Steps to Apply for a Passport
The following are the steps to apply for a new passport or a reissue of an old one.
- For the first time, go to the Passport Seva Online website and register.
- Passport Seva Online Portal Login
- Apply for a new passport or a passport reissue.
- You have the option of downloading the form, filling it out, and uploading it back to the website, or simply filling out the information online.
- Submit the Application after filling out the form, either online or offline.
- Make a payment and make an appointment.
- Confirmation of your appointment at the Passport Seva Kendra, with all relevant details (PSK).
- For appointment confirmation, print the Application Receipt.
- Bring your receipt to Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) on the day of your appointment.
- Give your biometrics (fingerprints), have your documents checked and receive a receipt. It takes about 2-4 hours to complete.
- After the police have checked your identity, you will receive your passport.
- You can monitor the progress of your passport application.
ECR or ECNR
As defined by the Emigration Act of 1983, emigration is defined as an Indian citizen leaving India with the intention of seeking employment in a foreign country. Emigration Check Required stands for Emigration Check Required, while Emigration Check Not Required stands for Emigration Check Not Required. If you passed class ten, you are automatically placed in the ECNR grades.
Emigration Check Required is the complete form of ECR
- If you have not completed class ten, your passport will be classified as ECR (Emigration Check Required). When you leave India for work in one of the countries on the list, you must obtain permission from the immigration office.
- You do not need emigration clearance if you travel to any of the mentioned countries for reasons other than work (ex-visit, service, or any other reason).
- You do not need emigration clearance if you are travelling to any of the other countries mentioned, regardless of whether you are qualified for ECNR or not.
If your passport status is ECR, you may need to obtain permission from the immigration office to travel to the following countries: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Dubai, Oman, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.
In the passport, no notation means ECR for the passport is published before January 2007.
No notation in the passport means ECNR for passports published in or after January 2007.
If an Emigration Check is required, the passport will be stamped with an ECR endorsement, i.e. The stamp would be on your passport page if you have an ECR passport. ECR Emigration Check Required is written on the stamp, as seen in the image below.
Documents to Carry During The Visit To The Passport Office On The Appointment Date
You must bring original documents as well as one self-attested duplicate copy of the following documents to the passport office:
- Address proof is needed. Water/telephone/electricity/gas charge, income tax assessment order, election ID card, parent’s passport, etc.) Gas Connection Proof, On letterhead, a certificate from a reputable employer, Spouse’s passport copy (first and last page along with the family details), (provided the applicant’s current address matches the address mentioned in the spouse’s passport), Parent’s passport copy, if the applicant is a child (First and last page), Photo Passbook of a Working Bank Account, Aadhaar Card, Registered Rent Agreement (Scheduled Private Sector Indian Banks, Scheduled Public Sector Banks and Regional Rural Banks only)
- Proof of birth date – Birth certificate issued by a municipal authority or any office approved by the Registrar.
- Class Xth or the graduation certificate as a document for ECNR.
Normal passport applications from first-time applicants who include Aadhaar, Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC), Permanent Account Number (PAN) Card, and an affidavit in the format of Annexure will be processed on a Post-Police Verification basis, allowing for faster passport issuance without the payment of any additional fees, subject to effective online Aadhaar number validation. Additionally, if necessary, the EPIC and PAN cards can be validated from the respective databases. The Passports Act and Passports Law will refer to the general laws, legislation, and procedures relating to passport issuance.
Visiting The Passport Office On The Appointment Date
On the scheduled date, bring your application receipt, original documents, and one copy of self-attested documents to the Passport Seva Kendra. If you are applying for a passport for a minor, please bring your parents’ original passports. For a minor, only one parent is permitted. The images are from an official presentation at Passport Seva Kendra on how to apply.
Security Checks at the Passport Kendra
Arrive 15 minutes before the starting time. It’s pointless to arrive early because the guard will not let you in. To gain access, you must show the guard the Application. The picture below depicts the procedure for sending an application to the Passport, Seva Kendra. The Passport Seva Kendra has a Xerox machine and an ATM on the premises.
To submit a passport in PSK format, you must follow the steps below.
Issuing Token
Display the documents in the preprocessing section. You will be given a token and a file if all goes well. If any of the records are missing, you will be notified. You will go the next day without making an appointment.
The token number is included in Token. You must visit counters A, B, and C. You wait in the lounge area while waiting for your Token.
Enter the area where you’ll be waiting. Wait until your token number appears on the Token Display Screen, as shown below.
A Counter, B Counter, and C Counter
Within 30 minutes to an hour of arriving, one is at the counter. However, Counter B and Counter C take time because Counter A has more people than Counter B and Counter C.
Passport Save Kendra’s Waiting Area
A Counter: Your documents will be checked and uploaded into the Passport Seva System at this counter. Your picture and fingerprints will be taken. If you want to pay for SMS notification, you can do so at the counter for Rs 40 and get a receipt. The passport office will then send you warning messages, such as:
- Received Passport application
- Initiated Police verification
- Police will further approach you for completing the verifications
- There is a positive verification result
- Passport is then printed
- Passport then gets printed and mailed to you through the speed post with a tracking number
- Your passport will then be delivered to you
B Counter: the officer verifies and corrects original records.
C Counter: The passport is granted after a designated officer makes a decision.
Tracking the Status Of Passport Application
Suppose you want to watch your application’s status and review it online; you can also dial 1800-258-1800 for assistance. The mPassport Seva App is available for Android, iOS, Windows, and BlackBerry. This allows for easy monitoring as well as other passport-related details.
You can log in with your information if you want to file a complaint. Your complaint can be submitted at http://www.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/ccgm/ServiceRequestHomeAction.
Passport’s Police Verification
For Minor Passports, there is no police verification. There are three main types of police authentication, depending on whether the police verify the applicant’s identity before the passport is issued and dispatched or after the passport is issued and dispatched. On the passport website, you can find a list of frequently asked questions about police verification.
- Pre-police verification. Carried before issuing the passport.
- Post police verification. Carried after issuing the passport. For example, for PSU employees or the government employees submitting a NOC through Annexure M.
- No police verification. Except in Tatkal, police verification for passport issuance should be completed in 21 days under the Right to Service Act provisions. That means a police report must be sent to the Regional Passport Office (RPO) within that time frame. Several factors determine the length of time it takes for the police to verify your identity.
- The PSK location where you apply your Application and the address where you live
- The condition of the police station – whether or not they have a dedicated passport verification team.
- Length of stay at current address – police will conduct background checks at all places where you lived in the previous year.
- You also need to provide documentary evidence.
As part of the government’s efforts to strengthen and liberalise police verification procedures for passport issuance, the Ministry of External Affairs has agreed to conduct police verification after the passport has been released. The instruction is for first-time applicants who are applying under the standard category. “Normal passport applications of all first-time applicants furnishing Aadhaar, Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC), Permanent Account Number (PAN), and an affidavit will now be processed on a post-police verification basis, allowing faster issuance of passport without payment of any additional fees,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
Unless there is an inconsistency or inadequacy in the documentation you submit for police verification, it will be completed in one visit – assuming the appropriate police authority is accessible.
Receiving the Passport
Following the police verification, the recommendation report is sent to the passport office. It is either sent for further analysis or processing based on the recommendations (printing & then dispatch). Depending on your mailing address and readiness to receive it, the speed post will add 3-5 days to your delivery time.
If you live in one of the four big metro cities, the passport offices have begun a campaign to offer passports in four weeks. This can take anywhere from 4-6 weeks in other metro areas. Other bits can take anything from a month to a year.