Passport Verification

The police verification process in passport application is a crucial security measure especially during passport issuance in India. If you are applying for a fresh passport or have applied for a reissuance of existing passport, police verification will be part of the process. In some cases, police verification is not essential but this depends on the specific application and available or furnished documentation.

First, there are three main modes of police verification:

• Pre-Police Verification - Before issuance of passport 
• Post Police Verification - After issuance of passport 
• No Police Verification

What Happens in the Pre-Police Passport Verification?

In most passport application cases, police verification is conducted once the applicant has submitted the application form along with all required documents, annexures, etc. This is done before the application is approved (and before issuance of the passport).

Passport verification is conducted by the police station as per the applicant’s address and which jurisdiction it falls under. A police officer verifies the details that are submitted in the application form including the applicant’s name, age and address. The verification is done in person and the officer visits the address as stated in the application form.

Once the information accuracy is checked, the police station sends a notification to the passport office. Post this, the passport is issued to the applicant.

What happens in the Post-Police Passport Verification Process?

Although pre-passport issuance police verification is a common form of police verification, post police verification is also done in some cases. If applicable, the passport first gets issued to the applicant and the police verification is conducted following issuance.

As per new guidelines, police verification is not essential for re-issuance/renewal of passport in case the applicant submits a renewal application before the expiration of his/her existing passport. The applicant’s prior police verification has to be clear and he/she should not have any criminal cases registered against him/her.

Is Police Verification Needed for Fresh Passports?

In some passport applications, there is no requirement for police verification, especially for fresh passport applications. This is if the passport office finds it unnecessary to conduct a Police Verification for specific passport applications.

For instance, government / PSU / statutory body employees applying for a passport by furnishing a document called “identity certificate” through annexure “B” (apart from their application documents) will be issued a passport without any need for police verification.

Applicants with diplomatic or official passports also do not require police verification while applying for an ordinary passport. This is only if they submit an identity certificate through annexure “B”.

Post Police Verification with Aadhaar

For a smooth verification process, the government now allows post police verification for some passport applications after furnishing a few required details. Applicants who submit their Aadhaar number, voter ID card or PAN card combined with an affidavit (Annexure E) can make use of this facility. This facility is not for applicants who have criminal cases registered against them.

Applicants submitting their Aadhaar as document proof can have their passport issued immediately after Aadhaar is verified. This is, provided all documentation that is submitted is complete and accurate.

Online Passport Police Verification

The police verification process starts at the respective police station once the authorities are notified by the passport office. Applicants can also request for a police verification certificate by visiting the Passport Seva website. The portal allows applicants to easily track the verification status.

How Do I Check Passport Verification Status?

If you are applying for police verification, it is important to note that the police will issue different status for verifications conducted. Here are the different types of verification statuses:

• Clear - this indicates that the police found no cause for concern and the applicant appears to have a clean record (no open criminal cases against him/her).
• Adverse - this status indicates that the verification is in process and the police have found inconsistencies in the information furnished by the applicant. It could either result in the passport issuance being withheld or cancelled depending on the findings. Such inconsistencies could be due to incorrect or false addresses provided by the applicant during the process of application. There could also be criminal cases filed against the applicant and these could be pending in a court of law.
• Incomplete- During the verification process, the police could have found incomplete documentation submitted and this stops the process halfway. The police station also may not have filled in the verification report appropriately. In case the applicant has not been residing at his/her residential address for a long duration and verification of previous addresses is not possible, the police may state the verification as being incomplete due to insufficient information available.

After the police verification is completed, a report is generated and the passport is either cancelled or approved depending on the findings. If the passport is not sanctioned because of an ‘Adverse’ or “Incomplete’ remark, the applicant has the liberty to approach the police station which has issued the verification report and request for clarity on the reason for the remark.

Adverse Police Verification for Passport

In case your passport issuance is delayed because of the PV being “adverse”, here are the possible reasons for the same:

False address 

In case the police report concludes that you do not reside in the address stated in your application, it will show an “adverse” status.

The police officer may have visited for verification while you were temporarily unavailable at the address. Such cases can be easily resolved by writing to the RPO stating your file number and requesting for a re-verification to be conducted.

Unresolved criminal cases

If you have any unresolved or pending criminal cases registered against you, the passport office or the police station will not be able to assist in approving your passport application until the case is fully resolved in court. A court order allowing temporary short-term passports can be obtained in such cases.

If the criminal cases against you are fully resolved but you do not receive an “adverse” PV report, you can submit a copy of the court order to the RPO and ask for a re-verification.

In either case, if the issuance of the passport is delayed, simply contacting the RPO and stating your file number will allow you access to the reason for its delay. Once you come to know the root cause, you can reach out to the relevant authority requesting for accelerated passport issuance.

Police Verification Incomplete Passport

If the reason for the delay in your passport issuance is because of a PV report that says “Incomplete”, it could be due to one of the following reasons:

• If you are residing at your current residence for less than one year - Clearance certificate must be obtained from all residing addresses that you have occupied in the last one year. If the documentary evidence suggests that you have been residing at the current residence for less than one year and clearance is yet to be sought from the previous addresses the PV report may be impacted.
• Police stations may not have filled the report properly – In case the passport office receives an incomplete or improperly filled Police Verification report, it will be sent back to the concerned police station for further completion.
• Incomplete documents received - If the police verification report states that the officer-in-charge of verification did not collect required documents for establishing that you reside at your stated residential address. If you have not furnished the right set of documents to clarify the exact period for which you have stayed at a particular residence, the report will be marked as incomplete.

Are There any Exceptions for Police Verification in Passport?

Some of the exceptions for police verification of passport are:

• Re-issuance in case of lost / misplaced / stolen passport.
• Re-issuance in case of a complete name change.

The passport office will take the final decision as far as required police verification (“pre”, “post”, or “no”) for different applications is concerned. This depends on the specific case, any additional documents submitted, annexures submitted, new passport or re-issue of an existing passport, etc.

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