Procedure to Renew Passport

Procedure to renew Passport with more than six months validity

This is to clarify queries on the passport being renewed only after the validity becomes less than six months while the application for residency in foreign countries require more than one-year validity. This situation is not unique to any one country but exists globally.
Therefore, to address this problem the following measures were already taken and the following practice being implemented to overcome such issues:

● The 103 rd session of the Lhengye Zhungtshog (Cabinet) approved the extension of ordinary passport validity from 5 years to 10 years. Consequently, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade implemented the change to a 10-year validity period for ordinary passports starting from 1 July 2011.

● According to ICAO rules, a passport must be valid for at least six months for travel purposes. If the validity is under six months, the individual concerned must apply for a new passport.

● Supporting Bhutanese remains a top priority and the Passport Office has been offering concerned citizens the option to cancel their passports by paying a fee of Nu. 5,000, and apply for a new passport. Bhutanese living abroad who wish to renew their residence
permits/employment contracts, which may require a passport with at least one year of validity need to follow these steps, which are already in practice:

1. Cancel Your Current Passport
Visit the closest Royal Bhutanese Embassy where you are residing (e.g. Bhutanese in Kuwait may visit Royal Bhutanese Embassy in Kuwait) to cancel the current valid passport. Note: Keep the passport after it has been cancelled, as you will need to upload the cancelled pages during the online application.

2: Online Application
Before starting your application, please make sure you have:
☑ Valid Security Clearance Certificate (SCC)
☑ Recent standard passport-size photograph
☑ Current passport with the cancellation seal/stamp

a) Visit G2C Citizen Services website at www.citizenservices.gov.bt

b) Click on “Tourism, Passport and Visa” from the menu on the left side of the page.

c) Select Issuance of passport

d). Under the Issuance of passport page, scroll to the bottom and click “Apply”.

e). Log in using your NDI account to apply

f) Fill up the details correctly in the application form (Please provide a Bhutanese number belonging to a parents/relatives/guardian in Bhutan, as the payment link will be sent to this number)

g) When asked for the reason for applying for a new passport, select: “Damage” (This option must be selected even though your current passport was cancelled at the Embassy)

h) Download Application Signature Form and sign on the Applicant signature column

i) Convert signed Application signature form into JPEG format and upload it

j) Upload your recent standard passport-size photograph with white a background. The photo should be in national dress.

k) Upload following pages of Cancelled Passport:

The page(s) showing the cancellation stamp/seal
The personal information page of your passport (the page containing your photograph and personal details).

Review all the information and attached documents carefully.

Submit the application

Once the application is approved, pay the sum of Nu.6,000 using the payment link received in the given Bhutanese number.

When you receive a message that your new passport is ready, you can collect or authorize someone in Bhutan to collect the passport on your behalf by providing an authorization letter.

Please download signature form using following link:

www.mfa.gov.bt/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/updated-online-passport-application-form.pdf

Please click the link below to refer the passport size photo requirements: