Can A Gazetted Officer Attest Documents Of His Family Members

The Passport Application Form (Annexure A) requires attestation of the applicant’s photograph and documents by a Gazetted Officer. However, the official instructions explicitly prohibit attestation by:

Instead, you must approach a different Gazetted Officer—preferably one from a different department or district. The bedrock of attestation is impartiality

A key requirement of attestation is that the officer should know the applicant personally for a certain period (often 1-2 years) and in an official or professional capacity. While they know their family intimately, that relationship is private, not professional. The attestation process is meant to be an arms-length verification, not a family favor. that relationship is private

As a general rule, a gazetted officer should not attest documents for family members because it creates a conflict of interest and may violate departmental rules or the receiving authority’s requirements. Always confirm the applicable local rules and use an independent authorized attester when needed. The bedrock of attestation is impartiality

The bedrock of attestation is impartiality. If an officer attests for a family member, the public’s trust in the system breaks down. Can you guarantee that the officer truly verified the documents without bias? The officer stands to benefit (emotionally or otherwise) from the family member’s application being accepted. Most government codes of conduct explicitly bar public servants from performing official acts where they have a personal interest.