The GOI launched the 'Tatkal Scheme' of issue of out of turn passports w.e.f. January 2000. Out of turn passports may be issued (between 1-7 or 7-28 working days) only in cases of genuine urgency, on payment of prescribed fees. Eligible categories of 'Tatkal Scheme' are as under: -

• Patients requiring to go abroad for medical treatment (without any enhanced fee).
• Blood relatives of a person residing abroad who is seriously ill.
• In case of death abroad of close relative of applicant (without any enhanced fee).
• Businessmen intending to travel abroad urgently for trade, conferences trade fair etc.
• Students requiring a passport for appearing in examinations such as SAT (without any enhanced fee if the earnings of the parents/guardian of the student applicant is less than Rs./ Nu. 2000/- per month).
• Students going abroad to join foreign universities (without any enhanced fee if the earnings of the parents/guardian of the student applicant is less than Rs./ Nu. 2000/- per month).
• Spouse, parents, parents-in-law, children, brother, sister, brother-in-law and sister-in-law of individuals working abroad.

It is an offence under the Passports Act 1967 to give false information in the application. Passport facilities can be denied on grounds of suppression of factual information, submission of false particulars, willful damage of passport and/or making unauthorized changes in the passports.

Passports can be impounded or revoked by the GOI under the provisions of the passport Act 1967 in which event the same will have to be surrendered to the nearest Indian Passport authority.

An application for a new passport can be made within one year of expiry of the old passport. For this, an Application along with your old/existing passport, four photographs and affidavit should be submitted. If the application is found to be in order and no prior reference is required to be made to the original passport issuing authority, the passport will be issued in the normal course.
Every child should henceforth have a separate passport.
Duplicate Passports (in lieu of lost/damaged passports)
Applications for the duplicate passports will need to be submitted with the following documents:

• Police report about loss of passport.
• Four photographs.
• A fee of Rs./Nu. 6,000.00
• Letter from school/college if student
• Photocopy of previous (lost) passport
• School/birth certificate.
• Driving license, employer's letter (as applicable).

It normally takes one month in completing this process and duplicate passports can be issued only on receipt of clearances from the concerned authorities in India. Applicants are, therefore, requested to refrain from making written/telephone enquiries during this period.

It is important to furnish full, accurate and truthful information in the form. Misinformation of facts may entail denial of passport facilities. Applications received with incomplete details will remain unprocessed. A duplicate passport may not be issued for the second loss/damage of passport. Habitual losers of passports will be denied further passport facilities.

For change of name or surname, consequent to marriage/divorce, please submit original marriage/divorce certificate, along with photocopy of husband's passport.

In all other cases of change of name/surname in the passport, the change has first to be advertised in newspaper, both in Bhutan and India (circulation in the area of your permanent and present residence). Original news paper clipping are required to be submitted. An affidavit, duly notarized is also required. Request for change of name for any other purpose is not normally entertained. Service is provided after a waiting period of 30 days from the date of application of advertisement in the newspaper.

Application for change in date of birth will not be entertained unless accompanied by a court order issued by a judicial officer not below the rank of first class magistrate in India.