How to apply for passport: step-by-step instructions

What is passport?

A passport is a travel document purchased from a government, primarily for the purpose of allowing its holder to travel internationally. The document certifies the personal identity and nationality of its holder. Standard passports contain the full name, photograph, place, and date of birth, signature, and expiration date of the passport. Many countries issue biometric passports that contain an embedded microchip, making them machine-readable and difficult to counterfeit.

Passports have limited validity, usually between 5 and 10 years. Passports and other travel documents have an expiry date, after which it is no longer recognized, but it is recommended that a passport is valid for at least six months as many airlines deny boarding to passengers whose passport has a shorter expiry date, even if the destination country may not have such a requirement.

Why is a passport required?

All Indian citizens who depart or intend to depart from India are required to be in possession of a valid passport or travel document. Under the Passports Act 1967, the Government of India may issue different types of passports and travel documents such as Ordinary Passport, Diplomatic Passport, Official Passport, Emergency Certificate, and Certificate of Identity for the purpose.

Types of passport:

Full passports:

• Passport- The most common form of a passport, issued to individual citizens and other nationals.
• Official passport-  Issued to government employees for work-related travel, and their accompanying dependants.
• Diplomatic passport- Issued to diplomats of a country and their accompanying dependents for official international travel and residence. Any diplomatic privileges apply in the country to which the diplomat is accredited; elsewhere diplomatic passport holders must adhere to the same regulations and travel procedures as are required of other nationals of their country.
• Emergency passport- Issued to persons whose passports were lost, stolen, or do not have at all and they have no time to obtain a replacement. These passports are intended for very short time durations.  Laissez-passer is also used for this purpose.
• Collective passport- Issued to defined groups for travel together to particular destinations, such as a group of school children on a school trip.
• Family passport- Issued to an entire family. There is one passport holder, who may travel alone or with other family members included in the passport. Few countries now issue family passports; for example, all the EU countries, Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom, among numerous other countries, require each child to have their own passport.

Documents required for a passport:

Address proof:

• Voter ID with present address
• Aadhaar card
• Telephone bill with current address
• Gas connection
• Bank passbook
• Rental agreement (If staying in a rented house)
• Income Tax Assessment order
• Water bill or Electricity bill with current address
• Certificate from employer on letterhead with a seal and signature
• Passport of the spouse
• Parents’ passport

Age proof:

• Birth certificate issued by the municipal authority or some other authorized office
• School leaving certificate/Secondary school
• Driving license.
• PAN Card.
• Election Photo Identity Card.
• Aadhaar card or e-Aadhaar.
• Declaration given by the Head of the Orphanage/Child Care Home on the official letterhead confirming the date of birth of the applicant.
• Policy Bond issued by the Public Life Insurance Corporations/Companies which contains the date of birth of the holder.
• Extract of the service record of the applicant (in case of government servants) or Pay Pension Order that is duly attested/certified by the officer/in-charge of the Administration of the concerned Ministry/Department of the applicant.

Documents required for minors passport:

• Photo passbook of running bank account in any public sector bank, private sector bank and regional rural banks
• Birth certificate
• Policy Bond issued by the Public Life Insurance Corporations/Companies having the DOB of the holder of the insurance policy.
• School leaving certificate/ Secondary school leaving certificate
• Parents original and self-attested copies of the passport
• School or university 10th standard mark’s card
• Proof of current address in the parent’s name
• Aadhaar card or e-Aadhaar
• PAN Card

Steps to apply for a passport:

1. Register through the Passport Seva Online Portal. (Click on the “Register Now” link on the Home Page).
2. Login to the Passport Seva Online Portal with the registered Login Id.
3. Click the “Apply for Fresh Passport/Re-issue of Passport” link.
4. Fill in the required details in the form and submit.
5. Click the “Pay and Schedule Appointment” link on the “View Saved/Submitted Applications” screen to schedule an appointment.
6. Online Payment has been made mandatory for booking appointments at all PSK/POPSK/PO.
7. Online Payment can be made using any one of the following modes:
   -Credit/Debit Card (MasterCard and Visa)
   -Internet Banking (State Bank of India (SBI) Associate Banks and Other Banks)
   -SBI Bank Challan
8. Click the “Print Application Receipt” link to print the application receipt containing the Application Reference Number (ARN)/Appointment Number.
   Note: Carrying printout of Application Receipt is no longer required. An SMS with your appointment details is also accepted as proof of appointment during your visit to Passport Office.
9. Visit the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK)/Regional Passport Office (RPO) where an appointment has been booked, along with original documents.

In case you want to Cancel or Reschedule a Visit, here’s what you can do:

If Applicants with confirmed appointments are unable to visit the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) or a Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK) due to some reason, they are advised to reschedule/cancel their appointments. Appointment rescheduling/cancellation for an application are allowed up to three times only within a year of the first appointment date.

Information Credits: Passport Seva India.

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