Name Correction and Name Change in a Passport in West Bengal: Both Are a Reissue
A passport is never edited. There is no correction slip and no endorsement, so a single wrong letter and a complete change of name travel the same road: an application for Reissue, a new booklet and a new passport number. What differs is the paperwork, and one detail catches people out badly, which is that the visas in your old booklet do not come with you.
Get Call and Name Change Format
How to Correct or Change Your Name in a Passport (Quick Answer)
Apply for Reissue of Passport on the Passport Seva portal under change in existing personal particulars. Both a spelling correction and a full change of name use this same application, and both produce a new booklet with a new number. The documents differ: a correction is supported by records that already carry the right name, a surname change after marriage is normally accepted on a marriage certificate or a joint declaration, and a major change of name needs an affidavit, notices in two daily newspapers and a gazette notification. Update Aadhaar and PAN first. Pay online, book a PSK or POPSK appointment, attend with originals, and expect police verification. Check the Document Advisor on the portal for your exact case, and remember that visas in the old booklet do not transfer.
| Application type | Reissue of Passport, change in existing personal particulars, for both cases |
| Result | New booklet, new passport number; the old one is cancelled and usually returned |
| Correction documents | Records already carrying the correct name; no gazette |
| After marriage | Marriage certificate or joint declaration; gazette usually not needed |
| Major change of name | Affidavit, notices in two daily newspapers, and a gazette notification |
| Police verification | Generally applies to a change of personal particulars; before or after issue |
| Fee | Around Rs 1,500 for 36 pages, more for 60; about Rs 1,000 for a minor; Tatkal adds roughly Rs 2,000 |
| Time | Reported averages of about 7 working days normal and 3 Tatkal; name cases commonly 7 to 30 days |
| Where | Online, with the appointment at a PSK or one of 440 plus POPSKs |
| Visas | Stay in the cancelled booklet; each country has its own transfer rule |
Can a Passport Name Be Edited? No, It Is Always a Reissue
Aadhaar is updated. PAN is corrected. A board issues an endorsement. A passport does none of these things. Whatever the reason, the answer is a fresh booklet, applied for under Reissue of Passport, and the old one is cancelled and usually handed back to you punched or stamped.
That is why a single wrong letter is not a small matter here. It costs the same application, the same fee and the same police verification as a full change of name, and it gives you a new passport number either way. If you are going to fix a spelling, fix everything else that is wrong at the same time.
Renewal and reissue
People say renewal; the portal says reissue. Expiry, exhausted pages, damage and a change of personal particulars all sit under the same service, which is why searching for renewal brings up the same forms.
Passport Name Correction or Change of Name: What Each One Needs
| Your case | Treated as | What it needs |
|---|---|---|
| A letter wrong, other records correct | Correction, through reissue | Documents already carrying the correct name; no gazette |
| Initial to be expanded, or spacing wrong | Correction, through reissue | An ID showing the full correct form; a blank surname is a separate case |
| Surname taken after marriage | Change of particulars | Marriage certificate, or a joint declaration by both spouses |
| Maiden name restored after divorce | Change of particulars | Gazette, with the decree as support |
| New first name, or a full name overhaul | Major change of name | Affidavit, notices in two daily newspapers, gazette notification |
| Adoption | Change of particulars | Adoption order or deed, with the gazette |
| Child's name changed | Minor reissue | Gazette of India, birth certificate, both parents' documents (the annexures) |
Which gazette the passport office wants, and why the state one will not do.
Central Gazette Process for a Passport Name Change, Step by Step
Where your case needs a gazette, it must be the Gazette of India. The Kolkata Gazette Part II is a state publication and the passport office does not treat it as sufficient for a passport, so a West Bengal applicant with a passport in view files centrally even though the state route is cheaper in time.
Fix the exact new name
Spelling, spacing, surname order and any expansion of initials. Every document after this copies it: the affidavit, both newspapers, the proforma, then Aadhaar, PAN and the passport. Write it once and never retype it from memory.
Notarised affidavit
On non-judicial stamp paper in your own name, stating the old name, the new full name, your parentage, address and the reason, with a declaration that both names refer to one and the same person. The Department of Publication looks for an affidavit that is not older than about a year, so swear it close to filing. Sign in the old name.
Notices in two daily newspapers
One in the local language and one in English, in West Bengal that means a Bengali daily and an English daily. Book them as classified text under change of name, keep the complete pages with masthead and date rather than clippings, and buy two or three copies of each. Which papers, and what they cost.
Typed proforma with two witnesses
The Department of Publication's own proforma, typed rather than handwritten, carrying the old and new name and signed by two witnesses. Witnesses sign in your old name, because that is still your legal name until publication.
Pay on BharatKosh
The fee is paid online through the Non-Tax Receipt Portal against your own reference, and the receipt goes into the file. Rs 1,100 for an adult, Rs 1,700 for a minor, higher for an applicant abroad, with an additional charge per alias where the file carries one. Nobody should be collecting this in cash on the government's behalf.
Post the file to Delhi, in your own name
Affidavit, both complete newspaper pages, the typed proforma, identity and address proof, photographs, the BharatKosh receipt and a soft copy of the notification text with a certificate that it matches the typed version. Sent to the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi 110054. The application is expected from the applicant, and agents are not permitted to file in their own name.
Publication, then the free download
Part IV notifications are published on a weekly cycle and the usual wait is 30 to 45 days from the file reaching Delhi. The published notification is downloaded free from egazette.gov.in; nothing is posted back to you and nobody needs to sell you a copy. If a printing error appears, a corrigendum can be sought, and that window is limited, so check the notification the day you download it.
Only then the passport
Gazette, then Aadhaar, then PAN, then the passport reissue. Applying for the booklet before the gazette exists means applying with no proof of the new name.
Read the dedicated guide
Gazette name change for a passport in West Bengal: why the state gazette will not do, and the exceptions where no gazette is needed at all.
Fix Aadhaar and PAN Before You Touch the Passport
The passport office reads your other records. Applying for a booklet in a name that your Aadhaar and PAN do not carry invites questions at verification and can stall the file. The order that works is: gazette where one is needed, then Aadhaar, then PAN, then the passport.
Living outside India? The NRI route runs across two portals and is verified at your Indian address.
There is a second reason to follow it. Aadhaar allows only two name changes in a lifetime, so if you rush the passport and then discover your name needs adjusting, you may have already spent a change you cannot get back.
Documents Required for Passport Name Change: Use the Document Advisor
- The existing passport, original plus self-attested copies of the first and last pages
- Proof of the new name: gazette notification, or marriage certificate, as your case requires
- Aadhaar and PAN in the new name
- Address proof matching the application
- Newspaper pages, where a gazette route was used
- For a minor: birth certificate and both parents' documents
Use the portal's own tool
Passport Seva's Document Advisor asks a few questions and returns the exact list for your case. Document requirements differ by situation and change over time, so treat the Advisor as the authority over any list on any website, this one included.
Applying for a Passport Reissue With a New Name
Get the proof in order
Gazette or marriage certificate as your case needs, and Aadhaar and PAN already updated.
Register and apply on Passport Seva
Choose Reissue of Passport and change in existing personal particulars. Enter the new name exactly as your proof prints it.
Pay online and book the appointment
Use the fee calculator. Choose a Passport Seva Kendra or a Post Office Passport Seva Kendra, whichever is closer.
Attend with originals
Biometrics, photograph and document verification. Carry the old passport; it will be cancelled.
Police verification
Generally applies to a change of personal particulars, and may happen before or after issue. Be reachable at the address you gave.
Receive the new booklet, then handle the visas
Delivered by Speed Post. The visa question is next, and it is the one that costs money if ignored.
Passport Reissue Fees, Tatkal and How Long It Takes
A reissue is commonly quoted at around Rs 1,500 for a 36-page booklet, with a higher figure for 60 pages and about Rs 1,000 for a minor. Tatkal adds roughly Rs 2,000 and compresses the issuance window. These are Ministry of External Affairs fees and they are revised, so the fee calculator on the portal is the number that counts.
On timing, the Ministry has reported averages of about seven working days for normal applications and three for Tatkal. A name change is slower than a plain renewal because of verification, and is commonly quoted at 7 to 30 days.
Tatkal is not a shortcut around documents
It speeds up processing, not paperwork. If your case needs a gazette, Tatkal will not replace it, and a file without the right proof simply waits.
Do Visas Transfer to the New Passport After a Name Change? No
This is the part that costs people real money. A valid visa is stamped or affixed in a physical booklet, and when that booklet is cancelled the visa stays in it. Nothing transfers automatically, and there is no single rule: some countries let you travel with both booklets, some require a transfer, and some want a fresh application in the new name.
So before you file, list every valid visa you hold and ask each consulate what it requires. And if travel is booked, work backwards: a reissue plus a visa transfer is not a two-week job.
Keep the old booklet
The cancelled passport is normally returned to you. Keep it safe, because it carries your visa history and, in many cases, the visas themselves.
Passport Name Change Mistakes That Cost Travel
Applying before Aadhaar and PAN are updated
The passport office reads your other records. Fix them first.
Forgetting the visas
They stay in the cancelled booklet. Ask each consulate before you file, not after.
Booking travel around a Tatkal promise
Tatkal speeds issuance, not police verification or missing documents.
Trusting a document list from a blog
Use the Document Advisor for your specific case. Lists differ and change.
Fixing one error and leaving another
Every reissue costs a new number and a new verification. Correct everything at once.
Being unreachable at the address given
Police verification is a visit. An old address delays the booklet.
Passport Name Correction and Change in West Bengal: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I correct or change my name in my passport?
Both go through the same application: Reissue of Passport on the Passport Seva portal, under change in existing personal particulars. Fill the form, pay online, book an appointment at a Passport Seva Kendra or Post Office Passport Seva Kendra, attend with your originals for biometrics and document checks, and complete police verification where it applies. A passport is never edited or endorsed; you receive a new booklet with a new number.
Is a correction different from a change of name?
The application is the same, the documents are not. A spelling error is corrected against documents that already carry the right name, so no gazette is involved. A genuine change of name, a new first name, or a name overhaul is the strict case: an affidavit, notices in two daily newspapers and a gazette notification.
Do I need a gazette for a surname change after marriage?
Usually not. For a straightforward surname change after marriage, a marriage certificate or a joint declaration by both spouses is normally accepted. The gazette becomes necessary where the change goes beyond taking a spouse's surname, or where the marriage certificate is unavailable.
Does my passport number change?
Yes. A name change or correction is issued as a fresh booklet with a new passport number. The old booklet is cancelled and usually returned to you with a hole punch or a cancellation stamp.
What happens to the visas in my old passport?
They do not move to the new booklet by themselves. Valid visas stay physically in the cancelled passport, and every country has its own rule about transferring or revalidating them. Check with each consulate before you travel, and carry both booklets where the rules allow it. This is the single most expensive mistake people make with a passport name change.
Is police verification required?
For a change in personal particulars such as the name, police verification generally applies, and it may be conducted before or after issue depending on the case. Keep your address proof consistent with Aadhaar so the check is not delayed.
What does it cost?
A reissue is commonly quoted at around Rs 1,500 for a 36-page booklet with a higher figure for 60 pages, about Rs 1,000 for a minor, and Tatkal adding roughly Rs 2,000. Fees are set by the Ministry of External Affairs and revised from time to time, so use the fee calculator on the Passport Seva portal rather than any article.
How long does it take?
The Ministry has reported average issuance of about seven working days for normal applications and three for Tatkal, but a name change with police verification commonly runs longer, often quoted at 7 to 30 days. Plan six to eight weeks before any travel or visa deadline.
Should I update Aadhaar before the passport?
Yes. Aadhaar and PAN come first, then the passport. The passport office reads your supporting documents, and a passport issued in a name that your other records do not carry creates a problem rather than solving one.
Can I use Tatkal for a name change?
Tatkal is available for reissue and compresses the issuance window, but it does not remove the document requirements. If your case needs a gazette, Tatkal will not substitute for it.
Where do I apply in West Bengal?
Online on the Passport Seva portal, with the appointment at a Passport Seva Kendra or a Post Office Passport Seva Kendra. India Post runs more than 440 POPSKs nationally, which do the same work, so applicants outside Kolkata often have one much closer than the regional office.
What is the Document Advisor?
A tool on the Passport Seva portal that lists the exact documents for your specific case once you answer a few questions. Since document lists change and depend on your situation, it is the authority to trust over any list on a website, including this one.
Official Sources for Passport Name Correction and Change
Passport Seva
passportindia.gov.in: reissue application, Document Advisor, fee calculator and appointment booking.
Department of Publication
deptpub.gov.in: the Gazette of India, which is the gazette a passport case needs.
Fees and lists change
Passport fees, document requirements and verification practice are set by the Ministry of External Affairs and revised. Confirm on the portal before applying.
Passport Name Change in West Bengal: The Complete Series
The reissue itself, the gazette a passport case needs, and every situation people come with: a single name, a parent’s name, a child, an NRI abroad, marriage and divorce.
Gazette Name Change for a Passport
Why a passport case takes the central gazette, and the exceptions.
Read →Add Surname to a Passport
The single-name problem, and the relaxation many people never hear about.
Read →Father’s Name in a Passport
Two public documents for a misspelling; his gazette if he changed his name.
Read →Passport Name Change for a Minor
Annexure D, Annexure C, and the divorce exception.
Read →For an NRI From Abroad
Two portals, and police verification at your Indian address.
Read →Passport After Marriage
Marriage certificate route, and the reissue that follows.
Read →Passport After Divorce
Two changes on one reissue, with the decree as support.
Read →Get Call and Name Change Format
Tell Us Your Travel Date First. Then We Will Plan the Name Change
Passport cases are timing problems as much as paperwork ones. We prepare the gazette where it is needed, tell you the order to update Aadhaar and PAN, and warn you about the visas before you file rather than after. Monday to Saturday, across West Bengal.