Tatkaal Passport

What is a Tatkaal Passport?

Getting a passport is a time consuming and complicated process, often requiring days of preparation and formalities. The 'Tatkaal' passport facility is an expedited passport application procedure established by the Ministry of External Affairs.

It lets people apply for and receive a passport quickly and easily if they need to travel outside India urgently. You can apply for a tatkal passport in case of a fresh application and renewal. .

Let's learn some of the key features of tatkaal passports in India:

* Fee will vary with the service opted and is subject to change with time and government regulations.

The application for tatkal passport is similar to that of a regular passport but it is faster and reduces the passport processing time. Since your passport is necessary for applying for a visa and planning your travel itinerary if visiting multiple countries. It is among the most important documents to carry abroad along with your official ID, and travel insurance plan.

Tatkaal Passport Eligibility

The tatkal passport is a special scheme meant for travellers who need a passport urgently. However, not everyone can avail of this facility, and there are certain factors the authorities consider.

You must be eligible to apply for a tatkal passport in India. Passport under the tatkal scheme is not available for the following categories for both fresh issue and renewal of a passport:

Fresh Issue Cases:

• Citizens of India by Registration/Naturalization (granted citizenship by MHA)
• Children adopted by Indian or Foreign parents
• Child born out of wedlock and has single parent
• Children born out of surrogacy
• Minors with single parent (One parent deceased)
• Major change in name
• Those with present address outside jurisdiction of the RPO
• Minor's application with Annexure C (Ex. Minors whose Parents are divorced or separated, etc)
• Applicants repatriated from abroad at Government cost
• Applicants deported to India or travelled on Emergency Certificate
• Persons of Naga origin including minors (below 18 years)
• Persons of Naga origin residing outside Nagaland
• Persons of J&K origin including minors (below 18 years)
• Applicants who attract section 6(2)(e) or 6(2)(f) (related to criminal court cases)
• Applicants with adverse police report, put under watch list, habitual passport losers or who had earlier travelled on forged or fake passports

Re-issue Cases:

• Lost/stolen passport cases
• Re-issue of Short Validity Passport
• Passport damaged beyond recognition cases
• Change in sex, appearance or signature
• Change/correction of date of birth or place of birth
• Change of father/mother/spouse name
• Major change in name
• Those with present address outside jurisdiction of the RPO
• Minor's application with Annexure C (Ex. Minors whose Parents are divorced or separated, etc)
• Applicants repatriated from abroad at Government cost
• Applicants deported to India or travelled on Emergency Certificate
• Persons of Naga origin including minors (below 18 years)
• Persons of Naga origin residing outside Nagaland
• Persons of J&K origin including minors (below 18 years)
• Applicants who attract section 6(2)(e) or 6(2)(f) (related to criminal court cases)
• Applicants with adverse police report, put under watch list, habitual passport losers or who had earlier travelled on forged or fake passports

How to Apply for Tatkaal Passport in India?

Applying for a passport under the tatkal scheme is similar to the procedure of a normal passport. Take a look at the simple steps involving the online tatkal passport application below:

Step 1- Go to the official Passport Seva website and click on 'Register Now' and create your login credentials.

Step 2- Login using your ID and password

Step 3- Upon logging in, you will be directed to 'Applicant Home' under which a list of services will be available.

Step 4- Click on the 'Apply for Fresh Passport/Re-issue of Passport'.

Step 5- Choose the application option depending on whether you need a fresh passport or a re-issue.

Step 6- Under the 'Required Scheme', select 'Tatkaal' option

Step 7- Fill the downloaded form with correct and up-to-date information

Step 8- Complete the tatkal application procedure by submitting it and making the payment online

Step 9- You will see a fee receipt, save it & print it

Step 10- Book an appointment at the applicable Passport Service Kendra near you

Please note that not all applicants can apply for a passport under the tatkaal scheme. If your application status is 'Granted' only then you can avail of this benefit.

Documents Required for Tatkaal Passport

Certain documents are necessary for tatkal passport application. Any three of the following documents can be provided for tatkal passport application:

• Old/last passport if applying for a re-issue
• Aadhar card issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India
• Voter ID (EPIC)
• Birth certificate
• Permanent Account number (PAN card)
• Driving License from the state of submission of the applicant
• Student photo ID issued by recognised educational institutions
• Post Office Passbook or Kisan Passbook or Bank Passbook
• Arms License issued under the Arms Act of 1959
• Certificate for Scheduled Tribe, or Scheduled Caste or Other Backward Class
• Service photo ID issued by Central/State government, local bodies, Public Sector Undertaking etc.
• Pension documents or old age pension order
• Ration card

As you prepare these documents for the tatkal procedure, don't forget to buy international travel insurance for your upcoming trip. It is not a mandatory requirement for several countries but strongly recommended for overseas travel. Even if there is little to no time, it will only take a few clicks to secure your trip abroad.

Tatkaal Passport Processing Time

Compared to the normal passport procedure that takes 30-45 days, the time taken to process an application for tatkal passport is shorter. The tatkal passport issue time is usually 1-3 working days without a police verification which is usually conducted after the passport has been dispatched.

Under the tatkal passport scheme, applicants can avail faster processing in a separate queue as well as earlier passport appointment.

Once the applicant has visited the PSK (Passport Seva Kendra) and the final status is 'Granted' for their tatkal passport application, by the third day the tatkal passport is dispatched.

Tatkaal Passport Fees

The tatkal passport fee differs as per age of the applicant, number of pages in a passport, and reasons for re-issue. Since it is a faster process, tatkal passport charges are usually higher than a normal passport. Since people can apply for fresh as well as for tatkal passport renewal, given below are the different fees for tatkal passports in India:

Fees for Fresh Tatkaal Passport

For new users registering on the Passport Seva Portal (applying for the first time), the fee has been mentioned in the table below:

Fees for Tatkaal Passport Renewal

If your passport needs to be re-issued urgently, then it can be done under the Tatkaal Scheme as well. You must provide the correct reason for the re-issue as the fee may vary depending on the reason and number of pages required. Given below is the fee for tatkal passport according to the reason for re-issue. The fee stated is for applicants aged 18 years and above:

* For applicants below 18 years, the fee would be different, so it is best to refer to the passport fee calculator. It will give you the applicable fee.

How to Calculate Tatkaal Passport Fee Online?

You can find the exact cost for tatkal passport application by using the 'Fee Calculator' feature available on the Passport Seva Portal. All you need to do is to input relevant information and click on the 'calculate the fee' button. It will display the applicable fee depending on the parameters selected. Here are the steps to use the passport fee calculator:

Step 1- Visit 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
• Number of pages in Booklet
• Required Scheme

Step 3- Select the number of pages required in passport

Step 4- Under the 'Required Scheme' category, select the option for 'Tatkaal'

Step 5- Click on the 'Calculate Fee' button once you have filled 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. If applying for a tatkal passport renewal, then make sure to select the reason for re-issue carefully.

How to Pay Tatkal Passport Fee?

Please note that those applying under the tatkaal passport scheme only need to pay the amount online as applicable under the Normal scheme. The remaining amount needs to be paid in cash when they visit the nearby Passport Seva Kendra after their application under the tatkaal category has been accepted.

For those applying for a tatkal passport online, there are multiple ways to pay the tatkal passport fee:

• Using credit or debit card
• Using internet banking
• SBI wallet payment
• SBI bank challan