Newborn's First Indian Passport

When both parents hold an Indian passport at the time their baby is born, a UK-born child is generally eligible for a first Indian passport. Two things make this application different from an adult renewal: the birth has to be registered with the Indian High Commission first, and both parents must attend the VFS appointment together with the baby. NriDirect looks after the eligibility check, the High Commission birth registration, the Passport Seva application, the parental-consent paperwork, and the VFS booking. From £160. We prepare your application within 24 hours of receiving your documents, and the passport is typically issued 7 to 30 days after VFS submission. We confirm the current rules with you before you order, so nothing is a surprise.

Who this is for#

This service fits your family if your child:

• Was born in the UK to two parents who were Indian citizens at the time of the birth
• Was born to one Indian-citizen parent and you would like them registered as an Indian citizen (this depends on eligibility, which we check)
• Needs to travel to India in the coming months and does not yet hold an OCI card

If both parents are British citizens of Indian origin, an OCI card is usually the stronger long-term option because it offers lifelong visa-free entry — see Fresh OCI Application. We talk through which route suits your family during the consultation.

How it works#

1. Eligibility consultation — we confirm your child qualifies based on each parent's nationality at the time of the birth.
2. Your checklist — a tailored document list reaches you within one working day.
3. You send scans — the birth certificate, both parents' passports, and your immigration evidence.
4. Birth registration — we prepare and lodge the registration of the birth with the Indian High Commission, which comes before the passport.
5. Passport application — we complete the Passport Seva application, ready the consent paperwork, and book your VFS Global appointment.
6. Appointment day — both parents attend VFS together with the baby to submit and sign.
7. Issuance — the passport is usually issued 7 to 30 days after submission.

Documents you'll need#

• The child's full UK birth certificate, showing both parents
• Both parents' current Indian passports
• Both parents' valid UK immigration evidence — a UKVI Share Code, visa, or settled / pre-settled status
• The parents' marriage certificate (translated if it is not in English)
• Two infant photographs taken to Indian passport specification on a white background
• A signed parental consent form

We send you the templates and practical guidance, including how to capture a compliant photograph of a very young baby — it can be done, and we explain the trick to it.

What From £160 includes#

Your £160 covers the whole preparation service: a full eligibility check, the birth registration with the High Commission, the complete Passport Seva online application, all parental-consent paperwork, your VFS Global appointment booking, infant-specific photo guidance, tracking after submission, and free re-preparation if an application is rejected because of an error on our side. Your original passports are checked and returned to you at VFS — they never leave your hands.

The Indian government and VFS Global charge their own fees for the passport and the appointment. Those are set by the authorities, paid separately, and are not part of our £160. We confirm the current government and VFS charges with you before you order.

What's changed for 2026#

Passport Seva rules, VFS procedures, and the immigration evidence the High Commission expects are all reviewed from time to time, and small changes can trip up families who applied a year or two ago. We prepare newborn applications from across the UK regularly and check the live requirements against your case before submission, so you are working to the rules as they stand today rather than an out-of-date checklist.

Mistakes we prevent#

Newborn applications most often stall when parents try to apply before the birth has been registered with the High Commission, when only one parent turns up at VFS without a notarised consent letter from the other, when families assume the child is automatically an Indian citizen without checking the parental-nationality rule at the time of the birth, or when the infant photograph does not meet the strict Indian specification. We walk you through each of these in advance so they do not become a rejection.

Timing and related services#

Allow 7 to 30 days from VFS submission for the passport itself. If the birth registration has to be completed first, add roughly 1 to 2 weeks. Because a minor's Indian passport is valid for 5 years, not the usual 10, plan for an earlier renewal down the line under Indian Passport Renewal. If you decide an OCI card is the better long-term fit, see Fresh OCI Application, and if a VFS slot is hard to find you can bring one forward with VFS Priority Appointment.

Why NriDirect#

New parents already have plenty to juggle. We have prepared first-passport applications for UK-based Indian families week in and week out, so we know how the birth-registration step works, how to handle the consent paperwork when one parent cannot attend, and how to get past the fiddly infant-photo requirement. You can reach us by phone, WhatsApp, or email, including evenings and weekends, in English, Hindi, Punjabi, and Gujarati.

Ready to start?#

Let's get your baby's first passport underway. Call +44 7454 034747, WhatsApp +44 7454 034747↗, or email [email protected] — we'll send your eligibility checklist within one working day.