To apply for an Indian passport, one must get an application form from the Passport Office or the designated Speed Post Centers or any of the designated outlets in one’s city. One can also download the application form from the Central Passport Organization’s website www.passport.nic.in. While filling up the columns, one must be very careful and clean in writing. Once the form filling process is done, applicant needs to submit it to the passport office either in person or through an authorized representative who must carry an authority letter (as per the specimen at Annexure L of the Form).
One can also submit the form through registered post. Other available options are, submitting applications at District Passport Cells or District Collect orates or DSP’s Office at no extra charge or at designated Speed Post Centers with a service fee. To make things even more convenient for applicants, authorized travel agents can also be contacted for depositing applications.
While applying for passport, applicants need to provide proof of residence. Proof of residence could be two self-attested photo copies of the ration card or telephone bill or electricity bill or voters’ identity card or water tax bill or bank account statement or appointment letter of reputed companies on letterhead or income tax assessment order. Any of these documents will be accepted provided they clearly certify or indicate applicant’s residential address.
Other requirement is proof of date of birth. Applicants are required to submit two self-attested photocopies of birth certificate issued by a municipal authority or district office of the Registrar of Births & Deaths, if born after January 26, 1989.
In case of illiterate applicants, date of birth certificate from the school last attended or affidavit sworn before a magistrate/notary is needed to produce by applicant. Apart from these, 3 passport size photos (3.5 X3.5 cm) are needed. In time of submitting application, a token must be obtained and as per the token’s number the application is submitted.
Overall, the process of obtaining an India passport has been simplified over the years. After applying for passport, regional passport office checks the relevant papers, police verification is completed and a new passport is issued within 4-5 weeks.