I will start by saying that their are possibly a lot of sites and blogs offering you information regarding how to apply for passport in India. But none can provide 100% information (well neither can I ) As an applicant , however, I know the problems I faced and steps I took to solve them. This is a one time experience and I would like to share with you people so that things can be simpler and easier for you.
Under the Passport Act 1967, the government of India issues passport and other documents relevant for travelling abroad. Every year a large number of individuals apply for passport but not everyone gets passport. Merely passport application does not guarantee issue of passport.
Documents required for passport:
- Proof of Birth/birth certificate issued by Nagar Nigam at your place of birth. During verification officials asked me to provide birth certificate issued by Nagar Nigam as well as High School Mark sheet/High School certificate.
- Identity proof with photo.
- Proof of residence
These documents are prerequisites for filling passport application form. So make sure you have these well in time before going for verification.
How to apply for Normal Passport online
Online registration
1. Go to passportindia.gov.in
2.Click on register now button.
3. Fill up the details asked for in the form as shown.
(**Tip for choosing password: Password must have at least one digit (0-9). One lowercase letter, (a-z), one uppercase letter ( A-Z) with a minimum limit of 8 characters and maximum limit of 14. e.g. Tajmahal56, leonardO76 **)
4.Click on register button. You will receive a message saying that registration successful. To activate your account go to your email, you would have received a mail like like this. Click on the blue link given in mail to activate your account.You will be redirected to another tab asking you to enter your user id, in my case I had entered kadil0081@gmail.com, you have to enter yours. After entering, your account is activated and you can log in from main page through existing user log in button.
Filling up of all necessary details for Passport
1. Log in to your online passport account at www.passport.gov.in
2.Now select apply for Fresh Passport/Re-issue of passport.
3.On next page you will be having two alternatives
- Downloading soft copy of the form, filling it offline and then uploading it on passport server.
- Second one is applying online ( which we will be discussing here). Select alternative 2.
4. Follow online instruction and tick wherever applicable.
5. Now comes the main portion where you have to fill in all important details. Fill it carefully though these can be edited.
6. When you will click on save my details button you will see a confirmation message saying that your application has been saved and you will also see your application reference number.
7. Fill all the details one by one shown on left side of website, the ones which you have completed will be shown by green tick. These are the details that will be verified so be careful (You can edit these too).
(**Make sure that you save your details before you continue otherwise unsaved data will be lost**)
In references column you have to give name,address and mobile numbers of two neighbours residing near your present address.
8. Last is Self declaration after completing it you can save your details or preview them before proceeding. You can also activate SMS alerts for your passport by giving an extra fee of INR 30/-
After thorough checking of the details you have entered you have to click on submit form.
9. Your details have been saved now and you can log in at any other time go to View saved/submitted form, select your form. Click on retrieve partially filled form if your form is not completely filled.
If your form has been filled completely then pay and schedule appointment option becomes blue.
Payment for Passport
Payment for passport is accepted by following means:
- Online Internet Banking SBI or its associate banks only.
- Debit Card/Credit Card
- SBI Bank Challan
While doing payment you have to choose the desired/nearest Passport Seva Kendra.
TIPS:
**Do not press back or refresh button while payment is in progress**
**Amount to be paid for your application form can be seen in Fees Calculator section**.
** Amount once paid will not be refunded in any case**.
**Payment fee is valid for 1 year after payment date. You have to schedule your appointment within this time**.
Taking Appointment for verification at Passport Seva Kendra
TIPS:
**Appointment portal opens according to following schedule make sure you are logged in well before time, there might be some traffic on website so make sure you have fast internet.**
TIME SCHEDULE OF PORTAL OPENING FOR APPOINTMENTS
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Passport Seva Kendra
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Time of opening of portal for taking appointment in IST
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Ahmadabad
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2:00 PM
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Amritsar
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5:00 PM
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Andaman and Nicobar
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NOT UPDATED YET
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Bangalore
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6:30 PM
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Bareilly
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4:00 PM
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Bhopal
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11:00 AM
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Bhubaneshawar
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11:00 AM
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Chandigarh
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11:00 AM
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Chennai
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2:30 PM
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Cochin
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1:30 PM
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Coimbatore
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1:30 PM
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Dehradun
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4:00 PM
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Delhi
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6:00 PM
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Ghaziabad
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7:00 PM
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Goa
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11:30 AM
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Guwhati
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11:00 AM
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Hyderabad
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4:30 PM
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Jaipur
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1:00 PM
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Jalandhar
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11:00 AM
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Jammu
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4:00 PM
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Kolkata
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3:30 PM
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Kozhikode
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1:30PM
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Lucknow
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7:00 PM
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Madurai
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2:30 PM
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Mallapuram
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12:30 PM
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Mumbai
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3:00 PM
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Nagpur
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3:00 PM
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Patna
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11:00 AM
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Pune
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NOT UPDATED YET
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Raipur
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11:00 AM
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Ranchi
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11:00 AM
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Shimla
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11:00 AM
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Srinagar
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11:00 AM
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Surat
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3:00 PM
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Thane
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2:30 PM
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Trichy
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2:30 PM
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Trivandrum
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12:30 PM
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Vishakapatnam
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5:30 PM
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** Appointment date and timing are not for you to select they are allocated based on availability**.
** The portal opens only for short duration during which you have to book the appointment. I booked mine at exactly 7 p.m. **
[UPDATE:13-10-2014: Vishakapatnam PSK shall remain closed till further notice due to cyclone hudhud till further notice because of complete failure of power and network].
[UPDATE:13-10-2014: Vishakapatnam PSK shall remain closed till further notice due to cyclone hudhud till further notice because of complete failure of power and network].
On Successful appointment. You will see a confirmation message.
Cancelling/Rescheduling Appointment
For our convenience, appointments made can be cancelled or rescheduled only twice in a year, so be careful. Make sure you are available on the date of appointment.Its very difficult to get appointment in the first place. However if you need to reschedule your appointment you will face difficulty in getting appointment like you faced initially. But eventually you will be able to book. Rescheduling is allowed till your appointment timing is after more than 12 hours. If less you have less than 12 hours remaining you will have to go with cancelling your appointment. But don’t worry, you will be able to take appointment later.
For our convenience, appointments made can be cancelled or rescheduled only twice in a year, so be careful. Make sure you are available on the date of appointment.Its very difficult to get appointment in the first place. However if you need to reschedule your appointment you will face difficulty in getting appointment like you faced initially. But eventually you will be able to book. Rescheduling is allowed till your appointment timing is after more than 12 hours. If less you have less than 12 hours remaining you will have to go with cancelling your appointment. But don’t worry, you will be able to take appointment later.
This was all about filling of passport application form online and scheduling appointment. In next post Documents required for passport enquiry and application, how to reach PSK,what to do once you are inside PSK will be discussed. Subscribe Us via e-mail in order to receive mail of the second post. Keep yourself updated by following this blog. Share this if you found this article useful. If you have any queries ask me in the comments.