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Passport Seva

How to become a Passport Seva Kendra?

We provide basic passport-related services through our network of Passport Seva Kendra, a passport issuing authority. The Kendra is an extended arm of a local passport office with a walk-in counter. It facilitates submission of relevant documents and duly filled-in application forms required by an individual to get a new passport created.

What is an Indian Passport?

A Indian passport is an officially-issued document that permits the holder to travel to and from foreign countries. It also confirms that the holder is a citizen of the issuing country, as well as confirming the holder’s identity.

Why is a Passport Necessary?

A passport is a document issued by the government of the holder’s country certifying the holder’s identity and citizenship. It is necessary if an individual wishes to travel to a foreign country as it serves as the only acceptable form of identification. It can also be used as an identity document within the holder’s country or overseas.

New Passport Application Rules In India

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has announced new rules pertaining to the proof of Date of Birth (DOB) for passport applications. As per the new rules, an individual can apply for a passport by using various types of

documents as proof of DOB. MEA has reviewed the existing rules that will help an individual to apply for a passport easily. MEA will also enable the passport head offices to function as a Passport Seva Kendra (PSK).

Prior to the announcement of new rules, any applicant born on or after 26/01/1989 was required to provide the Birth Certificate as the proof of DOB. Under the new rules, an individual can provide any of the following document as proof of DOB:

  1. A birth certificate issued by the municipal corporation or the registrar of births and deaths.
  2. A transfer certificate/school leaving/matriculation certificate issued by the school last attended.
  3. The Permanent Account Number (PAN) issued by Income Tax (IT) Department.
  4. The Aadhaar Card/E-Aadhaar issued by Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
  5. A vehicle driving license issued by the state government’s Regional Transport Department (RTO).
  6. A Voter ID card or Election Photo Identity Card (EPIC) issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
  7. Service record extract or Pay Pension Order with DOB (Applicable for government employees).
  8. A Policy Bond issued by the Public Life Insurance firms

Along with the Women and Child Ministry, MEA has offered a host of changes to the passport rules. Some of the interesting rules are:

  • An applicant can provide the name of only one parent or legal guardian that allows single parents to apply for passports for their children.
  • The total number of annexes has been brought down to 9 from 15 (prescribed in the Passport Rule, 1980)
  • Few of the Annexes have been removed while some of them are merged to ease the process.
  • The self-declaration can be provided on a plain paper and no attestations are required.
  • The passport application form does not ask for the name of an individual’s spouse, if he/she is a divorcee.
  • Orphaned children can submit a declaration given by the head of the orphanage or child care home that confirms the date of birth of the applicant.
  • An in-country domestically adopted individual can give a declaration on a plain paper confirming the adoption instead of submitting the registered adoption deed.
  • Seers and mendicants can provide the name of their spiritual guru as their biological parent’s name, however, they are required producing either the Election Photo Identity Card (EPIC), PAN card, or Aadhar card wherein the name of the guru has been mentioned against the parent’s name section.

Additionally, the government is installing point of sale (POS) machines at PSKs to facilitate the payment for tatkal passports. This will eliminate the need for cash transactions. Recently MEA has introduced various methods to reduce the processing time for passport applications. Besides, an individual can also apply for a passport by using the Aadhaar card that expedites the entire process. Please refer to MEA’s website for information related to passport applications.

Types Of Passport In India

There are 3 main types of passports issued by GOI under the Passport Act, 1967. They are –

  • Type P / Ordinary passport– ‘P’ denotes ‘Personal’. These are Ordinary passports issued to ordinary individuals. They are general purpose passports that citizens normally use for travel on holiday or business.
  • Type S / Official passport– ‘S’ denotes ‘Service’. These are Official passports issued to people travelling abroad on official government/state work.
  • Type D / Diplomatic passport – ‘D’ denotes ‘Diplomat’. These are Diplomatic passports issued to people who always travel on official government work including those posted abroad.

Along with this, some passport offices in overseas missions and India can issue regular Indo-Sri Lankan passports and Indo-Bangladesh passports to the Indian citizens residing in Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, the North-Eastern states and West Bengal. The Indo-Sri Lanka passport and the Indo-Bangladesh passport are only valid for traveling to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh respectively and they cannot be used for traveling to any other foreign country.

What Does An Indian Passport Look Like?

The modern-day Indian passports come with a deep blue-black cover. The prints on the passport are golden in colour. At the centre of the front cover, the Emblem of India is printed. On top of the emblem, the word ‘Passport’ is inscribed in Hindi and English language. ‘Republic of India’ is inscribed in those two languages below the emblem on the cover page. Any standard passport has 36 pages in it. However, if an individual travels frequently, then he/she can apply for a passport that has 60 pages.

Identity Of Passport Holder

The following information is provided on the opening cover:

  • Type (S-stands for Service; D-stands for Diplomat; P-stands for Personal)
  • Passport number
  • Country code
  • Surname
  • Nationality
  • Given name(s)
  • Gender
  • Place of birth
  • Date of birth
  • Date of issue
  • Place of issue
  • Date of expiry
  • Signature of the passport holder
  • Photo of the passport holder
  • Information page comes to an end with MRZ (Machine Readable Passport) zone

The following information is present on the closing end:

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

What Are The Documents Required For Passport ?

The following documents are to be submitted when applying for an Indian passport:

Sl No. Required Documents
1 Application form
2 Electricity bill
3 Water bill
4 Income tax assessment order
5 Gas connection proof
6 Aadhaar Card
7 Registered rent agreement
8 Voter ID card
9 Telephone bill (mobile or landline)
10 Copy of spouse’s passport (provided the applicant’s current address matches the one mentioned in the spouse’s passport)
11 Active bank account passbook containing the applicant’s photograph (in case of public sector, private sector, regional banks only)
12 Letter from reputed employer
13 Copy of parent’s passport (for minor applicants)
14 Proof of date of birth document
15 Municipal birth certificate
16 Documentary proof for non-ECR categories (if applicable)

Know more About documents required for passport renewal

How To Apply For Passport

To apply for passport online, one will have to log into the PSP site, online, at www.passportindia.gov.in and get an appointment or time slot to go to the PSK. This entails registering on the site i.e. creating a user id, or, if already registered, it entails logging in to the site with a valid id.

Users of the site will have to specify what kind of application it is i.e. fresh or reissue, normal or tatkal, type of passport i.e. regular, diplomatic or official. Users can also apply online for Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) and Identity Certificate. The required forms will have to be filled and either submitted online or downloaded and uploaded later. Applications that have been submitted or saved can also be viewed on the site. Information on documents required can be obtained here. It also features a fee calculator to know how much has to be paid. Fee payment is also processed online. One can find details of those PSKs that provide appointments only if fees are paid online first. The site eventually provides a user an application receipt.

To apply passport offline , applicants can download and print passport forms and submit them at passport collection centers or buy the form and submit it at the centers. However, other than PSKs, only applications for new passports will be accepted at collection centers.

For certain applicants such as minors, handicapped and senior citizens, applications can be submitted at PSKs without appointments i.e. as walk-ins. In this case, applications should be submitted online for generation of ARN. This ARN is required for walk-in without appointment. This is for cases such as tatkaal or getting PCC.

New Passport Application System In India

A new system for passport issuance was approved by the Union Cabinet in 2007. This system was approved under the Passport Seva Project. According to this project, activities associated with issuance of passports, dispatch of passports, linking them online with the police department for verification and centralized passport printing will be taken care of by the system. The new system has made the application process quick and hassle free. The applicant must apply for fresh or reissuance of passport via any of the 77 Passport Seva Kendras working across India.

Other travel documents may be issued under the Passport Act 1967. These include:

  • Emergency Certificates
  • Certificate of Identity
  • Others

Fees Structure For Indian Passport

Type Charges
Renew passport or fresh passport with validity for 10 years (36 pages, regular size) Rs.1,500
Renew passport or fresh passport with validity for 10 years (60 pages, jumbo size) Rs.2,000
Renewal or First time applicant with ‘tatkal’ service and 10 years validity (36 pages, regular size) Rs.3,500
Renewal or First time applicant with ‘tatkal’ service and 10 years validity (60 pages, jumbo size) Rs.4,000
New passport for minors with validity for 5 years Rs.1,000
Replacement in case of lost, theft or damage of passport (36 pages, regular size) Rs.3,000
Replacement in case of lost, theft or damage of passport (60 pages, jumbo size) Rs.3,500

How To Take Appointment For Passport

When applying for a passport in India, the applicant is required to present himself/herself to a Regional Passport Office for the purpose of verification of the information submitted in the application form.

An applicant is required to make an appointment for this purpose, which can be done in the following steps:

Step 1: Login To the online Passport Seva portal with registered login Id.

Step 2:Click on Apply for Fresh /reissue passport .

Step 3:Fill the required details in the form and submit.

Step 4: Click the “Pay and Schedule Appointment” link on the “View Saved/Submitted Applications” screen to schedule an appointment whereupon an appointment slot will be allotted to them.

Things that you must know about Passport rules

The External Affairs Ministry has introduced a brand new set of regulations that must be followed if you wish to get a passport. These set of new rules has made the process of issuing passports in India streamlined. These new guidelines are there so that the people of India can benefit from them.

The list of things that you must know before applying for a passport is given below:

  • All the applicants must submit one of the following documents when applying for the passport
    • Driving Licence
    • Public Life Insurance Company issued policy bonds
    • Election Photo Identity Card
    • Pay pension order
    • Service record (only in case of Government Employees)
    • Aadhaar Card or E-Aadhaar
    • PAN card
    • Matriculation Certificate or school leaving certificate or transfer certificate
    • Birth Certificate
  • If you are separated or divorced, you will not have to enter the name of your spouse on the passport application form.
  • Mother’s name, father’s name or legal guardian’s name must be there on the form. However, only one of the names should be mentioned. This enables all the single parents to apply for passports for the children. Passports are issued even if only the father’s name or the mother’s name is provided on the form.
  • The annexes in the Passport Rule, 1980 to nine. Previously, it stood at fifteen. Some of the annexes have been merged and Annexes A, C, D, E, J and K have been removed.
  • All annexes that must be provided by the applicants in self-declaration should be on plain paper. From now, no attestation, swearing by, executive magistrate, etc. are required.
  • If a child is not born out of wedlock, applicant must submit Annexure G only while making the application.
  • The marriage applicants are not required to submit annexure K or marriage certificate.
  • For domestically adopted kids, submission of registered deed of adoption is not mandatory anymore.
  • Children who do not have parents can submit authorized letter from the orphanage to avail passports.
  • Sanyasis and Sadhus can also apply for passports with their spiritual Guru’s name on the application.

Other Information about Passport

Passport Application Form Filling Guidelines

If you have decided to apply for a passport then there are a few things you are going to have to know. The first is that you have to apply for the passport using the prescribed application form. The form might seem a bit confusing at first however, there are some guidelines that you need to follow while filling out the forms. These guidelines help you determine what needs to be filled up, where and how. Read More about guideline to fill passport application form

How to Track Passport Status

Once you have applied for a passport, the next question on your mind will be about how you can find out what happened to that application. That is why you should know that the passport applications can be tracked. Tracking the applications status will let you know if your application has been processed or not. Once the application enters the system, it goes through various status like application submitted, under review, printed, etc. The tracking helps you keep track of this and can be done online or using mobile application and SMS’. Here is how you can track your passport applications status in India

Procedure for Police Verification of Passport

Once you apply for a passport, irrespective of the application being for a regular one or a tatkal passport, you will have to get a police verification done for it. There are only few cases where a police verification will not be required. Should you want to know what you are required to do in order to get the police verification done you will need to know how the issuance of a passport hinges on said verification. If you have questions about the way a police verifications work, then you can find the relevant information here. Here know about how police verification done for passport

How to Apply Student Passport

If you are a student who is planning to pursue an education outside India, the very first thing you will need is a passport. The actual process of apply for a student passport is not very different from applying for a regular passport. You still need to follow the same process and have certain documents to support your application. You will also have to get the police verification done along with visiting your PSK for an interview. Know about procedure for applying passport for students

Processing of Passport Applications At Passport Seva Kendra

While applying for a passport, an individual is required to visit the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) on the scheduled date to finish the last part of the application process. Final verification and approval takes place at PSK. Read More About Processing of Passport Applications At Passport Seva Kendra.

How To Check ECR/ECNR Passport Status

The ECR(Emigration Check Required) and ECNR(Emigration Check Not Required) status on the passport denote whether the individual needs emigration clearance for travelling to the specific 18 countries as listed by the Government of India. The information regarding the status will be given on the second page of the passport. For more information Check ECR/ECNR Passport Status.

How To Change The Address In Passport Application Form

In case of change in address or relocating, it is always advisable for the individual to update the address in the passport. The person can update the address by applying for a re-issue of the passport. The person can do it online or offline according to his/her convenience. For more information about change the address In passport application form.

How To Apply For Passport For Government Employees

The individual has to first send ‘’Prior Intimation Letter’’ to the controlling authority before applying for the passport. Informing them prior to applying will speed up the whole process of application. The rest of the process is quite same as that of the regular candidates. For more information about how to apply for passport for government employees.

Features Of New Indian Passport

The passport come with several features which are as follows:

  • Since November 25, 2015, all the Indian Passports that are handwritten have become invalid. The recent Indian Passports have all the personal details about the passport holder printed on the second page.
  • The new passports have added security features on them. The holder picture is also printed on the right side of the document’s second page.
  • Emigration check is required for all people who hold ECR passports. This is necessary for preventing exploitation of the workers of Indian origin, especially the ones who are less educated and unskilled. The ECNR passports can be availed by:
    • Indians holding at least the matriculation certificate
    • Indian born in a foreign country
    • Official or Diplomatic passport holders
    • Gazetted Government servants
    • All individuals who pay income tax
    • The professional degree holders and graduates like lawyers, doctors, engineers, scientists, chartered accountants, etc.
    • Dependent children and spouses
    • Seamen in possession of CDC
    • All individuals above the age of 50 years
    • All nurses who possess qualifications that are recognized under the Indian Nursing Council Act of 1947
    • All children above the age of 18 years
    • All individuals who have stayed in foreign countries for more than 3 years
    • All people who have diplomas from SCVT (State Council of Vocational Training) or NVCT (National Council for Vocational Training)
  • Languages that are printed on the passport are Hindi and English.

List of Complex Cases in Passport Application in India

There are certain cases which cannot be handled by the officers stationed at a PSK and hence has to handled by the regional passport office. These cases are known as complex cases for passport application. The following is a list of all such complex cases in passport application in India:

  1. Application for an individual who has been convicted for a felony/s by any foreign or Indian court.
  2. Applicant who has a criminal case at an Indian criminal court, which is still pending.
  3. The applicant has a sentence of imprisonment within 5 years from the date of application due to a criminal offence. The sentence of imprisonment must be ordered by a court in India.
  4. If the applicant has summons or warrant to appear, or has an arrest warrant issued by an Indian court currently, his or her application case will be considered as a complex case..
  5. Individual who currently is prohibited from departing outside India by an Indian court.
  6. If the individual applying for the passport is repatriated and has not made the reimbursement the incurred expenditure connected with the repatriation.
  7. Any individual who has returned to India through deportation from another country, EC or repatriation
  8. Minor children belonging to Nagaland and Jammu & Kashmir.
  9. Minor children belonging to a single parent.
  10. Minor children belonging to separated or divorced parents.
  11. If the individual has had a change in their name resulted by marriage.
  12. Applicants who are single parents, separated or divorced cases.
  13. Any of the applicant’s parent’s have a foreign nationality.
  14. Cases where the applicant’s photo ID has been compromised or there has been a substantial change in the photo ID from the past proofs.
  15. Reissuance of a Short Validity Passport (SVP).
  16. The individual’s current address is not in India.
  17. Applications which have been denied a passport earlier.
  18. Applicants who passports have been revoked or impounded, earlier.
  19. The individual has seek for or already has has been given political asylum by a foreign country.

Passport Issuing Authorities and Collection Centers

As mentioned, the MEA works through the CPO and PSKs in India and Embassies/Consulates outside India for the issuance of passports and carrying out related services.

  • MEA – The Ministry of External Affairs is the government arm under whose purview falls all matters related to passports. There is only 1 MEA.
  • CPV – The Consular Passport and Visa is the MEA division through which the MEA works for the issuance of passports. The CPV at Patiala House, New Delhi, processes applications for Official and Diplomatic passports.
  • PO/RPO – Passport Offices/Regional Passport Offices issue / deny issue of / impound passports. POs carry out back-end passport-related processes and services. They exercise authority over PSKs. They process applications, print and send out approved passports. They deal with the MEA, state police and state administration. They also handle financial, legal and RTI activities. There are 37 passport offices in India.
  • PSK – Passport Seva Kendras are extensions of POs through which front-end passport-related processes and services are carried out. It is the physical space where applicants must physically present themselves after getting an online appointment. This is where required documents are submitted, photographs taken and applications are reviewed before being passed on to the Passport Office for processing. There are 77 PSKs in India functioning under the PPP model under which human and technological resources are provided by TCS.
  • PSLK – Passport Seva Laghu Kendras are also extensions of POs providing similar services as PSKs, except that these were set up to cover certain areas such as eastern and north-eastern areas.They help ease the burden of PSKs in these regions who handle applications from a large jurisdiction. There are 16 PSLKs in India but these do not function under the PPP model. They are entirely est up, operated and controlled by the government.
  • DPC, SPC, CSC – District Passport Cells, Speed Post Centers and Citizen Service Centers can only process applications for fresh passports and not reissue, tatkaal or other cases. They also cannot provide other related services.
  • Indian Missions Abroad – The MEA works through about 180 Indian Mission / Posts for issuance of passports outside India. These include Indian Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates.

Passport Services FAQs

  1. What kind of Passport Services are available through the online portal, PSKs, and Passport Office?The Passport Office offers the following services:
    • Issue of Fresh Passport:Only those applying for passports for the first time in their lives can apply through this facility. If you have ever held a valid Indian passport, ever, you must apply through “Re-issue of Passport”.
    • Re-issue of Passport:This option must be taken if:
      • There is any change in your name / spelling of your name / appearance.
      • Misprinted passport has been received.
      • Passport of inferior quality has been received.
      • The passport has expired (exists past its Validity date).
      • Pages in the passport have all been stamped – no free pages.
      • Passport has been torn, fire-damaged, water-damaged, etc.
      • Passport has been misplaced or lost.
      • Passport has been stolen.
    • Miscellaneous Services:
      • Issue of Police Clearance Certificate (PCC).
  2. What are the different kinds of passports one can apply for?Depending on the requirement and the status of the applicant, there are 3 types of passports that the Indian Government issues:
    • Ordinary Passport:
      • This has a blue cover.
      • It is the most common passport that is issued to regular Indian citizens to facilitate international travel.
      • It can have either 36 or 60 pages.
      • The validity of this passport, if issued under normal circumstances, is 10 years.
      • Renewal under normal circumstances will extend the validity of the passport by another 10 years.
    • Diplomatic Passport:
      • This has a maroon cover.
      • This passport is issued to members of the national government, judiciary, diplomats, official public couriers, statutory authorities, and other person that has been authorized by the government.
    • Official Passport:
      • This has a grey cover.
      • This passport is issued to non-gazetted servants, or any other person that has been authorized by the government, or any government deputed person who is abroad on government business.
  3. What is the passport application process for online applications?A simple process exists to apply for a new or a re-issue of an existing passport. Follow these steps:
    • Fill out the online application form through the e-Form Submission portal, or the Online Form Submission.
    • Fill out the online Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) through either of the above mentioned form submission portals.
    • Go to the PSK (Passport Seva Kendra) and register your fingerprint and photographs as part of the required biometrics registration for passports.
  4. How many types of passport are there in India?There are mainly three type of passports which are issued in India. They are Regular passport (Type P), Official passport(Type S) and Diplomatic passport(Type D). Regular passports are issued to ordinary citizens for vacations, studies etc. Official passports are issued to those individuals who are representing the Indian government on official business. Diplomatic passport are issued to Indian Diplomats and top ranking government officers.
  5. What is P Type passport in India?P Type passport is a regular passport which is issued to an ordinary citizen for personal trips such as vacations, business trips, study etc. ‘P’ stands for ‘personal’.
  6. How is passport issued in India?The CVP(Consular Passport and Visa) division is responsible for issuing passports in India. Applicants can get their passports issued either by applying online on the Passport Seva page or they can directly visit the Passport Seva Kendras. The passports will be issued to the applicants after document verification and police verification.
  7. Is a permanent address necessary for a passport in India?No, a permanent address is not mandatory for a passport in India. However, it is mandatory for the applicant to give the present or current address because only the present address will be endorsed on the passport.
  8. How many days it will take to get a passport?In India, the number of days required to receive the passport varies depending on whether it is tatkal passport or normal passport. It requires around 7-14 days to get a tatkal passport and 30-45 days to receive a normal passport.
  9. What is Red passport in India?Red Passport is the diplomatic passport which is issued to Indian diplomats, top ranking government officials and diplomatic couriers for their trips abroad. It has a maroon cover. It is also called as Type D passport. ‘D’ stands for ‘Diplomatic’.
  10. What is passport issuing authority in India?The passport issuing authority is the concerned regional passport office(RPO) where all the crucial decisions regarding verification, printing and dispatch of passport is taken. It is basically the agency that issued your passport.
  11. Is it necessary to have Birth Certificate for passport?It is mandatory to submit birth certificate while issuing passport in India if the applicant is born on or after 26th January, 1989. If the applicant is born before this date, he/she can provide any other certificate as the proof for Date of Birth.
  12. Who issues passports in India?The Consumer Passport and Visa(CVP) Division of the Ministry of External Affairs is responsible for issuing passports in India.
  13. What is the validity of passport in India?An Indian passport is normally valid for 10 years after which the passport holder has to apply for its renewal. However, for a minor, the validity is restricted to 5 years or till they attain the age of 18. Any minor from the age of 15-18 years can either apply for a passport with the validity of 10 years or for a passport which is valid till they attain the age of 18.
  14. What is Passport File Number?Passport File Number is the unique Passport Reference File Number which is given to every individual who applies for the passport in India. The applicant can track the status of their online application form with the help of this number.