Indian Passport

Indian Passport

The front-end operations of all Regional Passport office have been outsourced as part of the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) project and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is all set to handle the front-end operations of all RPO very shortly. Union Ministry of External Affairs has already implemented the PSK project some of the passport offices in India.   These centers have been set up on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis with  Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) as its service provider. The project has been designed as a citizen-centric and paperless service. All one needs to do is upload a passport application on www.passportindia.gov.in and confirm an appointment online. After which the support staff from TCS will guide the applicant through the biometric process. Walk-in applicants will be greeted by a floor manager who will help the applicants upload applications through a kiosk at the PSK. "The amenities and services at the PSK are in keeping with any modern bank or airport.

The implementation of the project has reached its halfway mark and will likely to completed by  March 2012, The existing passport office will be responsible for liaison with the MEA, dispatching, printing, answering RTIs, and management of the PSKs. First time applicants no longer need to go the existing passport office.

According to the available information, TCS would receive applicants, guide them and handle the process for submission of applications, conduct the verification of the completeness of the application form and the documents attached therein.  TCS would be in charge of receiving applications and guiding applicants, technical support and maintenance of the premises, while sensitive areas would continue to be handled by the passport office staff. The PSK initiative would bring in the much-required concept of “one-day visit to the passport office”, as the officials would tell the applicants the same evening as to whether their passport application forms and the supporting documents were in order and whether the passport would be issued or not. This would eliminate the anxious wait by the applicants.

Under the new system, photographs need not be affixed, image of the applicant's face will be captured at the time of applying online as is done in the driving license process. In addition, the new system will involve taking the finger print (bio-metric) of the applicant and incorporating it in the database. Only if the finger print tallies, the applicant will be able to apply for other services such as spouse entry, address change or renewal of passport.

The added feature is that every police district will have access to the passport server for downloading the personal particular form online and to send the police verification reports online. This will obviate postal delay and laborious paper work. This will also ensure speedy completion of procedures which are time-consuming at present. Even passport issuance will be modernized with digital signature.

The place for these front-end operations has been already finalized for most of locations and started functioning. The new system will put in place a first-in and first-out concept, eliminating the practice of issuing passports out-of-turn.  Under the new system getting passport will not take more than 72 hours. This turnaround time is from the moment of police verification to the issuance of the passport.

Procedures for applying Passports under new system (where ever the  new PSK system is implemented)

For filling and submitting your application online, you need to be a registered user on the Passport Seva website.

Once you register, follow the steps mentioned here-

Step 1: Log into your Passport Seva user account. 

Step 2:Select the Apply Passport Online menu option in the left navigation menu.

Step 3: Fill in the required details in the form and submit the form online.

Step 4 (Optional): Upload the required documents using the Upload Document link on the Applicant Home Page. The documents to be uploaded must be self-attested (signed by the applicant) and must be in pdf format.

Step 5: You are required to be present at the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK)/Mini Passport Seva Kendra (Mini PSK) along with original documents for completion of the application submission process. Schedule an appointment with the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK)/ Mini Passport Seva Kendra (Mini PSK) that comes under the jurisdiction of applicant residence. Online appointment is mandatory to walk into PSK for further processing. Only emergency/medical cases may go to PSK without appointment - service will be provided at the discretion of PSK in -charge. You will need to re-submit the application in case the form submission process at PSK is not completed within 3 month of submitting the application online.

Procedure for online applicant at Passport Seva Kendra (PSK)/Mini Passport Seva Kendra (Mini PSK)

Step 1: Collect a token for application from the Token Issuance Counter ; submit the token, acknowledgement receipt for application and prior appointment print out to the Citizen Service Executive (CSE) at the service counter when your token number is displayed.

Step 2: Complete activities at this counter, such as signing the paper copy of the application form, getting your photograph and fingerprints captured, and making fee payment.

Note: Minor applicants below 4 years of age should carry a passport size photograph (on a white background) while visiting Passport Seva Kendra (PSK).

In case you are paying the fee through Credit/ Debit card, only card of self or family member whose details have been mentioned in the passport application form are acceptable. Only Master and Visa Credit/ Debit cards are accepted (This service will be available soon). 

Step 3: Collect the fee acknowledgement receipt from the CSE (after successful data entry) and go to the Verification counter, along with original documents , when token number is called, for verification of your application and documents. 

Step 4: Go to the Granting counter, when called for further processing of your application. 

Step 5: Collect the print-out of the final status ( acknowledgement letter ) of your application at the exit gate. 

After successful application form submission, with final status as "Granted", you can expect your passport to be dispatched as follows:

Type of Application	Type of Police Verification	Expected Time of Passport Dispatch
Tatkaal	Police Verification is not required	Within one working day excluding the date of submission of application.
	Police Verification is required on a Post-Passport Issuance basis	On third working day excluding the date of submission of application - without waiting for the Police Verification Report.
Normal	Police Verification is not required	On third working day excluding the date of submission of application.
	Police Verification is required on a Post-Passport Issuance basis	On third working day excluding the date of submission of application - without waiting for the Police Verification Report.
	Police Verification is required on Pre-Passport Issuance basis	Within three working days of receipt of a "Recommendatory" Police Verification Report (PVR) from the Police Department. This does not include date of receipt of "Recommendatory" PVR.

Note: (i) In complex cases, such as adoption, application on behalf of a minor from single parent, major change in name, duplicate passport, doubtful documentation, the processing time will be approximately 30 days excluding the date of submission of application. Mandatory Pre Police Verification cases such as J&K and Nagaland subjects would also need additional processing time.

(ii) Issue of passport is subject to data check in the system and finding no adverse entry/ report.

(iii) In case you have been charged with a penalty, you need to make the penalty payment by cash only