What is a Passport?

• A Passport is an official travel document for those who wish to  travel abroad for education, pilgrimage, tourism, business purposes, medical attendance and family visits. 
• The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is responsible for issuance of Passports to Indian Citizens.

What is a Diplomatic Passport?

• Diplomatic passports have maroon covers, and are valid for five years or less. 
• Holders of such passports are entitled to certain privileges and immunities as per the international law, including immunity from arrest, detention, and certain legal proceedings in the host country.

Eligibility for having a diplomatic passport

• Diplomatic passports are issued to people falling under the five categories: 

1. Those with diplomatic status; 
2. government-appointed individuals travelling abroad for official business; 
3. officers working under the branches A and B of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), normally at the rank of Joint Secretary and above; and 
4. relatives and immediate family of officers employed in IFS and MEA.
5. select individuals who are authorized to undertake official travel on behalf of the government”. This includes union ministers and MPs who often travel abroad representing the government. The validity of these passports is concurrent with the term of the MP.

• Issuing Authority: Consular, Passport & Visa Division of Ministry of External Affairs issues diplomatic passports.

Revoking Authority

• The provisions relating to the revoking of a diplomatic passport is provided in the Passport Act,1967.
• As per the Act, The passport authority may impound or revoke a passport

1. if the holder is in wrongful possession, or if it was obtained by the suppression of material information; or 
2. if the passport authority deems it necessary to do so in the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India, or friendly relations of India with any foreign country.
3. if the holder has, after the issue of the passport, been convicted by a court in India, and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than two years. 
4. A diplomatic passport can be revoked upon orders from a court during proceedings with respect to an offence allegedly carried out by the passport holder before a criminal court.

Additional Information

Visa Exemption Agreements

• Government of India has signed bilateral agreement on exemption from requirement of obtaining visa by diplomatic, service and ordinary passport holders with certain countries.
• India has operational visa exemption agreements for holders of diplomatic passports with 34 countries. The holders of Indian diplomatic passports do not require a visa to visit Germany, provided their stay does not exceed 90 days. India has similar agreements with countries such as France, Austria, Afghanistan, Czech Republic, Italy, Greece, Iran, and Switzerland. 
• India also has agreements with 99 other countries wherein apart from diplomatic passport holders, even those holding service and official passports can avail operational visa exemption for stays upto 90 days. Countries in this list include Bahrain, Brazil, Egypt, Hong Kong, Oman, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates.