US Ends Third-Party Passport Pickups: Indian Applicants Required to Collect Passports Personally

From August 1, 2025, the United States has suspended the service that permitted passports to be picked up by third parties.

Under the new rules, this step is taken to make passports and associated documents more secure. Now, applicants have to go to the embassy or consulate themselves to collect their passports or visa documents.

For children below the age of 18, the visa or passport should be picked up by a parent or legal guardian. They should provide an original consent letter signed by both parents and crisp photocopies of the parents' Indian government-issued photo IDs with addresses.

Electronic mail or scanned copies of consent letters will not be accepted. Birth certificates or school identification cards can also be used as supporting documents for children.

While personally collecting documents is compulsory, applicants can choose home or office delivery for an additional fee of ₹1,200 per applicant.

The below documents are required for adult applicants:

Original valid Indian government-issued photo ID showing the address
Photocopy of the same ID
Appointment letter copy, which can assist with speedier processing

For minors, below items need to be shown:

Birth certificate or school ID card
Original and photocopy of parent or guardian's Indian government photo ID with address
Original consent letter issued by both parents
Photocopies of both parents' Indian government photo IDs with addresses

The acceptable forms of ID are the passport biographic page, voter ID card, driving licence, or Aadhaar card. The Indian government employment IDs, senior citizen cards, and PAN cards are not acceptable.

These revised procedures cover all U.S. visa and passport collections throughout India. Applicants are advised to check their documents in advance to avoid any delay during collection.