Indian Passport Facts

Indian Passport is issued by the Ministry of External Affairs under the Government of India. It is one of the most important document required for International travel and a must.

Passport in India is issued to three principal categories: For the general public, for diplomats and for the officials of Indian Government. This is a legal document issued by Consular Passport and Visa Division of External Affairs Ministry under the Indian Government. This document is used for International travel and has a limited period of validity.

The passport carries important information about the holder's identity, and his demographic details along with the photograph. The person's, name, wife's name, address, gender and date of birth is imprinted on the document.

The passport in India has a definite period and expires after that. One has to apply for renewal if it is on verge of expiry. One can apply for renewal one year before that date of expiry. There is a provision for applying for re-issuance of passport in case it is lost or stolen.

For e-passport recent addition has been the introduction of biometrics. Biometric passports are more secure and less subject to manipulation. The biometric evaluation and data collection is done using approved devices. The identification is based on facial recognition, Iris scan, fingerprints etc.

You have to obtain the relevant application form from the passport centers, speed post departments or other designated offices. The form can be downloaded online from the relevant website. The process though time consuming is simple. Under special circumstances Tatkal Passport application can be sent but the application fee is higher in this case.

All the requisite documents and identity proofs are to be submitted along with the application. Self attested copies of the documents have to be submitted along with the form duly filled. The form has to be filled as per instructions given.

The photo identity proof is important and you can submit details of IT Pan Card or driving license or the UID card issued under the Aadhar Project. You can also submit ration card or the voter identification card as proof. In certain cases an affidavit may also be required.

The for can be submitted to the passport office, district passport cell or the speed post centers in your city.

The application for Indian passport can be downloaded from the Internet. These can be done from the following link.

http://passport.gov.in/cpv/Forms.htm

Once the application is submitted for approval you can check the status online. This can be done from the passport website using the search tool. Whence your application is accepted you get a file reference number save this with you. The number is an acknowledgement of your application.

Use this number when you check passport status online. Fill in the reference number, date of birth and Passport Office City. Click and you get the status in few seconds.

In case if you lose your passport abroad you should notify the embassy immediately and make a police report. You have to fill a Lost or Stolen Notification Form (LSOI). This should be submitted to IPS or Identity and Passport Service.

The procedure may vary in some countries. But you should apply for a duplicate passport or an emergency travel document urgently. Many relevant documents would be required along with these procedures.

Re-issue of passport is possible under the following conditions:

Change in Personal Particulars.
Validity Expired/ Due to Expire.
Exhaustion of Pages.
If Passport is damaged.
Lost or Stolen Passport.
Validity Expired more than 3 years ago.

The link below will answer your queries on Indian Passport.

Passport FAQ