Can I Get a Passport With a Single Name (Without Surname)?

There are actually two separate questions here.

The first is whether India issues a passport to someone who genuinely has no surname. Yes, the Passport Seva instructions address this situation.

The second is what happens when you use that passport internationally.

I've seen people confuse the two and assume that because a foreign visa form asks for a surname, they must change their Indian passport. I wouldn't do that without checking the specific country's instructions.

For someone applying for a first passport, I'd keep the name exactly as it appears in the supporting documents unless there is a genuine legal name change.

Also don't assume that using your father's name automatically makes it your surname. A person's given name and family name are matters of how their legal name is recorded.

If you're already holding an Indian passport with a blank surname and you're now considering adding one, that's a different situation. You may need to apply for re-issue/change of particulars and provide the documents required for the change.

For a straightforward single-name application, I would first follow the current Passport Seva instructions and then separately check the destination country's visa requirements.

I have a slightly different experience because my name was originally recorded as a single name, but later I decided to use a surname consistently.

If your documents all show one name, I would be very cautious about creating a surname only for the passport.

Also remember that changing a name later is different from simply applying for a passport with your existing name.

One thing that surprised me was that different systems don't always display names the same way. An airline booking system, immigration database and visa application may each have separate fields for "first name" and "last name."

That's where people with a single name sometimes run into trouble.

For example, an online visa form may refuse to proceed until a surname is entered. That doesn't necessarily mean your Indian passport is incorrect. It can simply mean the foreign system has its own data-entry rules.

If you're planning to travel soon, I would check the official visa instructions for the country you're visiting before changing anything on your Indian passport.

And if you're applying for a passport now, make sure the name matches your underlying documents. Passport Seva gives applicants an opportunity to verify the particulars during the application process, so check everything carefully before final submission.

Yes, a single-name Indian passport is possible.

My situation was similar. I have only one name in my official documents, so I did not invent a surname while completing the passport application.

The important thing is to keep the name consistent with your supporting documents. If you genuinely don't use a surname, you should not randomly add your father's name or another family name just because the online form has a surname field.

I checked the Passport Seva instructions when I was applying. They specifically explain that if an applicant does not use a surname, the surname field can be left blank and the full name can be entered in the Given Name field.

My passport was issued with the name appearing as a single name.

The issue I would be more careful about is foreign travel. Some countries and visa systems have forms that are designed around a first name + surname structure. That can create a separate problem even though the Indian passport itself is valid.

So I would distinguish between:

Indian passport: a single name can be recorded.

Foreign visa/immigration system: the particular country's rules may handle a single name differently.

I wouldn't add a surname solely to make an online form easier unless you're actually changing your legal name.

The passport itself probably isn't the difficult part. The bigger headache can be using a single name with foreign systems.

I have a single-name Indian passport and have had to deal with forms asking for “First Name” and “Last Name.” Different websites handle it differently, so I don't think there's one universal way to enter a single name for every airline or visa system.

For the Indian passport application, though, the official instructions are quite clear: if you don't use a surname, leave the surname field blank and put your full name in the Given Name field.

I would also avoid putting “NA,” “N/A,” “None,” or repeating your name in the surname field unless the particular system specifically tells you to do that. Those can create inconsistencies between your passport and other records.

If you're applying for a foreign visa, follow that country's own instructions. The fact that your Indian passport has no surname doesn't automatically mean you should alter your Indian passport name.

And if you're considering adding a surname permanently, that's a different question from simply filling out the passport form. A name change can affect your other documents, so I'd make that decision carefully rather than doing it just to satisfy an online field.

Mine was slightly different because I already had an Indian passport with only my given name.

When I renewed it, I kept the same name rather than splitting it into first name and surname. There was no reason for me to add a surname that wasn't part of my existing documents.

One thing I found interesting in the Passport Manual is that India does allow applicants who previously had a single-name passport to split the existing name into given name and surname in certain circumstances, provided they have the required supporting public documents. The manual gives examples of people whose entire name was previously in the Given Name field.

But that's different from saying everyone should split their name.

If all your documents consistently show Aarav as your name, I'd be very careful about suddenly changing it to something like “Aarav Kumar” unless you actually have supporting documents establishing that name.

Also, remember that the passport application has separate Given Name and Surname fields, but the existence of the Surname field doesn't mean every Indian applicant must have a surname. The current Passport Seva application instructions explicitly provide for applicants who don't use one.

I'd keep the name consistent with your documentary evidence unless you deliberately want to go through a name-change process.