The easy way to get your passport

Having an Indian passport is compulsory for studying or working outside India and touring other countries. In this article, we seek to provide all information such as the ways of getting the key document, easy ways of getting it, applying online for a passport and the necessary related information.

Many people think that passport has to be applied for only when they have the intention of visiting any foreign country. All Indians have the right to get it. Anyone can apply for it online. Even though the application is submitted online, all the applicants have to go to the nearest passport office with all the necessary documents on the prescribed date.

Applying online for passport

You have to visit  http://www.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/welcomeLink  On the left side of the home page, you have to select 'New User? Register Now' option. Then, a new page will be opened and you have to provide all the information in the page. In the Passport Office column, there are three offices at Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada. The applicants have to know under which office jurisdiction they fall. After filling in all the details there, you have to click at 'Register' button.  

Then, you have to enter the above Passport Office website and click at 'Existing User? Login' button. You have to type the password as the next step.

By clicking at 'Apply for fresh passport / Reissue of passport', you will get two options. Here, you can opt for either downloading the form or filling in the application form online. Who can deny the fact that filling in all the details online is an easier thing?

If you have decided to apply online, you have to select one of the two following options.

Fresh passport / Reissue of passport

Normal / Tatkal

36 pages / 60 pages

After filling in all the details there, you have to click at 'Next' button. In the next page, you have to enter your personal details. All the particulars have to be filled in carefully and without any mistakes. Any doubt at this stage can be clarified by visiting the website

https://portal1.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/pdf/ApplicationformInstructionBooklet-V3.0.pdf 

Now, you have to click 'Submit' button.

After clicking at 'View Saved / Submit Application' button, you have to select 'Pay and Schedule Appointment' option. Now select Online Payment and click at 'Next' button.

At this stage, you will get the list of Passport Seva Centres. Select one of those and click at 'Next' button. Now, you have to select 'Pay and book appointment'.

The Payment Gateway Page will appear. You will be directed to passport website page after paying the prescribed fee online. The payment can be done through master card, Visa credit card or debit card. If you want to pay the fee through internet banking, it must be done through State Bank of India or its associate banks only.

You can view the entire application after clicking at 'Print Application Receipt'. By clicking at the same button once again, you will get the same option in the next page. You will get the printout if you can click on it. In this printout, you will get Application Reference Number/Appointment Number. You have to go to the Passport Centre at the given date and time with all the necessary documents. The passport will be issued to you after police verification.

For getting the status of your application, you have to visit the link https://portal1.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/statusTracker/trackStatusInpNew and enter the details like Application Type, File Number and Date of Birth. Now, you can get the status by clicking at 'Track Status'.

Documents needed while applying for the passport 

Proof of Residence : Ration card, voter ID card, water bill, telephone bill, electricity bill, bank account statement, Income-tax returns of the last three financial years, appointment order on letter head of reputed companies, residence certificate from Tahsildar or Sarpanch.

Date of Birth : Tenth Class certificate is enough for it. If the applicant did not have any formal education, such persons can get the date of birth certificate from Magistrate, Tahsildar or Sarpanch.

Seven photos of 35X35 size. They can be of color or black and white. The photos taken in uniform or wearing colored eye glasses are not accepted.

At the time of submitting the applications at the passport office, the officials there will check all the xerox copies with the original documents. The candidates have to take one set of self- attested xerox copies while going to the Passport Centre.

If the applicant fails to visit the Passport Centre for any reason within 90 days of applying, he or she has to apply again.

Application fee will be Rs.1500 and other fees for tatkal and others can be had from http://passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/onlineHtml/feeDocument.html

In post offices too........

One can apply for passport through post offices, too. Anyone can go to the post office, in which passport services are available, with all the required documents. In such cases, the postal staff will upload into the passport website all your details mentioned in the application. They will give you the date and time of appointment. On that date only, you have to visit the Passport Centre. You have to pay some amount to the Postal Department for their services. If you fail to attend the Passport Centre on the given date for any reason, you can postpone the date by visiting the passport website. However, you can change the date only twice in a year.

You can apply for passport at District Passport Cell, Passport Collection Centre, Passport Seva centres and selected Post Offices.

However, senior citizens, minors and physically handicapped persons can apply online and go to the Passport Seva centre without any prior appointment. Such persons can submit all the documents along with ARN.

Giving wrong information in the passport application or submitting fake documents while applying for the passport are crimes. Such persons can be imprisoned for two years, a penalty of Rs.5,000 or both.

To clarify all the doubts of the applicants, there is a national call centre in 17 Indian languages. Its number is 1800 258 1800. Any person can call at any time in any working day and get all their doubts cleared.

Applicants can get the status of their application by paying the fee of Rs.40. However, they have to register themselves for SMS service at the time of submitting all the documents at the Passport Seva Centre. Such applicants are informed about the status from time to time on their mobile number. However, there is an option of getting the status of your application without paying any fee. One can type STATUS, give space and type file number and then send it to 9704100100.

The Central government started an app (mPassport Seva) with all kinds of information on passport. Customers of Apple, Android, Windows and Black Berry phone can download it.

Passport applications are not accepted in Passport offices. They are accepted in Passport Seva centres only.

Those candidates who want to make changes in their personal details in their passport have to opt for Reissue passport. The procedure for the same is just similar to applying for the passport fresh. However, the candidates have to submit documents in support of the changes they want in the passport.

Tatkal passport in just 3 days

As per the latest rules, any person, who wants to go abroad for any urgent work, can get Tatkal Passport within three working days. The passport will be issued to them without waiting for police verification. It will be delivered to them on the third day itself.

Applying for the passport in this way is similar to that of general mode of applying for the same. However, they have to select tatkal mode of getting the passport.

Documents needed for Tatkal passport :

Verification certificate as per Annexure F

                              OR

Voter ID, employment ID card issued by Central or any state government or public sector undertaking, SC/ST/OBC certificate, freedom fighters identity card, arm's licence, property assessment documents, ration card, pension document, railway photo identity card, PAN card, bank/post office/ kisan passbook, student identity card issued by any recognised educational institution, driving licence, any valid document in proof of date of birth and gas connection bill. For Tatkal Passport, the applicant must submit any three of the above documents and one of them must be a photo-identity card.

Notary affidavit on stamp paper as per Annexure 1 must be submitted along with the application. They should carry printout of online application, payment receipt and color photo (having light color or white background). The applicant need not produce any document supporting the urgency of foreign tour. But, submitting any such document is preferable. All originals and one set of self-attested documents must be carried by the applicant while applying for Tatkal Passport.