You’ve heard stories about how dealing with bureaucratic red tape at the passport office can give you grey hairs or how a tout will clean you out! You’re now cursing yourself for wanting to take an international vacation. Don’t be concerned! The times have changed, and so have the ways in which government departments operate.
Every Indian citizen who wishes to travel the country must have a valid passport or other travel documents. The Government of India may issue various passports and travel documents under the Passports Act 1967, including Ordinary Passports, Diplomatic Passports, Official Passports, Emergency Certificates, and Certificates of Identity.
It might be especially terrifying for those who are doing the entire process independently with no help. You don’t have to be concerned, thankfully. We’ve put together a detailed guide on everything from how to apply passport online to how you will receive your passport.
Apply for a Passport
An applicant must follow a particular process while applying for a passport. Follow the steps mentioned below for an online passport application:
Step 1: Apply for the passport
First and foremost, you can apply for new passport both online and offline. But, the offline process takes a much longer time & in the online process, you just simply need to fill the application form.
Step 2: Selecting an Application Type
After logging in, you must select the appropriate service from the list of alternatives. You have the option of applying for a:
- Reissue of a passport or the issuance of a new passport
- Official passport/diplomatic passport
- Certificate of Police Clearance (PCC)
- Certificate of Identification
Step 3: Filling out the Application Form
You have the option of filling out the application form online or offline. Follow the procedures outlined below to complete the application form offline:
- Go to the specified website and click on it to get a soft copy of the application form.
- The following forms will be linked to an electronic copy. Depending on your application type, download the appropriate form:
- Fresh/reissue
- Police Clearance Certificate
- Diplomatic/Official
- Identity Certificate
- Fill out the application e-form and then click the “Upload form” button.
- Fill out the application form and upload it.
You can also fill out and submit the application form online. You can also fill out parts of the form and come back to finish it later. It’s a good idea to double-check the form before submitting it.
Step 4: Make an appointment, pay for it, and book it
After completing and submitting the form, you must arrange an appointment with your nearest Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) or applicable passport authority. You can make an appointment by following the steps outlined below:
- Click on the ‘View Saved/Submitted Applications’ link on the ‘Applicant Home’ page.
- The details of the application form that has been submitted will be shown. Select the ARN of the form you’ve filled out.
- From the list of options, select ‘Pay and Schedule Appointment.’
- Next, select a payment method from the two options available: online payment or challan payment.
Note: The online charge for tatkal appointments is the same as a standard passport fee. The remaining sum must be paid at the PSK on the scheduled appointment day.
If you’re paying online, you’ll be able to book your appointment right away. If you wish to pay by challan, you must complete the following steps:
- Pay the needed amount in cash at any SBI branch using the challan. (Note: This can only be done after the challan has been generated for 3 hours and is valid for 85 days.)
- After that, get a duplicate of the challan from the receiving bank.
- The ARN details submitted on the challan are verified by the bank after two days.
- Following verification, successful payment of the fees will be posted on the website, where the applicant can ‘track the payment status. In addition, an email update is delivered.
Making arrangements for the meeting
- Select the PSK of your choosing on the ‘Pay and Schedule Appointment’ page.
- Choose a convenient time window from the list of available dates. The candidate must then choose a PSK depending on the available dates.
- To confirm your appointment time, enter the CAPTCHA code.
- After that, choose ‘Pay and Schedule an Appointment.’
- Details about the application, such as the ARN, name, kind of application, payment amount, contact number, and appointment date, will be presented.
- It will redirect you to the payment gateway if you have decided to pay online.
You will receive confirmation of the appointment as well as an appointment number once your money has been processed successfully. After that, You will receive a text message containing the information. You have to print a copy of the application. For appointment confirmation, all PSKs now accept SMS.
The RPO will refund the extra money if numerous payments are made for the same appointment/application/ARN.
Following the steps outlined above, you can apply passport online and go anywhere in the world as long as you have the necessary visas.
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