Emergency Certificate

• Emergency certificate (EC) is a one-way travel document to India
• EC can be issued only on an individual’s formal request
• It is mandatory for an individual requesting an EC to apply in- person at the Consulate. Mailing facility is not available for issuing EC
• EC is issued primarily to facilitate the individual’s return to India in an emergency;
• EC is issued to those Indian nationals who have either been refused passport, whose passports have been lost, stolen or damaged; whose passports have been impounded/revoked; whose passports have remained expired for a long time; or who are under orders of deportation.
• EC can be issued only when the individual’s Indian nationality is confirmed
• If an individual is under orders of deportation, the application should be submitted through the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Department of Homeland Security. The EC will be delivered to the agency concerned and not to an agent or third party.

Applying In Person only (No mail application admitted)

Applicants should bring in their application to the counter on the date of appointment.

Supporting Documents: Carry originals of all the supporting documents to be presented to the Consular Officer (photocopies of which are to be attached with the application). In case you are not able to present the original documents at the counter, bring notarized copy of documents being attached to the application. Ensure that notarized copies are legible, otherwise the Consulate may ask to see original documents.

Fee: A non-refundable fee of $15 for processing and $2 for ICWF. There is no mail back service available for EC.

Fees should be paid through Money order or Cashier's cheque drawn in favor of the "Consulate General of India". There should be a seperate cashier's check or money order for ICWF Fee. Personal cheques, credit cards or debit Cards are not accepted.

How to Apply:

• Complete the online application based on your current passport details, click here for the application  https://mportal.passportindia.gov.in/gpsp/AuthNavigation/Login   (When you click this link, if your browser says 'There is a problem with the website security certificate', then please click the option 'Continue to this website (not recommended)'. This is because the link is an external site but is reliable as it is maintained by Government of India.

• Your Current Indian address will be printed in the passport. Mention your current Indian address in Column 3(a) and Current US address in column 3(b) of the form.

• After you 'Submit' the application online you will be given an auto-generated Date of appointment.

• Accept the date of appointment. Print the 4 page application. Fill in by hand the details on page 2 of the form. Sign in the allotted space on page 1, 3 and 4 of the form.

• You need six (6) photographs of 2 inches x 2 inches (51mm x 51mm) photos - one to be pasted in the box on page 1 (one) and the 2nd photo to be stapled on the blank portion (below ‘for official use only’) on page 4 (four), and 4 photographs on Personal Verification Form  .

• Attach following documents with the printed Application Form:

• Photocopy of the page containing visa on passport (H1B, H4 etc) and the copy of I-94

• Clear Photocopy of Green Card

• Employment Authorization Document (Work Permit)

• I-797, I-140 or I-20 (If approval copy of these notices are pending, also attach a handwritten note detailing the efforts being taken to regularize status)

• Proof of current US residence address: (copy of any one of the following)

• U.S Driving license.

• PG&E, Water or landline telephone bill displaying applicant’s address

• House Lease Agreement

• State Identification Card

• Note: Bank/credit card/mobile phone statements are not accepted as residence proof

• Filled in Personal verification Form (two copies)  .(This could reduce processing time in many cases)

• If the lost passport had already expired beyond a period of six months, submit the notarized affidavit  

• Notarized affidavit   from two Indian passport holders who have valid residential status in the USA (they should not be short-term visitors). Attach photocopy of first two pages and last two pages of passports; and, resident status (Green card/EAD/resident visa) of both the individuals

• Notarized affidavit   for applicants who do not have legal status in USA

• Original Police Report lodged with the Police about loss of passport

• A letter on a plain paper addressed to the Consulate General of India, Houston explaining the circumstances of the loss of passport and as to the reason why an Emergency Certificate is required

• In case the Consulate receives applications with incomplete documentation, the same would be sent back unprocessed in the return envelope sent by the applicant.

Processing Time:

This Consulate's goal is to ensure Emergency Certificate in the minimum time in which personal details can be verified from authorities in India. If these details can not be verified quickly, grant of EC can take longer. Processing times vary based on individual circumstances of each case. Therefore, before making inquiries about status of your EC, applicants will need to wait at least 90 days from the date of appointment or submission of supplemental documents, whichever is later.