‘Wife need not get husband’s signature to apply for passport’

‘Wife need not get husband’s signature to apply for passport’ 

21.06.2025

THE HINDU BUREAU CHENNAI The Madras High Court has heavily criticised the Regional Passport Office in Chennai for insisting that a woman, who had applied for a passport, obtain her husband’s signature in Form J.

It has said women cannot be treated as chattels belonging to their husbands.

Justice N. Anand Venkatesh expressed shock over a writ petition filed by a woman, who said the Chennai RPO was not processing her application without the signature of her estranged husband, who had filed a divorce case against her before a local court.

Stating that the writ petitioner’s application should have been considered independently, the judge held that “it is not necessary for a wife to get the permission of her husband and take his signature before applying for a passport”.

“This insistence made by the second respondent [the Chennai RPO] shows the mindset of society in treating women who are married as if they are chattels belonging to their husbands. It is quite shocking that the passport office is insisting on the permission of the husband and his signature in a particular form in order to process the application submitted by the petitioner for passport,” he added.

Observing that it would be virtually impossible for the petitioner to obtain her husband’s signature in view of the strained relationship between them, the judge said the petitioner could not be considered to have lost her individuality immediately after marriage.

“The practice of insisting on permission from the husband to apply for passport does not augur well for a society moving towards woman emancipation. This practice is nothing short of male supremacism,” the judge said, directing the RPO to process the petitioner’s application without her husband’s signature.