As many of you may have found out, VFS has changed a few of their forms as of 31 August 2020 and these changes impose a greater obligation (and cost) on people attempting to do various things like apply for or renew passports and other consular services. Despite this, the Indian Drivers Licence Checklist (IDLV Checklist) is still the same as it has been since 30 April 2020.
If your name on your Indian Drivers Licence and your Indian Passport are different, in order to obtain the Indian Drivers Licence Verification you must satisfy the IDLV Checklist requirements under the following options:
Option 1:
Have a Public Notary in Australia confirms that both names [name on License and on the Passport] clearly stated in full on the affidavit belong to one and the same person.
- This document must then be apostilled by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Office [DFAT] in Australia.
- Once the apostille stamp is completed, the India Driver License Verification Application form may be submitted at an Indian passport and visa services centre along with a copy of this apostilled document.
- The License Verification Certificate will only be issued in the name as it appears on the License.
Option 2:
Have an affidavit made from the court in India, confirming that both names [Name on License and on the Passport] clearly stated in full on the affidavit belong to one and the same person.
- Have this notarised in India.
- Notarised affidavit can be signed ONLY by the applicant or father / mother of applicant. In case affidavit is signed by Father / Mother of applicant, a copy of passport / Pan Card of signatory needs to be provided.
- The Original Affidavit must then be attested by the Consulate/ High Commission. This service is to be done first as a miscellaneous service at Indian Passport and Visa Services Centre. (http://www.vfsglobal.com/india/australia/attestation_of_documents.html)
- Once the affidavit attestation is completed, the Indian Driver’s License verification application form may be submitted at an Indian Passport and Visa Services Centre along with a copy of this affidavit.
- The License Verification Certificate will only be issued in the name as it appears on the License.
How are we doing things different now?
Despite the IDLV checklist being unchanged, it appears that VFS has taken a new approach to reviewing all documents and applications - including the applications for the Indian Driver Licence Verification. Accordingly, we have added an extra 'affidavit' to our existing notary certificate package with certified copies of the Indian Passport and Indian Driver Licence.
What can we do for you?
As a leading provider of notary public services in Sydney, we've assisted many people within the Indian community with converting their Indian Drivers Licence to a NSW Drivers Licence through the IDLV process. We do this by providing a notary certificate confirming that they are the one and the same person in both their licence and their passport despite the name difference. Our notary certificate satisfies OPTION 1 of the IDLV Checklist.
While OPTION 2 requires a 'notarised affidavit signed by the applicant', OPTION 1 requires 'confirmation by the public notary' and the notary certificate that we provide would not be signed by the applicant (ie, it's not a self-declaration or a self-certification by the applicant, rather than confirmation by us that the applicant is the one and the same person).
Our notary certificate can also be stamped with an apostille by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) which is also a requirement for OPTION 1 of the IDLV Checklist. A 'notarised affidavit', presumably done in India, in accordance with OPTION 2 cannot be stamped with an apostille by DFAT.
What next?
To obtain a quote on our notary public services for India, please visit https://www.notary-parramatta.com.au/notary-fees/.
Acknowledgements
This blog is supported and maintained by Phang Legal. Phang Legal is a leading provider of notary public services in Sydney. With offices conveniently located in Parramatta, Phang Legal supports and services the Indian community across Sydney with readily available and easily accessible notary public services at highly competitive rates.
For more information regarding notary public services for documents going to India, view our notary publications at https://www.notary-parramatta.com.au/jurisdiction/india-notary/.
Frequently asked questions regarding our notary public services can also be found at https://www.notary-parramatta.com.au/faqs/.
For Hindi to English translation services by NAATI accredited translators, see https://hindi-naati-translation.blogspot.com.au/.
Ern Phang
Notary Public
Ern Phang is the solicitor director of Phang Legal and a notary public. Ern regularly writes about his experiences as a notary public, including the kinds of problems and solutions that his clients face when sending documents to India.
IMPORTANT: the information in this article is correct at the time of publication, however the law constantly changes. This means you should always refer to the most recent articles because we try to update this blog on a regular basis with the most current information.
