Name Change Rejected or Put on Hold by the Passport Office in Jharkhand: Causes and Fixes
When a passport name change comes back on hold or rejected, the cause is usually a missing paper, not a missing right. The rule, as the Indian Mission in Geneva sets it out, needs two things together: "clippings from two newspapers announcing the change of name or the Gazette Notification published in the Indian Union/ State Government", plus "at least two public/ school documents issued in favour of the applicant with the changed name". In the cases we see, it is often the second half that is missing. And for a surname change after marriage or divorce, the same page says proof of marriage or divorce "has been discontinued". So not every rejection is fixed by buying a Gazette notice. We publish Gazette notices, and we say this first.
Five points, in the order you will need them. First, read the exact reason on the hold or rejection message; do not guess. Second, for a change of name that is not marriage or divorce, two proofs are needed together: two newspaper clippings or a Gazette Notification, and at least two public or school documents already in the new name. Third, an affidavit alone is not the route; the old affidavit form, Annexure E, was discontinued. Fourth, for marriage or divorce, proof is no longer required, so a hold asking for a Gazette in that case is worth questioning politely. Fifth, fix Aadhaar and PAN first, so you have the two documents in the new name before you reapply. We publish Gazette notices, and we say plainly when you do not need one.
Passport Name Change Documents: What the Rule Asks For
The Indian Mission in Geneva sets out the change of name rule as the Ministry of External Affairs simplified it. It says the old affidavit form, Annexure E, was discontinued. In its place, an applicant gives "clippings from two newspapers announcing the change of name or the Gazette Notification published in the Indian Union/ State Government", and also "at least two public/ school documents issued in favour of the applicant with the changed name".
| Part of the rule | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Two newspaper clippings or a Gazette Notification | One of these two. Not both, going by the word "or" |
| At least two public or school documents in the new name | Always needed as well, such as Aadhaar and PAN |
| Annexure E affidavit | Discontinued |
| Marriage or divorce | Proof "has been discontinued"; see below |
Common Reasons a Passport Name Change Is Rejected or Put on Hold
The passport portal does not publish a list of rejection reasons that we could read. The list below is our reading of the rule against the files we see, not an official list. Match it against the exact words on your own notice.
| Likely cause | The fix |
|---|---|
| Fewer than two documents in the new name | Update Aadhaar and PAN first, then reapply |
| No newspapers and no Gazette | Publish two newspaper notices or a Gazette Notification |
| Only an affidavit given | The affidavit form was discontinued; add the newspapers or Gazette |
| Spelling differs between papers | Bring every paper to one spelling, letter by letter |
| Police verification found the old name | See police verification name mismatch |
| A Gazette asked for in a marriage case | Proof is discontinued for marriage; ask politely which rule applies |
Two Documents in Your New Name for a Passport Name Change
The rule asks for "at least two public/ school documents issued in favour of the applicant with the changed name". This is the half of the file that a Gazette notice cannot supply. You have to get two records updated first, and then go to the passport office.
| Document | How it usually gets updated |
|---|---|
| Aadhaar | With the Gazette or other proof UIDAI accepts. See Aadhaar name change |
| PAN | See PAN name change |
| Voter ID | Form 8. See voter ID name change |
| Bank passbook | See bank records |
| School or college record | Often the slowest; a linking letter is common |
Passport Surname Change After Marriage or Divorce: No Proof Needed
The same Mission page says: "The requirement of submission of proof of marriage/ divorce by married/ divorced/ re-married applicants has been discontinued". And as reported in April 2025, the Ministry now lets applicants add a spouse's name using a self-declared joint photo affidavit called Annexure J, instead of a marriage certificate.
| Situation | What usually applies |
|---|---|
| Taking the husband's surname | No proof of marriage required, going by the Mission page |
| Adding a spouse's name | Annexure J, as reported |
| Going back to the maiden name after divorce | Proof of divorce discontinued. See reverting to maiden name |
| A first name changed at marriage | That is a change of name; the two-proof rule applies |
How to Respond to a Passport Name Change Hold in Jharkhand
A hold is usually a request for more papers, not the end of the application. This is our practical advice, since we could not read the portal's own help pages from here.
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| Read the notice word by word | Write down exactly what is asked for |
| Collect only that | Do not buy papers the notice does not ask for |
| Check spellings | Every paper must match letter by letter |
| Submit as the notice says | At the Passport Seva Kendra or as directed |
| If refused again | Raise a grievance through the Passport Seva portal, quoting the rule |
How to Fix a Rejected Passport Name Change, Step by Step
Read the hold or rejection notice
Write down exactly what it asks for.
Decide your case
Marriage or divorce, or another change of name.
Marriage or divorce? No proof needed
Question a Gazette demand politely.
Other change? Check your first proof
Two newspapers or a Gazette.
Check your second proof
Two documents already in the new name.
Update Aadhaar first
With the Gazette or newspaper proof.
Then PAN or voter ID
That makes two documents.
Match every spelling
Letter by letter, English and Hindi.
Resubmit as the notice directs
Only what it asks for.
Keep the old passport
Especially with a valid visa.
Central Gazette Process for a Name From Jharkhand, and and Where It Fits a Passport Name Change
No district in Jharkhand has a gazette counter, so a genuine file goes from Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Hazaribagh, Deoghar or anywhere else in the state to the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi 110054, and the notice publishes in Part IV of the Gazette of India. As reported in July 2025 the Finance Department stopped personal name change notifications from the Jharkhand Government Press with immediate effect, so there is no state alternative to fall back on.
The Eight Steps of a Name File Sent From Jharkhand
Settle the final name first
Letter by letter, with the spacing you want, and then use exactly that everywhere, Aadhaar included. A corrigendum after publication is a second fee and a second wait.
Pick the category, then its proforma
A genuine change of name is change of Name Adult or Major. A wrongly typed spelling is the public notice for a wrongly written name. Twelve categories exist and only one is yours.
Type the proforma in duplicate
Two originals with two witnesses giving signature, full name, address and mobile number on both copies. A change of name is signed in the old name; a public notice is signed in your own name.
Fill the employment field if it is a change of name
The adult proforma asks for the post of the applicant and the office or company name. A student or a homemaker should still complete it rather than leaving it blank, because a blank field brings the file back.
Publish and keep the original paper
One of the daily local leading newspapers, carrying both names in full, the father or husband name and the residential address. The whole original paper goes in the file, not a cutting.
Pay only through BharatKosh
The Non Tax Receipt Portal and nowhere else since October 2018. Select the Department of Publication by name, read the amount the portal shows on the day, pay in your own name and print the e-receipt.
Check every date, then post it yourself
Nothing in the file older than one year. Personally or by post or courier only, never through an agent or advocate. Photocopy everything first, because nothing sent in comes back.
Read the notice, then update in the right order
Check every word the day it publishes and download the e-Gazette copy. Then update Aadhaar first and PAN next, so you have two documents in the new name. Only then apply for the passport, with the notice and both documents together.
The Five Papers in the File, and What Is Checked in Each
| The paper | What is checked in it, clause by clause |
|---|---|
| 1. The proforma, in duplicate | That it is the right category format; the existing full name exactly as your documents carry it; the new full name exactly as settled; the father or husband name; the full address with pin code; the post and office or company name where it is a change of name; the signature in the right name for the category; two witnesses complete with signature, full name, address and mobile number |
| 2. The affidavit or undertaking | The same names and address as the proforma, word for word, with wording matching the category. On Rs 100 non-judicial stamp paper as our safe default |
| 3. The original newspaper | The original paper, not a cutting; the paper name and date of publication visible; both names carried; the father or husband name and residential address; dated within the last year |
| 4. Photographs, identity proof and any category paper | Two self attested passport photographs; self attested identity and address proof matching the proforma address; both witnesses proofs; and, in a public notice file, the attested photocopy of the connected document carrying the error |
| 5. The CD, its certificate and the BharatKosh receipt | MS Word, without the witness portion, with the name typed in place of the signature; the certificate that the hard copy and the soft copy are the same; the forwarding letter to the Controller of Publication with a telephone number and email; the e-receipt |
The posting detail is on the sending the file to Delhi page, the change of name wording on the proforma format page and the public notice wording on the public notice proforma page, the charge by category on the fee and undertaking page, the reasons files come back on the rejection reasons page, and the download on the download page.
What Fixing a Passport Name Change Rejection Costs
The cost depends on what is missing. If the gap is documents in your new name, the cost is those updates, not a Gazette. If the gap is the first proof, two newspapers are also accepted.
| Item | What we can and cannot tell you |
|---|---|
| Passport reissue fee | Set by the Passport Seva portal. We print no figure; check the portal's fee calculator |
| Aadhaar, PAN and other updates | Each office sets its own charge. We print no figure |
| Two newspaper notices | Charged by the papers. We print no figure |
| Central Gazette notice, if chosen | Paid only through BharatKosh. The Department's guidelines printed Rs 1,100 for an adult for 2016 to 2017; revised each financial year, never refunded |
| Marriage or divorce case | No proof needed, so no Gazette cost |
| What we charge | Quoted on the call. If no notice is needed, we will say so and charge nothing |
Myths About Passport Name Change Rejection
| What people believe | What is actually so |
|---|---|
| A Gazette notice alone is enough | You also need two documents in the new name |
| Only a Gazette is accepted | Two newspapers or a Gazette |
| An affidavit will do | The affidavit form, Annexure E, was discontinued |
| A married woman needs a Gazette | Proof of marriage "has been discontinued" |
| A marriage certificate is always needed | Annexure J can be used to add a spouse, as reported |
| A hold means the application is dead | It usually asks for more papers |
| Apply for the passport first | Aadhaar and PAN first, then the passport |
| The passport number stays the same | A reissue usually brings a new number |
| The Jharkhand Government Press can publish my notice | Personal notices were stopped in July 2025, as reported |
| Small spelling differences do not matter | Every paper must match letter by letter |
| The old passport can be thrown away | Keep it, especially with a valid visa |
Key Terms in a Passport Name Change Rejection
| Term | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Passport Seva Kendra | The office where passport applications are processed |
| Reissue | A new passport in place of the old one, here in the new name |
| Hold | The application is paused, usually for more papers |
| Rejection | The application is closed; you apply again with the right papers |
| Two-proof rule | Newspapers or Gazette, plus two documents in the new name |
| Annexure E | The old affidavit form for a changed name, now discontinued |
| Annexure J | A joint photo declaration to add a spouse's name, as reported |
| Public document | A record issued by a public office, such as Aadhaar or PAN |
| Gazette of India, Part IV | Where a Central personal name change is published |
| Police verification | The police check done for a passport |
| Grievance | A complaint raised through the passport portal |
| BharatKosh | The only portal for paying the Gazette charge |
Passport Name Change Rejection Help Across Jharkhand
For a passport hold, the first question is what the notice actually asks for. We read the notice, check your papers against the two-proof rule, and tell you exactly what is missing, whether that is newspapers, a Gazette, or two documents in your new name. If it is a marriage or divorce case, or the gap is documents rather than a notice, we will tell you that you need no Gazette notice, and we charge nothing for telling you. We help people across Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Hazaribagh, Deoghar and every other district, on scans over WhatsApp.
District pages are linked from the services page.
Send the passport notice and your papers
Send the hold or rejection notice first, then your old passport, your Aadhaar and PAN, and any Gazette or newspaper notice you already have. Tell us in one line why your name changed. Our first reply tells you exactly what the notice is asking for and what is missing. If it is a marriage case, or you only need documents updated, we will tell you that no Gazette notice is needed and charge you nothing. Details on the contact page.
- 📞Call 9540005002
Monday to Saturday, 9 AM to 6 PM - WhatsApp 9540005064
Send your scans here, it is the fastest way - ✉️info@jharkhandnamechange.com
- 📍Ranchi office: Main Building, Near Shaheed Chowk, Ranchi, Jharkhand 834001
- 🏛️Head office (Gazette filing desk): Metro Pillar No. 377, Near Burari Metro Station, Shop No. B-1, Ground Floor, Gali No. 1, Khasra No. 31/12, Hardev Nagar, Jharoda Majra, Burari, Delhi 110084
Passport Name Change Rejected: Frequently Asked Questions
Why was my passport name change put on hold?
What documents does the passport office need for a change of name?
Is a Gazette notice compulsory for a passport name change?
Will a Gazette notice fix my rejection?
Can I use an affidavit?
Do I need proof of marriage to change my surname in the passport?
What is Annexure J?
Which documents in the new name can I get first?
Which Gazette should a Jharkhand applicant use?
Will my passport number change?
What if the counter still refuses?
How much of this can you do for us?
Official Sources on Passport Name Change Rules
| Source | What it is used for on this page |
|---|---|
| Permanent Mission of India, Geneva: passport rules | The most important source on this page. The two-proof rule, Annexure E discontinued, marriage and divorce proof discontinued |
| Annexure J, as reported in April 2025 | Adding a spouse's name without a marriage certificate |
| What we could not verify | The Passport Seva portal's own pages; any official list of rejection reasons; and current passport fees |
| Our other pages on the neighbouring questions | Name change in passport; Gazette rejection reasons |
Passport Name Change Rejection in Nine Lines
The short version
- Read the hold notice before spending anything.
- A change of name needs two proofs together.
- Two newspapers or a Gazette, first.
- Two documents already in the new name, second.
- An affidavit alone is no longer the route.
- Marriage or divorce needs no proof.
- Update Aadhaar and PAN before the passport.
- From Jharkhand, a Gazette means the Gazette of India, Part IV.
- Keep the old passport.