Its been more than 6 months since my passport validity expired.Even though u can apply for renewal 6 months before expiry, i somehow didnt do that. So i decided to apply for a minor passport for my younger kid and also to get my passport renewed. With my niece's passport yet to arrive even after 10 months of submission, I was a bit hesitant to apply for the renewal as well as my kids passport at the RPO Hyderabad. Thats when i came to know that the passport applications are no more accepted at the RPO but at the PSKs ( Passport Service Kendras) .There are 3 PSKs in hyderabad .One in Begumpet, one in Ameerpet and other in Tolichowki..Not many know abt the exact way to apply for a passport through a PSK. I hope that this post helps you to know about getting a appointment in a PSK as well as applying for a passport.
To start with the website https://portal2.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/online/welcomeLink is quite self explanatory about what you have to do when you are applying for a passport in a PSK. First of all u need a online appointment for you to walk into a PSK while applying for passport. For this u need to create an ID in the above said website. After creating an account u need to login to fill an online application form. This form is just like the physical passport application form. Be sure to enter the details correct and check all your details before u save the page. Once u have completed filling this form and checking all the details u should save and submit it in the website. After submitting it, u will receive an Application Reference Number ( ARN) .Remember u can book ur appointment only after submitting the form.For booking the appointment u need to login at 5.45 pm and the site opens appointment at 6.00pm. sometimes u have to try repeatedly to connect to the site. As for myself i got an appointment scheduled after a week from the date of obtaining the appointment.U have various time slots and also the option of choosing any of the PSKs in your city. Please try for the appointment only after 5.45 pm continously till u get it. i was not aware of this and tried for 3 days before getting an appointment.
Once u have scheduled an appointment the next thing you have to do is get ready with the neccessary documents.You have to carry the original copy of all the documents along with one set of self attested photo copies or xerox copies. If you are applying for a fresh passport u need the following documents:
1) Proof of Date of Birth - accepted documents are Birth Certificate, Or School Leaving Certificate (T.C)
Incase of illiterate applicants an affidavit stating the Date and place of Birth signed by a notary should be submitted. https://portal2.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/pdf/AnnexureA.pdf
Also its mandatory for people who are born after the year 1989 to submit their birth certificate for their date of birth proof. So if there are any differences in the name given in your birth certificate and other documents kindly do the neccessary corrections . If corrections are not possible then an affidavit signed by a notary should be submitted. https://portal2.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/pdf/AnnexureE.pdf
2) Proof of Address: accepted documents are
1) Water Bill
2) Telephone Bill( Mobile and Landline Bill) - This i think only BSNL is accepted.though im not very sure.
3)Electricity Bill
4) One year Bank passbook or bank statement. If you are showing your bank statement then u need a covering letter saying that this is ur bank statement and it should be signed by the bank officials.
5) Electoral Voter ID - If you are showing this then the address given in this will be entered in your passport . So be sure to check when entered the address in Voter ID the passport reaches you. In my case my postal address was different from the address in the voter ID though i stay in the same place.
6) Spouse's Passport Copy : If your spouse 's passport has your current address and also your name endorsed then u can show this as your address proof. This is what i presented as mine as i had a different postal address in my voter ID.
7)Proof of Gas Connection
8) Ration Card- If you are giving this as ur address proof , then u shud provide one of the above said documents to support it.
9) In case of minor applicants, passport of the parents having the current address should be submitted. If the parents passport doesnot have the current address then any of the above address proof of the parents should be submitted.
3) Documents for ECR --not required status. ur passport should have ECR not required status for u to study or work abroad. If ur passport has ECR status then u r allowed only to visit the foreign country. This is what the people at the checking counter said regarding ECR - not required. For this u need to submit ur 10th mark sheet.
4) Submit ur marriage certificate to have ur spouse name entered in ur passport.
If you are applying for a re-issue of passport then u need:
1) self attested photo copies of first and last 2 pages of ur passport. photo copies of any visa page in ur passport along with the ECR status.
2) If your address is same as the current address in your old passport then actually xerox copy of ur old passport is sufficient. Just to be in safer side carry any one of the above said address proof.
3) If your address is different from the current address in your old passport then any one of the above said address proof should be submitted.
4) If ur applying for reissue after ur marriage and if ur spouse details are not entered in ur passport- please submit ur marriage certificate.If u donot have a marriage certificate this affidavit should be submitted https://portal2.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/pdf/AnnexureK.pdf
5) If ur applying for ECR not required during reissue submit ur 10th mark list.
If you are applying for minor with both parents then:
1) For address proof: The passport copy of both the parents or either parent who possess a passport with the current address should be submitted.
2) For Date of Birth Proof: Birth Certificate of the minor or above said affidavit for Date of birth proof.
3) Annexure H signed by both parents. .https://portal2.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/pdf/AnnexureH.pdf
4) A photo copy of both the parents passport- irrelevant of the address.
After having all the neccessary documents ready take a printout of the appointment letter.This letter will state the appointment time as well as the reporting time in the PSK.If u can u can scan and upload all the neccesary documents else can carry them physically along with the originals.
We had scheduled an appointment for 9.45am for our kid. We reached the PSK at the mentioned reporting time of 9.15 am. After checking the reporting time the security let us in. As u walk in there are several counters which issue token after verifying whether we are carrying the right documents. Sometimes these guys tell us that a particular document is not sufficient and ask us to get additional documents. If we are carrying the neccessary documents,they make a physical file of our documents for us to carry and issue a token. This token is given to the guard there who swipes the card and send us in to the customer care counter. There is LCD screen which displays the counter which is allotted to our token. All the customer care counters start with the alphabet "A".When we go to our respective counter, we are asked to give all the documents that are asked for. After checking these documents we are asked to confirm all the details in the online form which will be displayed in front of us. After this they take a photograph of us, in case of minors below 4 years we are required to carry a Passport size photo taken on a white background. Then they ask us to pay the required fees. In case of normal passport for adults it its Rs.1000/- and for minors it is Rs.600/- . For tatkaal passport an additional fees of Rs. 1500/- is collected. Then they take our biometrics i.e. our fingerprints. This is only in case of adults. After all this they scan all our documents upload it to ur file and issue us a acknowledgement for fee. After this procedure we are directed to a waiting area for further verification by Government passport officers. Till this point its TCS employees who do a great job. They are quick, friendly and helpful. After the file is transferred to the Govt officers there starts a back log. It took not more than 45 mins to come to this waiting area for further verification. From this we waited for more than 2 hours for our token to be displayed. after finishing the formalities in the A counters. U r headed towards the "B" counters which is the VO or verification officer counter.After this government officer verifies and approves our application we are directed to the "C" counters which is GO or the Granting Officers counter. Here our application and the supporting documents are again verified and the passport is granted by the granting officer. Both my kid's as well as my application was accepted .After all these procedures we are required to give our token as well as the appointment letter in a counter at the exit. Here we get the application acknowledgement letter which states our ARN number and the police verification status. For my kid it stated No police verification and for me it stated pre police verification.we were told to expect the passports to be delivered within a month. When we enquired , we were told that if there was a pre police verification, then it would take 3days for them to despatch the passport after receiving the verification report. Though, they were not clear about when the police verification will be done.
I hope that this quite a lengthy post of mine was quite informative and helped a few to get their passport at a PSK.
To start with the website https://portal2.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/online/welcomeLink is quite self explanatory about what you have to do when you are applying for a passport in a PSK. First of all u need a online appointment for you to walk into a PSK while applying for passport. For this u need to create an ID in the above said website. After creating an account u need to login to fill an online application form. This form is just like the physical passport application form. Be sure to enter the details correct and check all your details before u save the page. Once u have completed filling this form and checking all the details u should save and submit it in the website. After submitting it, u will receive an Application Reference Number ( ARN) .Remember u can book ur appointment only after submitting the form.For booking the appointment u need to login at 5.45 pm and the site opens appointment at 6.00pm. sometimes u have to try repeatedly to connect to the site. As for myself i got an appointment scheduled after a week from the date of obtaining the appointment.U have various time slots and also the option of choosing any of the PSKs in your city. Please try for the appointment only after 5.45 pm continously till u get it. i was not aware of this and tried for 3 days before getting an appointment.
Once u have scheduled an appointment the next thing you have to do is get ready with the neccessary documents.You have to carry the original copy of all the documents along with one set of self attested photo copies or xerox copies. If you are applying for a fresh passport u need the following documents:
1) Proof of Date of Birth - accepted documents are Birth Certificate, Or School Leaving Certificate (T.C)
Incase of illiterate applicants an affidavit stating the Date and place of Birth signed by a notary should be submitted. https://portal2.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/pdf/AnnexureA.pdf
Also its mandatory for people who are born after the year 1989 to submit their birth certificate for their date of birth proof. So if there are any differences in the name given in your birth certificate and other documents kindly do the neccessary corrections . If corrections are not possible then an affidavit signed by a notary should be submitted. https://portal2.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/pdf/AnnexureE.pdf
2) Proof of Address: accepted documents are
1) Water Bill
2) Telephone Bill( Mobile and Landline Bill) - This i think only BSNL is accepted.though im not very sure.
3)Electricity Bill
4) One year Bank passbook or bank statement. If you are showing your bank statement then u need a covering letter saying that this is ur bank statement and it should be signed by the bank officials.
5) Electoral Voter ID - If you are showing this then the address given in this will be entered in your passport . So be sure to check when entered the address in Voter ID the passport reaches you. In my case my postal address was different from the address in the voter ID though i stay in the same place.
6) Spouse's Passport Copy : If your spouse 's passport has your current address and also your name endorsed then u can show this as your address proof. This is what i presented as mine as i had a different postal address in my voter ID.
7)Proof of Gas Connection
8) Ration Card- If you are giving this as ur address proof , then u shud provide one of the above said documents to support it.
9) In case of minor applicants, passport of the parents having the current address should be submitted. If the parents passport doesnot have the current address then any of the above address proof of the parents should be submitted.
3) Documents for ECR --not required status. ur passport should have ECR not required status for u to study or work abroad. If ur passport has ECR status then u r allowed only to visit the foreign country. This is what the people at the checking counter said regarding ECR - not required. For this u need to submit ur 10th mark sheet.
4) Submit ur marriage certificate to have ur spouse name entered in ur passport.
If you are applying for a re-issue of passport then u need:
1) self attested photo copies of first and last 2 pages of ur passport. photo copies of any visa page in ur passport along with the ECR status.
2) If your address is same as the current address in your old passport then actually xerox copy of ur old passport is sufficient. Just to be in safer side carry any one of the above said address proof.
3) If your address is different from the current address in your old passport then any one of the above said address proof should be submitted.
4) If ur applying for reissue after ur marriage and if ur spouse details are not entered in ur passport- please submit ur marriage certificate.If u donot have a marriage certificate this affidavit should be submitted https://portal2.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/pdf/AnnexureK.pdf
5) If ur applying for ECR not required during reissue submit ur 10th mark list.
If you are applying for minor with both parents then:
1) For address proof: The passport copy of both the parents or either parent who possess a passport with the current address should be submitted.
2) For Date of Birth Proof: Birth Certificate of the minor or above said affidavit for Date of birth proof.
3) Annexure H signed by both parents. .https://portal2.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/pdf/AnnexureH.pdf
4) A photo copy of both the parents passport- irrelevant of the address.
After having all the neccessary documents ready take a printout of the appointment letter.This letter will state the appointment time as well as the reporting time in the PSK.If u can u can scan and upload all the neccesary documents else can carry them physically along with the originals.
We had scheduled an appointment for 9.45am for our kid. We reached the PSK at the mentioned reporting time of 9.15 am. After checking the reporting time the security let us in. As u walk in there are several counters which issue token after verifying whether we are carrying the right documents. Sometimes these guys tell us that a particular document is not sufficient and ask us to get additional documents. If we are carrying the neccessary documents,they make a physical file of our documents for us to carry and issue a token. This token is given to the guard there who swipes the card and send us in to the customer care counter. There is LCD screen which displays the counter which is allotted to our token. All the customer care counters start with the alphabet "A".When we go to our respective counter, we are asked to give all the documents that are asked for. After checking these documents we are asked to confirm all the details in the online form which will be displayed in front of us. After this they take a photograph of us, in case of minors below 4 years we are required to carry a Passport size photo taken on a white background. Then they ask us to pay the required fees. In case of normal passport for adults it its Rs.1000/- and for minors it is Rs.600/- . For tatkaal passport an additional fees of Rs. 1500/- is collected. Then they take our biometrics i.e. our fingerprints. This is only in case of adults. After all this they scan all our documents upload it to ur file and issue us a acknowledgement for fee. After this procedure we are directed to a waiting area for further verification by Government passport officers. Till this point its TCS employees who do a great job. They are quick, friendly and helpful. After the file is transferred to the Govt officers there starts a back log. It took not more than 45 mins to come to this waiting area for further verification. From this we waited for more than 2 hours for our token to be displayed. after finishing the formalities in the A counters. U r headed towards the "B" counters which is the VO or verification officer counter.After this government officer verifies and approves our application we are directed to the "C" counters which is GO or the Granting Officers counter. Here our application and the supporting documents are again verified and the passport is granted by the granting officer. Both my kid's as well as my application was accepted .After all these procedures we are required to give our token as well as the appointment letter in a counter at the exit. Here we get the application acknowledgement letter which states our ARN number and the police verification status. For my kid it stated No police verification and for me it stated pre police verification.we were told to expect the passports to be delivered within a month. When we enquired , we were told that if there was a pre police verification, then it would take 3days for them to despatch the passport after receiving the verification report. Though, they were not clear about when the police verification will be done.
I hope that this quite a lengthy post of mine was quite informative and helped a few to get their passport at a PSK.
