Applying for a Visa with an Old Passport: What to Submit

The question has two sides. Either your current passport is old (near expiry, nearly full or issued long ago), or you hold previous passports and are unsure whether to include them. This guide covers both, using the official embassy and VFS Global checklists for Indian applicants, checked on 10 October 2026. Country-specific detail is in our visa guides for Indian passport holders.

When your current passport is too old to use

Before thinking about old passports, check that the one you will apply on qualifies. Expiry is only one test; the date of issue and the format matter too.

If your passport fails any of these, renew it through Passport Seva before you apply. The new passport then becomes your current one, and the one you hand back becomes an old passport that some embassies will want to see.

Embassies that ask for your previous passports

Originals, copies or just the stamps

The wording in each checklist tells you what to hand over, and the three levels are different:

• Originals, mandatory: Estonia and Malta say the old passport is mandatory, and Bulgaria asks for the originals or proof of loss. Bring the physical passports.
• Originals, if you have them: China, Japan and Cyprus ask for old passports where they exist. If you have never held another passport, nothing more is needed; if you have, include them.
• Copies only: Croatia asks for clear photocopies of used pages of your last two old passports. The Czech Republic, Denmark, Poland and Iceland want copies of previous Schengen visas and stamps, not whole passports.

When in doubt, carry the originals to the appointment and submit what the checklist names, asking the counter staff before you hand over an original that is not on the list.

If an old passport is lost or damaged

A missing old passport does not automatically block an application, but you need the right substitute document where the checklist allows one:

• Estonia: an FIR or proof of cancellation
• Bulgaria: proof of loss
• Austria (incentive groups): originals of previous passports or proof of loss

In India that usually means a police FIR or report for the lost passport, and any record of cancellation you received when the passport was replaced. Arrange these before you book an appointment. Where a checklist simply says old passports are mandatory and names no alternative, as Malta's does, ask VFS how to proceed before you submit.

Name changes and new passport numbers

If your name differs between your old and new passports, for example after marriage, China asks for a name-change document. More generally, your previous visas were issued against your old passport number. Mention both numbers in your cover letter, and include copies of the old visas so the officer can match your travel history to you.

The UK checklist we checked does not list old passports, but its online form can ask for your travel history for the past 10 years, and VFS recommends colour copies of passport pages showing travel to other countries when you self-upload. Old passports are the easiest way to fill that history in accurately.

Before you apply: a packing order that works

1. Lay out every passport you have held, newest first, and note each number and date of issue.
2. Photocopy the biodata page, last page and every used page with visas or stamps.
3. Check your destination's checklist for originals versus copies.
4. Get an FIR or cancellation proof for any passport you cannot find.
5. Add a line to your cover letter listing previous passport numbers.

Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, travel itineraries and cover letters for visa files, including cover letters that set out previous passport details. Packages start at INR 1,000 for a flight reservation and go up to INR 3,000 for reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter. WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or reach us through our contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Does the UK visa application ask for my old passports?

Old passports are not listed among the UK documents we checked. Depending on your circumstances, the online form can ask for your travel history for the past 10 years, and VFS recommends colour copies of passport pages showing travel to other countries when you self-upload.

My name is spelt differently in my old passport. What should I submit?

For China, include a name-change document along with the old passport. For other countries, explain the difference in your cover letter and attach the supporting document, such as a marriage certificate, so the officer can link both passports to you.

I have never held another passport. Do I need to explain that?

Where a checklist says old passports 'if any', as China, Japan and Cyprus do, nothing extra is needed if you have none. You can add one line to your cover letter stating that this is your first passport.

Should I mention a visa refusal recorded in an old passport?

Yes, where the checklist asks. Croatia, for example, wants a letter explaining the reasons if another country refused you a visa, and a reason letter if a previous Croatian visa was not used.