Passport

Introduction

An Indian passport is issued to Indian nationals by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs for the purpose of foreign travel. This is required by the bearer to fly abroad and acts as confirmation of Indian citizenship under the Passports Act (1967). As the central passport organization, the Passport Seva (Passport Service) unit of the Consular, Passport & Visa (CPV) Division of the Ministry of External Affairs is responsible for issuing on-demand Indian passports to all eligible Indian citizens. Indian passports are distributed in India at 93 passport offices and overseas at 197 Indian diplomatic missions.

With golden color printing, contemporary ordinary Indian passports have a deep bluish cover. At the centre of the front cover is the Logo of India inscribed. The information in the Passport is printed in both English and Hindi. There are 36 pages in the regular passport, but frequent travellers can opt for a passport containing 60 pages. Many early passports were handwritten, including some with 20-year validity dates issued between 1997 and 2000. The Indian government has declared these passports void, and according to ICAO rules, holders must exchange them with machine-readable copies valid for 10 years.

What are the details printed on your passport?

A regular passport contains 36 pages. Details are printed on the first and last page of the passport with the in between pages reserved for visa stamping. A normal passport contains the following information:

The Bio data page contains the following information:

• Type: "P"- Stands for "Personal", "D"- Stands for "Diplomatic", "S"- Stands for "Service"
• Country code: IND
• Passport number
• Surname
• Given name(s)
• Sex
• Date of birth
• Place of birth
• Place of issue
• Date of issue
• Date of expiry
• Photo of passport holder
• Ghost picture of the passport holder (only passports issued since 2013)
• Signature of the passport holder
• The information page ends with the Machine Readable Passport Zone (MRZ).

The Demographics page at the end of the passport book contains the following information:

• Name of father or legal guardian
• Name of mother
• Name of spouse
• Address
• Old passport number
• File number

Types of Indian Passports

Passports are of 3 categories:

Ordinary Passport – Has got a cover of Dark Blue. It is offered for ordinary travel, such as vacations, study and business trips, to ordinary people (36 or 60 pages). It is a passport for "Type P" where P stands for Personal.

Official Passport – It comes with a white cover. It is given for official business to people serving the Indian government. It's a passport for "Type S" where S stands for Service.

Diplomatic Passport – Comes with a Maroon cover. It shall be given to Indian diplomats, Members of Parliament, Members of the Council of Ministers of the Union, some high-level officials of the Government and to diplomatic couriers. It can also be given to high-ranking state-level officials traveling on official business, upon request. It is a passport for "Type D" with D standing for Diplomatic.

How to apply for an Indian Passport?

An individual requiring a passport shall apply to the Passport authority through the prescribed channels and submit all required documents and pay the requisite passport fees to process the application. The Passport authority, upon scrutiny, shall approve or reject the passport application based on the laws and rules under the relevant sections of the Passport Law.

Passport application can be done completely online on the Passport Seva Portal. However, if you don’t have internet access, you can submit the duly filled application form at any of the following locations:

• Any Passport Seva Kendra (PSK)/ Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK) within the jurisdiction of your Passport Office
• District Passport Cell (DPC) of your district
• Select Speed Post Centre(s) (SPC) in your district
• Citizen Service Centre (CSC) if any, in your area

Particulars to be filled in your Passport Application

Your Passport Application form will require complete details about your identity. It will ask for your full name, address, previous addresses in the last one year, family details like parents and spouse’s details, your educational qualification and so on.

You have to take utmost care in entering correct details. If any of the information is found to be incorrect, your passport application may get rejected.

Upon application submission, a police verification is done to confirm the details entered in the application form. Once the police verification is successful, your passport will be granted and sent for printing.

Online Passport Application Process

There are two ways of online application for your passport; 

1. Downloading the e-Form, fill it up offline and uploaded it on the portal, or 

2. Filling the application form online and submitting it directly online

Both these processes are available only on the official Passport Portal. One has to first register on the ‘Passport Seva’ Portal using your email ID. Once you have registered, you can login and click on ‘Apply for Fresh Passport’ option to proceed further.

Once you have registered on the Passport Portal, follow these steps to submit the application form online:

Submitting your Passport Application through the e-Form, filling it offline and uploading it later

• Login to the Passport Portal 
• Go to the ‘Forms and Affidavits’ menu on the homepage and click on ‘Download e-Form’ option. Then choose the ‘Fresh or reissue of Passport’ option.
• Fill the downloaded e-Form with all the correct details. 
• After filling the form completely, click on the ‘Validate & Save’ button. An XML file is generated which you have to upload on the system later.
• Go to the ‘Upload e-Form’ option and upload the XML file. Make sure to upload the XML file and not a PDF form as it is not accepted by the system.
• Once the upload is complete, click the "Pay and Schedule Appointment" link to schedule an appointment at Passport Seva Kendra (PSK).
• Select the correct Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) location and select your PSK.
• After booking your preferred appointment date and time at the selected PSK, you will take to the online payment page. You can choose to pay through Credit/Debit Card (MasterCard & Visa), Internet Banking (State Bank of India (SBI) and Associate Banks Only) or SBI Bank Challan.
• An Online Fee Calculator is available on the portal to calculate the fee for passport services
• Once the payment is also completed, you have to take a print out of the application receipt containing Application Reference Number (ARN) or Appointment Number.
• You have to now visit the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) on the date and time your appointment has been booked. You have to take the print out of the application form along with the original documents - such as proof of date of birth, identity proof with photograph, proof of residence and proof of nationality.

Filling the Passport Application form directly on the Passport Seva Portal and submitting it online

• Login to the portal.
• Select the required service Apply for Fresh Passport / Reissue of Passport
• Fill all the correct information in the application form online
• Next step is to make the Passport Fee payment. Choose the mode of payment
• Select your desired PSK, enter the Captcha characters and click “Next”
• Earliest available Appointment Date will be displayed on screen. Click “Pay and Book Appointment” to proceed for appointment booking.
• You can choose to pay through Credit/Debit Card (MasterCard & Visa), Internet Banking (State Bank of India (SBI) and Associate Banks Only) or SBI Bank Challan.
• An Online Fee Calculator is available on the portal to calculate the fee for passport services
• Once the payment is also completed, you have to take a print out of the application receipt containing Application Reference Number (ARN) or Appointment Number.
• You have to now visit the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) on the date and time your appointment has been booked. You have to take the print out of the filled application form along with the original documents - such as proof of date of birth, identity proof with photograph, proof of residence and proof of nationality.

What are Tatkal Passports?

Tatkal passports are processed, granted and dispatched in a very short time. In certain cases, a passport may be urgently needed by an applicant. There is a mechanism to apply for a 'Tatkal Passport' in such circumstances. In a few days' time, Tatkal passports are processed quickly and released. The document specifications and implementation procedure, however, remain pretty much the same. Under the Tatkal application, they will be asked to present a few additional papers.

For both fresh and reissue of passports, the Tatkal application may be opted. Tatkal passports previously required a Gazetted Officer's Verification Certificate. In recent years, the criterion has been eliminated, enabling applicants to receive passports during emergencies.

Passport applications through Tatkal can also be sent online via the Passport Seva Portal. For document verification, candidates must undergo a personal interview. After checking the paperwork and issuing the passport, applicants may expect the passport to be dispatched within a day's time.

What are Short Validity Passports?

Short Validity Passports are issued with a lesser validity period in case of emergencies. The instances where Short Validity Passports can be issued are:

• In case of urgency, students can be given an SVP upon producing letters of admission if they are needed to attend exams, such as TOEFL, SAT, etc. Such applications can also be approved under the Tatkal System, provided that they are supported by a certificate of verification as prescribed and the Passport Office verifies the Proof of Urgency (PO).
• There are cases of non-delivery of passports to applicants in the post offices due to loss in transit. In the event of emergency, an SVP may be given to the claimant, the validity of which, upon completion of the formalities, must be extended to a full term.
• Indians living abroad and visiting India for a limited period of time: an SVP may be issued immediately, valid for one year, upon development of a return ticket to the country from which the applicant came and/or an identification certificate, such as a driving license, a green card, an employment license, a social security card, a health card, a labor card, etc., stating the identity and nationality of the applicant. Where an application is made for a duplicate passport to be issued instead of a damaged passport, the damaged passport can itself be accepted as proof of identity, provided that the personal details are clear and legible.
• Where a criminal case against the applicant is pending in any court, a passport can be given to the applicant, subject to the condition that the written permission granted by the court to allow the applicant to travel abroad is included. An SVP valid for one year is normally given, subject to the conditions, if any, stated in the order of the Court pursuant to GSR 570(E) of 25 August 1993.

What are the documents to be submitted with my Passport Application?

These are the primary documents required to apply for a Passport: 

• Proof of Present Address
• Proof of Date of Birth
• Documentary proof for any one of the Non-ECR categories

List of Documents Acceptable for Fresh Passport Issuance for Adults

List of Documents Acceptable for Fresh Passport Issuance for Minors

• The consent of both parents is considered to be present, unless stated.
• In the case of minor applicants, the current proof of address should be submitted in favour of the parent(s).
• It is recommended to bring original and self-tested copies of the parents’ passport to Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) if the parents have a passport.
• For minor candidates, the records can be attested to by the parents.
• The minor applicant is eligible for a non-ECR before he/she reaches the age of 18 years.

Mandatory Documents for Tatkal Passports

Any 3 documents out of the list should be submitted compulsorily for Tatkal processing

How to track my passport application status?

Since the entire application process for passports is completed online, it is simple for applicants to track their application status. Applicants will get a status update on their passport application in real time. They can also get SMS status notifications.

Updating the application status is critical so that, if necessary, you can take prompt action.

On the 'Passport Seva' portal, one can check their application status easily.

1. Visit Passport Seva Portal

2. Click on the “Track Application Status” link on the left side of the page

3. Select the Application Type as ‘Passport/PCC/IC/GEP’

4. Enter the 13-digit File Number and Date of Birth of the applicant

5. Click on the “Track Status” button

6. The Status Tracker screen is displayed and the latest status of your Passport Application is shown here.

What are the charges to apply for a Passport?

Application Fees for a Fresh or Re-issue Passport under the Normal Scheme

Application Fees for a Fresh or Re-issue of Passport under the Tatkal Scheme

Indian Passport FAQs