How To Apply For Passport In India?

In this article we give you a brief introduction to the process of applying for an Indian passport and acquiring it within India for the first time.

Firstly you need to know the basics of obtaining the Indian Passport.

1. An Indian Passport is issued by the Consular, Passport and Visa (CPV) division of the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India through: Regional Passport Office (RPO) or Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) or District Passport Cells (DPC).
2. In order to obtain a passport, you need to enquire  at  your nearest RPO / PSK / DPC. The applications made at RPO or PSK needs to be submitted via online mode.
3. Applications at the DPC are paper-based forms which may possibly change in future. Moreover, DPCs do not accept Tatkal applications in case of re-issue of passport.
4. Applicant has to be physically present at the offices and proxy is not allowed.
5. Fees for an Indian passport application varies according to age, mode, tatkal or normal, number of pages required in the passport etc. Fees can be paid via online or in cash or by demand draft as instructed by PSK or DPC.
6. Police Verification is done in most cases before issuing a passport.
7. Time required to issue the passport is at the discretion of the RPO and there is no guideline for the same.
8. Photographs need to be recent in color with a white background and dimensions of 4.5 cm by 3.5cm.

Procedure to apply for Indian Passport:

1) Check the list of documents required depending on the application mode at : Documents Required. Arrange for all the documents like Birth Certificate / School leaving certificate, Address proof i.e. telephone bill, electricity bill / water bill / gas connection proof / Aadhaar card and make photocopies of them in A4 sheet. The documents needs to be submitted alongwith the photocopies (which needs to self-attested). Atleast 1 of the documents must contain your photograph and your name should be same in all the documents.

2) You can fill the online application from from Government of India’s official passport application website. Mention all your names without any initials and it should be the same as it appears in your documents and certificates. You can register and create a user ID which will be active only for 2 months from the date of its creation. Upload the required documents in the link.

3)An appointment at PSK /RPO  will be automatically alloted by the system as per the avaialbility of appointment slots and on payment of Passport fees online. You will be able to cancel / reschedule the appointment only twice within 1 year of first appointment date. You can check the details at :  http://passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProjec/pdf/New_Online_Appointment_Booking_Process.pdf

4) Print the online application, take the photocopies of the required documents and alongwith originals visit the PSK /RPO on the scheduled date and time of appointment.

5) Check your application status of the passport receipt at Track Application Status. You need not worry if the status messages on the tracker do not flow in a logical order.

6) Tips to fill the paper-based application form:

1) Use CAPITAL letter only. Do not make any mistakes in filling the form as the particulars given in the form will be same printed in the passport.

2) Use blue / black pen only. Do not fill the form with ink-pen or pencils.

3) Leave 1 blank box after each completed word while filling up the boxes.

4) Write clearly within the box and do not touch the boundaries of the box.

5) Do not over-write / write anything outside the box. Adjust the information to fit within the number of boxes.

6) Complete all the necessary details asked in the form. Incomplete application will not be accepted.

Other important links:

To contact your nearest passport office, refer to 

1. The counter of the Passport office
2. The Speed Post centers
3. District Passport Cells

Refer Check List for the required documents to be submitted along with the application form.