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Source-This post on Diplomatic Passport is based on the article “The flight of Prajwal Revanna: How diplomatic passports, visa regimes work” published in “The Indian Express” on 3rd May 2024.
Why in the news?
Recently, the issue of diplomatic passports and the associated visa exemptions has come to the fore in the case of an expelled JDS leader accused in cases of sexual abuse.
There are 34 countries with whom India has signed operational visa exemption agreements for holders of diplomatic passports. Hence, the holders of diplomatic passports do not need Visa clearances for travelling to these countries.
About Diplomatic passport
| About | Diplomatic and Official passports are issued to people holding diplomatic status or deputed by the Government of India for official duty abroad. It has maroon covers and is valid for five years or less. |
| Benefits | Diplomatic passport holders enjoy specific privileges and immunities. These include- a. Exemption from arrest, detention b. Exemption from certain legal proceedings within the host country. |
| Issued To | It is issued by the MEA’s Consular, Passport & Visa Division. It is issued to the following five categories of people- a. Those with diplomatic status b. Government-appointed individuals travelling abroad for official business c. Officers working under the branches A and B of Indian Foreign Service (IFS) d. Relatives and immediate family of officers employed in IFS and MEA. e. Selected individuals authorized to undertake official travel on behalf of the government. |
| Grounds of revocation of passport | The Passport Act 1967 provides for the ground of revocation of diplomatic passports. The grounds are mentioned as follows- a. if the holder is in wrongful possession b. if it was obtained by the suppression of material information c. Interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India, or friendly relations of India with any foreign country. d. Conviction by a court in India and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than two years, after the issue of the passport. e. Orders from a court during proceedings with respect to an offence allegedly carried out by the passport holder before a criminal court |
Difference between diplomatic passport and regular passport
| Aspects | Normal passport | Diplomatic passport |
| Issuance to | It is granted to general citizens and VIPs. | It is granted to high-ranking government officials. |
| Validity of the passport | Adults receive the passport with 10 years of validity, while minors receive it with 5 years of validity. | It is issued with 5 or lesser years of validity. |
| Purpose | It is generally used for foreign trips for personal as well as business purposes. | It is used for official government-associated foreign trips. |
Exemption of Visa requirements in case of Holding Diplomatic Passport
There are 34 countries with whom India has operational visa exemption agreements for holders of diplomatic passports. These countries include Germany, France, Austria, Afghanistan, Czech Republic, Italy, Greece, Iran, and Switzerland.
Furthermore, India has signed agreements with 99 other nations where holders of service and official passports, in addition to diplomatic passport holders, can enjoy visa exemption for stays up to 90 days. Countries in this list include Bahrain, Brazil, Egypt, Hong Kong, Oman, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates.
UPSC Syllabus: Polity and nation
