Tatkal Passport: A Guide to Urgent Passport Application

Unplanned trips are always the best - this is only possible when you have all travelling documents intact. In India, planning a quick travel escape is now possible as the government of India has the feature of tatkal passports.

These passports do not involve an exhaustive process and are completely hassle-free. People these days are looking for options wherein they can get things easily done without putting in much effort. The tatkal passport comes with similar formalities and procedures. With some extra tatkal Passport fees, the same gets issued in no time.

Under the Passport Act 1967, the Government of India is authorized to issue different types of travel documents and passports like ordinary passport, official passport, Diplomatic Passport, emergency certificate, and Certificate of Identity (COI). In case some unplanned trips come up, you can apply for tatkal passports. The government added the special feature of the tatkal passport on its official website. There are many websites on the internet that promise to provide tatkal passports but could be fraudulent. It is important to know that apart from the government of India, no one has the authority to issue any kind of passport or travel document. Both normal and tatkal passport fees, applying procedure, and the rest of the formalities are different. Let’s have a look.

Normal and Tatkal Passports

There are two passport application modes in India - Normal mode and Tatkal mode. As the name suggests, the time of processing is haste in Tatkal and sluggish in Normal mode. Here are some notable differences:

1. Normal Mode

In this, the processing time for any application is more or less 30 to 60 days. Until any complexity arises, the applicant needs to provide address verification and birth certificate or verification document.

2. Tatkal Mode

Any Tatkal passport application is ideally processed in 3 to 7 days. However, the number of tatkal passport documents required for approval is slightly higher than the normal mode.

Here are the documents required for a passport under the tatkal scheme:

• Present address proof
• Birth certificate.
• Aadhar card
• Voter’s ID
• Ration card
• PAN Card

The tatkal passport has a feature of issuing in three days. The application form of the tatkal passport has a column for ascertaining the urgency. With this piece of information, the officials process the passport accordingly. Please note, no proof of urgency is needed.

For a tatkal passport, police verification is the key to process the application. If the same takes place effortlessly, the passport gets easily processed. Apparently, the option for tatkal verification wouldn’t eradicate the police verification process. However, it is in the hands of a passport officer to conduct police verification before or after issuing the passport.

List of Tatkal Passport Documents

For address and birth proof, you can filter from the below-mentioned document:

• Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC)
• Service Photo ID Card that is issued by either the central or the state government, Public Sector Undertakings, Public Limited Companies or Local Bodies
• SC/ST/OBC Certificate
• Arms License
• Freedom Fighter Identity Cards
• Ration card
• Pension documents
• Property documents
• Railway Identity card
• PAN Card
• Bank passbook
• Driving license
• Birth certificate
• Student's Id card from a recognized institution
• Gas connection bill

Eligibility for Tatkal Passport

To apply for a tatkal passport, the applicant should fall within the eligibility criteria. Let’s dig deeper to understand who can apply for a tatkal passport:

• An applicant could be an Indian descent to Indian parents (including outside India)
• An applicant with Indian residency via naturalisation or registration
• An applicant who got deported to India from a foreign country
• An applicant who got repatriated from a foreign country at the cost of the Government of India
• An applicant whose name has been majorly changed
• An applicant who is a resident of Nagaland
• An applicant of Naga origin but is an Indian citizen residing outside Nagaland
• A child adopted by Indian and foreign parents
• A minor with a single parent
• A minor child residing in Nagaland
• An applicant who wants to renew the passport for a short period
• An applicant who has lost or his/her passport has been stolen and is looking for a fresh passport.
• An applicant whose passport is majorly damaged and is beyond recognition
• An applicant whose sex or identity has been changed
• An applicant who has changed his/her personal credentials (like a signature)

How to Apply for a Tatkal Passport?

Applying for a Tatkal passport is almost similar to a normal passport application. Here are the steps to apply:

• Visit the Passport Seva website
• Login with your ID and password
• For new users, click on the ‘Register Now’ tab on the homepage
• Select ‘Fresh’ or ‘Reissue’ of passport, depending on your requirement
• Click on Tatkal
• Fill the form and click on submit. Here, you will need self-attested copies of the documents mentioned above. Upload the copies within the required field.
• For scheduling an appointment, click on the tab ‘Pay and Schedule Appointment.’
• This tab is present below the ‘View Saved/Submitted Applications option.’
• Take a printed copy of the application by clicking on ‘Print Application Receipt’. Kindly note the application appointment number or Reference Number (arn)
• On the scheduled date, make sure you visit the passport seva Kendra
• Please carry your original documents for verification

Tatkal Passport Charges

As mentioned above, the procedure of application for a tatkal and normal passport is almost similar. The only difference between normal and tatkal passports is that you pay extra for the tatkal passports. Apparently, passport charges for normal and tatkal passports are slightly different. The fee structure is mainly divided on the Basis of the page or size of the booklet. For a 36-page passport booklet, the fee is Rs. 1,500, and for a 60-page booklet, the charges are Rs. 2,000. The passport seva tatkal fees increase for a tatkal passport. Again, the type of passport will ascertain the overall tatkal passport fees.

1. Tatkal Passport Cost for Fresh Applications

2. Tatkal Passport Renewal

Here is the categorised section explaining the tatkal passport renewal fees.

• Reason: Due to Expire/Validity Expired

• Reason: Delete ECR or Change in Personal Particular

• Reason: Exhaustion of Pages

• Reason: Lost or theft or damaged Passport

Fee Payment Mode for Tatkal Passport

As per the regulations, the payment is made through the online platform. To make the payment, there are three modes available:

• Credit/Debit Card
• Internet banking
• SBI bank challan

Tatkal Appointment Timing

The current appointments opening time for Tatkaal services corresponding to each Passport Office is given in the link - Tatkal Appointment Timing

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)

1. Are there any extra charges for tatkal passports?

A. Yes, there are extra charges for tatkal passports. The hike in the tatkal process depends on many factors like the size of the booklet, type of passport, and others.

2. Who cannot apply for tatkal passports?

A. * The applicants who are sent back to India at Government’s cost from a foreign country

• Indian citizens who have received citizenship by the Ministry of Home and External Affairs via naturalisation/registration
• An applicant who is the descent of Indian origin parents but who live outside India
• Nagaland residents
• An Applicant of Naga origin who lives outside Nagaland
• A child adopted by Indian parents
• A child adopted by foreigners
• Divorced parents
• Parents who are not yet officially divorced but are separated
• A minor who has a single parent
• Applicants who have a change or correction in their birth dates
• Applicants who have a change or correction in their birthplaces
• Applicants who have a change or correction in their signatures
• Applicants who have a change or correction in their mother’s/father’s name

3. Are there any appointment quotas under tatkal passport schemes?

A. There are two kinds of quotas in the tatkal passport schemes - Normal Quota and Tatkal Quota. A tatkal applicant who couldn’t book under the Tatkal quota can book under the Normal quota too. However, a Tatkal fee is charged despite the quota.

4. When does the passport dispatch under the tatkal scheme?

A. The tatkal passport processing time is a big question for many. The dispatch time of the passport depends on the type of verification conducted by the police.

• Category 1: police verification before issuing of passport As per the pre-passport issuing formalities, your passport would be sent within three working days. Apparently, a ‘recommendatory’ verification report by police must be received.

• Category 2: police verification is not required

In this category, you can receive your passport within a single day, excluding the date of application.

• Category 3: police verification after the passport is issued

As per the post-passport issuing formalities, expect the passport to arrive on the day after the third working day of application submission.