Which Indian passport forms need to be notarized?
Which forms in the VFS Indian passport packet have to be notarized, according to the official checklists. Pleasanton notary, $10 per document.
It depends on your case, and the VFS checklist for your case is the authority. Across the current checklists, the ones that say "notarized" are Annexure D for a child, the affidavit of name change, a joint photo declaration, and copies of your US immigration status and address proof. Print your checklist and read the right-hand column.
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Start by printing your own checklistLink to this section
VFS Global publishes a separate checklist for each situation. Fresh passport, re-issue, minor, lost or damaged, Tatkal. They do not all say the same thing, and they are revised often.
Each checklist has a column on the right saying whether the item is an original, a self-attested copy, or notarized. That column is the answer to the question you are asking.
VFS Global, Indian passport services in the USA · Consulate passport page
What the current checklists sayLink to this section
This is what the published checklists said when this page was last checked. Yours may differ. Read your own.
| Form | Who it is for | What the checklist says |
|---|---|---|
| Affidavit for Change of Appearance & Signature | Everyone | Mandatory for all applicants. On the fresh passport checklist it is listed as notarized. On the adult re-issue checklist, notarization is spelled out only for short validity reissue in asylum and U visa cases. Check your own checklist. |
| Annexure E | Everyone | Mandatory, in original. It says signed by the applicant. It does not say notarized. |
| Annexure D | A child's passport | Signed by both parents and notarized. |
| Annexure C | A child's passport, in some cases | Single parent, guardian, adoption or separation cases, or where one parent is not giving consent. |
| Annexure F | Lost or damaged passport | Mandatory, along with a police report less than six months old. |
| Affidavit of name change | Name changes | Original, notarized. |
| Joint photo declaration | Some spouse name cases | Signed by both husband and wife, notarized. |
| Copy of your valid US status | Everyone | Notarized colour copy. Green card, visa, EAD, I-797A approval notice, and so on. |
| Proof of US address | Everyone | Notarized colour copy. |
Self-attested means you sign the photocopy yourself. No notary, no fee. People mix this up with "notarized" constantly, so check which one your checklist asks for.
The detail that gets applications returnedLink to this section
The checklists say the expiry date on the notary stamp must not be crossed out, written over, or corrected by hand.
That means a stamp that is clean and readable, from a notary whose commission has not expired. If you are handed back a form with a hand-altered date on the stamp, do not send it.
Getting a child's passport notarizedLink to this section
Annexure D has to be signed by both parents, and it has to be notarized.
- Each parent signs in front of the notary, with their own valid photo ID.
- The child does not have to be there for the notarization.
- Coming together is simplest, and a mobile visit makes that easier when two working parents cannot get to the same place.
If one parent is outside the country, the checklist says that parent can sign Annexure D in front of a notary public where they are, and send it along with a notarized no-objection letter from that same parent. Confirm the wording with VFS before you rely on it.
The checklist also says both parents sign page 4 of the online application form, below the child's signature or thumb impression. That is not a notarized page. It is easy to miss.
What to bringLink to this section
- Your photo ID. Which IDs work. The five year rule catches people out.
- Your forms, filled in but not signed. Sign in front of the notary.
- For a child's passport, both parents and both IDs.
A notary notarizes. Filling in your forms is not allowed, and neither is telling you which forms you need.
Does any of this need an apostille?Link to this section
Usually no.
An affidavit or annexure going to VFS or the consulate inside the United States normally just needs the notary stamp. An apostille is for civil records, such as a US birth certificate or a marriage certificate.
If your case does need one, a notary cannot issue it. Only the California Secretary of State can, and you file for it yourself. How to do that.
Timing and costLink 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 early. That leaves room to fix anything.
| Notarization | $10 for each document notarized |
| Travel to you | $75 flat |
Also doing an OCI, or surrendering an Indian passport?Link to this section
People often do these together. Surrender certificates, renunciation forms and name change affidavits can all be notarized here.
Book nowLink to this section
Call (925) 319-8855.
OCI documents · Power of attorney for India · All India pages
A notary service. Not connected to the Government of India, the Consulate General of India, or VFS Global. It cannot advise you on your application or tell you which forms you need. Always confirm with VFS.