so there is room to fix anything.
CostLink to this section
$10 per page.
Plus a flat $75 travel fee if we come to you. Pricing →
Where you submitLink to this section
VFS Global handles Indian passport services in the US. The Consulate General of India, San Francisco covers California.
- VFS Global — Indian consular services in the USA
- Consulate General of India, San Francisco — passport services
- Passport FAQs
Also doing an OCI, or surrendering an Indian passport?Link to this section
Common to combine.
- OCI application documents →
- Surrender certificate, renunciation and name-change affidavits are all notarizable.
Book nowLink to this section
Call (925) 319-8855.
OCI documents · Power of attorney for India · All India pages
A notary service, not affiliated with the Government of India, the Consulate General of India, or VFS Global. It cannot advise on your application or tell you which forms you need. Always confirm with VFS.