Indian Passport

Indian Passport: Key Highlights

As per the Passports Act of 1967, the Government of India issues different types of passports to Indian citizens, including ordinary, diplomatic, official passports and emergency certificates. The blue Indian passport is the most commonly issued passport for Indians travelling for leisure and business purposes.

Let us take a look at some important information about Type P (Ordinary) Indian passport:

*Passport charges will vary with the service opted and is subject to change with time and government regulations.

Your passport is among the top among the essential travel documents for international trips. While you prepare for the passport application and subsequent visa formalities, don’t forget to buy international travel insurance for your trip. It will keep you safe in an unexpected pickle, including loss of passport, medical coverage and trip interruption.

Documents Required for Indian Passport Application

The documents needed for your passport application depend on your application category and several other factors. For example, proof of current address will be different for minor applicants. Here is a complete list of documents required that can be used for various types of Indian passport applications:

Please note that this is a general list of documents required for an Indian passport application. The exact requirement will vary with exceptional cases like minors, non-ECR passport applicants, out-of-turn passport issuance, etc.

Types of Passports in India

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs issues different passports to Indian nationals based on their purpose of travelling, starting from regular leisure travels, education or on a diplomatic mission. The most commonly issued passport is the type P blue passport with a navy blue cover. However, these are all types of Indian passports issued to different people:

• Blue Personal Passport: Type P or Blue Indian passport issued between 30-45 days. It is issued to ordinary Indian citizens going abroad for studies, pilgrimage, business trips or holidays.
• White Service Passport: Type S or White Indian passport is issued for Indian officials travelling abroad for official purposes.
• Maroon Diplomat Passport: This Indian passport is issued to Indian diplomats, including MPs, government officials, diplomatic couriers, and the Union Council of Ministers.
• Orange Passport: This is the latest addition to the list of passports offered in India. It is issued to people emigrating for work to protect them from exploitation overseas.

Procedure to Apply for a Passport in India

There are three ways to apply for an Indian Passport. These have been briefly discussed below. For more details about how to apply for a passport in India, you can also refer to the official Passport Seva Portal:

Passport Fee Structure

The Ministry of External Affairs issues Indian passports through a vast network of 37 passport offices across India and has a uniform fee structure. However, passport costs in India depend on factors like the number of pages, age of the applicant, validity period, and procedure opted. Take a look at the different online passport application fees* as per the official Passport Seva Portal website:

*The amount of the passport price in India (2023) is subject to change as per Government guidelines. Please refer to the official website for the latest passport fee structure.

Indian Passport Appointment Availability

After passport application submission, and payment of the passport fee, applicants need to schedule an appointment for their passport interview at the nearby Passport Seva Kendra. They can pick a suitable date and time and block that slot for their passport appointment.

However, in case they are unable to come to that slot, they can reschedule the passport appointment online. All they need to do is to visit the Passport Seva Kendra Portal and select the option for rescheduling.

Please note the number of times an applicant can reschedule or cancel their passport appointment is limited and the applicant can see the total number of attempts left. As of now, applicants can cancel or reschedule their passport appointment only two times in a year. In case of exceeding this limit, they can apply for a fresh passport.

Track Indian Passport Application Status

You can easily apply for a fresh or passport renewal online and track their status from the comfort of your home. As the passport application process consists of multiple steps, tracking them and ensuring they are being done correctly and on time is important. The Passport Seva Portal (PSP) provides the facility of tracking different stages of your passport application without any hassles. You can track the following stages of your passport application:

• Status of your passport application
• Application under review
• Status of police verification
• Status of police verification report submission
• Status of the passport being printed/granted/dispatched or returned undelivered

You can easily track Indian passport application status using the following methods:

• Passport Seva Portal
• Calling the National Toll-free number 1800 258 1800 dedicated to passport queries
• mPassport Seva Mobile Application
• Visa SMS service
• Visa email

Applicants can track their passport application status using any of the above-mentioned methods. Once you have completed your appointment at Passport Seva Kendra, police verification, etc., all that remains is to wait for your passport to reach your registered address.

Police Clearance Certificate and Fees

PCC of Police Clearance Certificate is an essential document for Indian passport application. This is a crucial security measure taken whenever an individual applies for a fresh passport or a reissue of their passport. It ensures that the applicant’s identity proof is true and they share their true details.

PCC is carried out by a police officer of your local police station when they visit your house. Depending on the state norms, the procedure may vary slightly. After scrutiny, the police officer will provide a clearance report stating that everything is in order. However, there are three statuses of police verification:

• Clear
• Adverse
• Incomplete

The ‘Clear’ status indicates that the applicant’s PCC has been done successfully. The other two options can be clarified after approaching the concerned police officer. You can also file an appeal by logging into the PSP portal by going to the ‘Log Appeal’ option on the home page.

As of now, the passport police verification fees (PCC) for an Indian passport is INR 500. In case of a reissue of a passport, no police verification is needed if the passport has not expired. An exception may also be provided for government employees who can provide an ID certificate according to Annexure A or a NOC objection certificate according to Annexure G.

Indian Passport Renewal Process

Indian passports are valid for 5 or 10 years, after which a passport re-issue or renewal is necessary. Renewal of Indian passport before the expiry date is possible at least 1 year before its validity. Indian passport renewal fees will be applicable depending upon the scheme opted.

In case of passport loss or theft, a re-issue is required. There are no duplicate passports or replacements issued in case of loss or damage of an Indian passport. A fresh passport is issued with a different passport number with a new validity. Applicants can apply for a fresh passport under the 're-issue' category by stating 'Loss or damage to the passport' as their reason. The passport can be obtained only after paying the new passport fees.

If travelling or staying abroad, you must immediately inform the Indian Mission about the passport damage or loss. You also need to report the matter at the nearest police station immediately. If you have a travel insurance plan with passport loss coverage, you can later claim reimbursement for the extra cost.

If your passport is damaged and you need to travel abroad urgently, you can apply for a re-issue of your passport under the Tatkaal scheme. However, this is only applicable if your passport has not been damaged beyond recognition.

Under normal circumstances, it is ideal that you initiate renewal of Indian passport before expiry date. In case of time shortage, you can opt for tatkaal passport application scheme. The procedure is similar to a normal passport application; you must prepare documents required for passport renewal beforehand.

Rejection of Passport Application

Like all applications, an Indian passport application can also go wrong due to human or technical errors. Though uncommon, passport rejection is not unexpected and can be fixed if it was due to common errors.

Reasons for passport application rejection can range from application filing mistakes or filling in the wrong information. Here are some common reasons that can get your passport application rejected:

• Not reading application filling instructions properly before proceeding with the application
• Filling incorrect or old information
• Having a criminal history or a pending case
• Not submitting all the necessary documents
• Submitting bad or unclear copies of documents
• Not paying the passport fee on time
• Failing the police verification
• Unpaid dues
• Other security reasons

However, these aren’t all the reasons behind a rejection. You can get a better idea by understanding common errors to avoid the rejection of your passport application on the official government website.

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