Indian Passport

Indian Passport: Key Highlights

As per the Passports Act of 1967, the Government of India issues different types of passports to Indian citizens, including ordinary, diplomatic, official passports and emergency certificates through Passport Seva Kendra, POPSK (Post Office Passport Seva Kendras) and Indian Missions abroadThe standard Indian passport is the most commonly issued passport for Indians travelling for leisure and business purposes.

Let us take a look at some important information about the Type P (Ordinary) Indian passport:

*Passport charges will vary with the service opted and are subject to change with time and government regulations.

Your passport is among the most essential travel documents for international trips. While you prepare for the passport application and subsequent visa formalities, don't forget to buy international travel insurance for your trip. It will keep you safe in an unexpected pickle, including loss of passport, medical coverage and trip interruption.

Documents Required for Indian Passport Application

The documents needed for your passport application depend on your application category and several other factors. For example, proof of current address will be different for minor applicants. Here is a complete list of documents required that can be used for various types of Indian passport applications:

Please note that this is a general list of documents required for an Indian passport application. The exact Bharat passport requirement will vary with exceptional cases like minors, non-ECR passport applicants, out-of-turn passport issuance, etc.

Types of Passports in India

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs issues different passports to Indian nationals based on their purpose of travelling, starting from regular leisure travels, education or on a diplomatic mission. However, these are all types of Indian passports issued to different people:

• Blue Personal Passport: Type P or Blue Indian passport issued between 30-45 days. It is issued to ordinary Indian citizens going abroad for studies, pilgrimage, business trips or holidays.
• White Service Passport: Type S or White Indian passport is issued for Indian officials travelling abroad for official purposes.
• Maroon Diplomat Passport: This Indian passport is issued to Indian diplomats, including MPs, government officials, diplomatic couriers, and the Union Council of Ministers.

Procedure to Apply for a Passport in India

There are three ways to apply for an Indian Passport. These have been briefly discussed below. For more details about how to apply for a passport in India, you can also refer to the official Passport Seva Portal:

1. Via e-Form Submission

   You can start by registering on the Passport Seva Portal, downloading the e-Form, filling it out, and uploading it in XML file format per the instructions.Once the XML is uploaded, you can schedule an appointment at the nearest Passport Seva Kendra and pay the passport fees in India.

2. Via Online Form Submission

   You can register on the Passport Seva Portal just like mentioned above. However, instead of downloading or uploading an XML file, you can directly fill in your details and hit submit. You can appear for the scheduled appointment after selecting the nearest PSK and paying the passport application fee.For both methods (using the e-form and online form), once you have scheduled an appointment at the nearest Passport Seva Kendra, you need to pay the passport making price. They should arrange all original documents required for an Indian passport to get them verified and appear for the interview.

3. In-Person Application

   For a fresh or reissue of an Indian passport, you need to download the passport application from the Passport Seva Portal or get it from a District Passport Cell. You need to fill out the application form for a passport, attach self-attested copies of necessary documents and submit them at the DPC counter. Upon passport verification, you must pay the applicable passport fees in India in the form of a Demand Draft and receive the Acknowledgement Letter for future reference.

Passport Fee Structure

The Ministry of External Affairs issues Bharat passports through a vast network of 37 passport offices across India, and the passport price structure is uniform. However, passport costs in India depend on factors like the number of pages, age of the applicant, passport validity period, and procedure opted for.

Take a look at the different online passport application fees* as per the official Passport Seva Portal website:

*The amount of the passport price in India (2025) is subject to change as per Government guidelines. Please refer to the official website for the latest passport fee structure. An additional fee for online passport application fees may be added for credit or debit card payments.

Passport Fee Calculator

To simplify calculating Indian passport fees in India, the Passport Seva Portal official website has a free passport fee calculator. Depending on your requirements, you can check the exact passport application fee in India. The India passport charges will vary depending on it you are calculating the fee for a fresh passport or estimating the charges for Tatkal passport.

All you need to do is select the open the passport fee calculator tool link provided on the website, select the type of application, service, age, etc. and click on 'Calculate Fee'. The exact fee will be displayed below the icon. Here are the steps to use the passport fee calculator:

Step 1: Go to the official Passport Seva Portal website and find the 'Passport Fee Calculator' link

Step 2: Upon clicking, you will need to fill in details like:

• Application Type
• Type of Service (Fresh or Reissue)
• Age of Applicant

Step 3: Click on the 'Calculate Fee' button once you have filled in all the details. The fee will be displayed in INR.Please note that all these fields are mandatory to get the accurate passport fee amount.

How to Pay the Passport Fee?

Your Indian passport fees depend on the type of passport application you go for. As most people nowadays opt for the online passport application procedure, there are many ways to pay the fees for an Indian passport application:

• Debit or Credit Cards
• Approved Internet Banking
• Bank Challan (SBI)
• Wallet Payment (SBI)
• People applying for a passport in person can visit their nearest Passport Seva Kendra and pay in cash or through State Bank of India Bank Challan.
• Things to Consider While Paying Passport Fees in IndiaThe Indian passport application procedure is time-consuming, and you need to know all the important details before starting your application. When it comes to paying online passport application fees, you must know some key facts:
• If you fail to book an appointment after paying the passport fee, there will be no refund.
• An additional 1.5% of the charges may be applicable if you pay via credit or debit card.
• If paying the passport application fee online, print the application receipt, as it is required when you visit for the passport appointment.
• Your online passport application fees are valid for a year from the payment date.
• There is an additional GEP fee of INR 500.

Indian Passport Appointment Availability

After passport application submission and online passport application fees payment, you need to schedule an appointment for the passport interview at the nearby Passport Seva Kendra. You can pick a suitable date and time and block as per the passport appointment availability.

However, if you cannot come to that slot, you can reschedule the passport appointment online. All you need to do is visit the Passport Seva Kendra Portal and select the option for rescheduling.

Please note that the number of times an applicant can reschedule or cancel their passport appointment is limited. You can see the total number of attempts left. Currently, applicants can cancel or reschedule their passport appointment only two times a year. In case they exceed this limit, they can apply for a new passport.

Track Indian Passport Application Status

You can easily apply for a fresh passport or passport renewal online and track your status from the comfort of your home. As the online passport application process consists of multiple steps, online passport tracking ensures they are done correctly and on time.

The Passport Seva Portal (PSP) provides online passport tracking at different stages of your passport application without any hassles. You can track the following stages of your online passport application:

• Status of your passport application
• Application under review
• Status of police verification
• Status of police verification report submission
• Status of the passport being printed/granted/dispatched, or returned undelivered

You can easily track Indian passport application status using the following methods:

• Passport Seva Portal
• Calling the National Toll-free number 1800 258 1800 dedicated to passport queries
• mPassport Seva Mobile Application
• Visa SMS service
• Visa email

You can track your passport application status using any of the methods as mentioned earlier. Once you have completed your passport appointment at a PSK, passport verification, etc., all that remains is to wait for your passport to reach your registered address.

Police Clearance Certificate and Fees

The PCC of Police Clearance Certificate is an essential document for people seeking employment or residential status abroad. PCC for Indian passport application is required as they need a long-term visa. It is usually not required for short-term visits or tourist visas. It ensures that the applicant's identity proof is valid and that they share their true details.

PCC for passport verification is carried out by a police officer from your local police station when they visit your house. Depending on the state norms, the procedure may vary slightly. After scrutiny, the police officer will provide a clearance report stating everything is in order. However, there are three statuses of passport verification online:

• Clear
• Adverse
• Incomplete

The 'Clear' status indicates that the applicant's PCC has been done successfully. The other two options can be clarified after approaching the concerned police officer. You can also file an appeal by logging into the PSP portal and going to the 'Log Appeal' option on the home page.

As of now, the passport police verification fees (PCC) for a passport for Bharat are INR 500. In case of a reissue of a passport, no police verification is needed if the passport has not expired. An exception may also be provided for government employees who can provide an ID certificate according to Annexure A or a NOC objection certificate according to Annexure G.

Indian Passport Renewal Process

Indian passports are valid for 5 or 10 years, after which a passport re-issue or renewal is necessary. Renewal of Indian passport before the expiry date is possible at least 1 year before its expiry date. Indian passport renewal fees will be applicable depending on the scheme opted for.

In case of passport loss or theft, a re-issue is required. There are no duplicate passports or replacements issued in case of loss or damage to your passport. A fresh passport for Bharat is issued with a different passport number with a new validity.

You can apply for a fresh passport under the 're-issue' category by stating 'Loss or damage to the passport' as the reason. The passport can be obtained only after paying the fresh passport fees.

If travelling or staying abroad, you must immediately inform the Indian Mission about the passport damage or loss. You also need to report the matter at the nearest police station immediately. If you have a travel insurance plan with passport loss coverage, you can later claim reimbursement for the extra costs incurred in getting a fresh passport.

If your passport is damaged and you need to travel abroad urgently, you can apply for a re-issue of your passport under the Tatkaal scheme. However, this is only applicable if your passport has not been damaged beyond recognition. Passport renewal fees in case of these reasons are higher than others, as you must always keep your passport safe and protect it from harm at all times.

Under normal circumstances, it is ideal that you initiate renewal of Indian passport before the expiry date. In case of time shortage, you can opt for Tatkaal passport application scheme. The procedure is similar to a normal passport application; you must prepare the documents required for passport renewal beforehand.

Rejection of Passport Application

Like all applications, an Indian passport application can also go wrong due to human or technical errors. Though uncommon, passport rejection is not unexpected and can be fixed if it was due to common errors.

Reasons for online passport application rejection can range from application filing mistakes or filling in the wrong information. Here are some common reasons that can get your Bharat passport application rejected:

• Not reading the passport making process instructions properly before proceeding with the application
• Filling incorrect or old information
• Having a criminal history or a pending case
• Not submitting all the necessary passport documents
• Submitting bad or unclear copies of documents needed for passport
• Not paying the passport fee on time
• Failing the police verification
• Unpaid dues
• Other security reasons

However, these aren't all the reasons behind a rejection. You can get a better idea by understanding common errors to avoid the rejection of your passport application on the official government website.