A Tour to Passport Portal of India

Passport is a key travel document to travel abroad for tourism, education, pilgrimage, business, job, and any other purposes. The document also certifies the candidate as an Indian citizen by birth or naturalization according to 1967’s Passports Act.

The Indian Government’s Ministry of External Affairs issues Indian passports for the citizens of the country. Network of 37 passport offices from across the nation and 180 embassies and consulates from abroad helps the Ministry to accomplish the job. In India, the Consular, Visa, and passport division of the External affairs ministry provides passport services, starting from applying for it to getting the ready passports, via the Central Passport Organization (CPO).

In addition, CPO’s more comprehensive network of Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs) and passport offices help with the same. Furthermore, now the applicants can also get the passport Seva online using the passport portal of the Indian Government. Apart from these, the NRIs can get access to passports and other miscellaneous services via the 185 Indian posts or missions.

Types of Passports for Indian Citizens

There are two main passport types that the individuals can get issued from the Indian Government’s Ministry of External Affairs, which are as follows:

Ordinary Passport

These passports are issued to ordinary people and serve a general-purpose, enabling the holders to travel to foreign nations for holidays or any business purposes.

Official or Diplomatic Passport

These passports are issued to people travelling to a foreign nation on any official duty.

How to Apply through Passport Seva Online?

Here are all the steps to help you apply for passport services using the official passport portal of the Indian Government.

• Visit the Passport Seva portal and register yourself by creating your User ID and password. You must also fill in the valid Email ID while registering to access the confirmation email and verify your online account.
• Now, login to the online portal by entering the email id, password, and captcha details as visible.
• Select the services that you require, be it Apply for a Fresh passport or reissue of passport.
• You can either download the online form and upload it later or fill it online, as per your comfort.
• Regardless of your purpose behind accessing the online portal and its services, you will have to fill in certain details or forms. Remember that you must fill in every detail precisely to avoid any errors.

Using the online passport portal of the Indian Government, you can get all the services related to passports.

Indian Passport Apply Online – Key Steps

Anyone can apply for a passport online from across the nation via the passport Seva website or passport Seva application. Here is the detailed procedure to do the same:

• First, you must register on the passport Seva online portal. If you are already registered, you must log in to the portal using your login ID and password.

• Next, click on the option stating “Apply for Fresh Passport/reissue of passport.” Enter the details regarding the passport type and then click on the “Save my details” option. Now click on “Next.”

• Further, you will see a form that you must precisely fill with all the required details, including details regarding your family, current address, emergency contact, references, and the last passport details, if applicable.

• Then, submit the form after rechecking all the details to avoid errors and clicking on the checkbox stating “I Agree.”

• Next, go to the “View Saved/ Submitted Application” tab and then click on the option stating “Pay and Schedule Appointment.”

• After making the payment successfully and getting a scheduled appointment, click on “Print Application receipt” and save the Receipt, which has your Application Reference Number (arn) for further usage.

• Finally, visit the nearest passport seva Kendra or Regional Passport Office as scheduled. Also, remember to bring all the original documents at the appointment date for verifications.

Similarly, you can also apply for the passport renewal online. For that, you must fill in the required details and choose the option for Indian passport renewal in the passport application form online registration.

You can also apply for a passport offline by first downloading and getting the application form printed and then filling it. Further, you must submit the form to the passport collection centres along with the required documents. For further information and clarifications, please contact the national passport service Call centre at the toll-free number 1800-258-1800.

How to Check the Passport Seva Status?

Checking the passport status online is easy and only requires a few minutes. Here are the steps to do the same.

• Visit the Passport Seva Online portal and log in to your account.
• Click on the link stating “Track Application Status.”
• Select the option of the Application status and enter your passport application’s file number (the 15 digits alphanumeric number printed on the top right corner of the acknowledgement letter) and Date of Birth.
• Click on the “Track” button. You will be redirected to the status tracker screen.
• Here, you can see the current status of your passport application.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What are the stages that the passport application goes through after submission?

A: After you fill the application for a passport, it goes through several stages, including review, print, dispatch, etc.

2. What is the procedure for an Indian passport’s police verification?

A: In some cases, it is not essential to go through the police verification for the passport. However, you must keep all the documents handy for verification in the cases where it is required. Further, a police constable will visit your home, and you may also have to visit the police station allotted to get the verification completed. For further details about the police verification process, visit the online passport portal or call the toll-free number 1800-258-1800.

3. After filling the online passport application online, where is the rest of the procedure and verifications accomplished?

A. Once you have applied for the passport online, you must visit the nearby Passport Seva Kendra as scheduled for the appointment and complete the rest of the procedure. You must also carry all the essential documents to get the verification done and the passport approved.

4. How can I check the status of an ECR or ECNR passport?

A. The ECR or the ECNR signifies whether the passport holder requires the emigration clearance to travel to the specific 18 nations listed by the Indian Government. The details related to the ECR or ECNR status of the passport are mentioned on the passport’s second page.

5. Is it necessary to have a permanent address while applying for a passport?

A. It is not mandatory to have a permanent address while applying for a passport in India. However, you must provide the exact current address that will further be endorsed in the issued passport.

6. How can an Indian government employee apply for a passport?

A. An Indian government employee is first required to send the Prior Intimation Letter (PIL) to the authority before filling the passport application form. This is mandatory to speed up the entire application process. The rest of the procedure is similar to the process followed by an ordinary Indian citizen.

7. How many days do I have to wait to get my passport?

A. After filling a regular passport application, you can get the passport issued within 30 to 45 days. However, in the case of the applications made under the tatkal mode, you can get the passport delivered within 7 to 14 days.

8. What is the Indian passport Type P?

A. In India, the type P passports refer to the regular passports issued to ordinary Indian citizens. These passports can be used for travelling to foreign nations, irrespective of the purpose. Here, the P alphabet stands for “Personal.”

9. In India, what is meant by a red passport?

A. In India, the “Red passport” is the Diplomatic Passport issued to the top-ranked government officials, Indian diplomats, and diplomatic couriers. These passports have a maroon cover and are also known as Type D passports.

10. What is the validity of an Indian passport?

A. Ordinary Indian passports are valid for ten years. In the case of a minor, it is valid for a maximum of 5 years or until the child reaches 18 years of age, whichever is sooner.

11. How can I track the Indian passport status?

A. You can track the passport application status online using the passport Seva portal and following the given steps mentioned above.

12. How can I change the address mentioned in the Application form of the Indian passport?

A. Furthermore, being an Indian passport holder, you can also update the address mentioned in the passport by applying for the Indian passport renewal service, which can be done online on the Indian passport portal.