Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) runs passport service through various Passport Seva Centres across the nation. The Passport Seva Program has introduced major digital transformation in the delivery of Passport Services in the last six years.
Passport application in
India has been made even easier as the India Post is now offering passport registration and passport application facility at various post offices in India. What an applicant need is to visit the nearest post office's Common Service Centre or CSS counters.The India Post informed about the latest facility through a tweet citing, "Now it’s easy to register and apply for a passport at your nearest post office CSC counter. To know more, visit the nearest post office."
In India, a passport is one of the most crucial documents for any Indian citizen as it is not only identity proof but also a crucial document for international travel. It enables the holder to travel abroad and serves as proof of being an Indian citizen in any foreign country.
List of important documents required for passport application
While applying for a passport in India, the applicant is required to submit several important documents. Here is a compiled list of important documents that are required to get a fresh Indian passport.
- Identity proof like an Aadhaar card, Election voter ID card, or any valid photo ID card.
- Proof of age, birth certificate, school leaving certificate, etc.
- Driving license, PAN card, Aadhaar card.
- Proof of address such as electricity bill, water bill, gas connection, mobile bill.
- Photo passbook of running a bank account.
- Rent agreement (if applicable)
The Ministry of External Affairs has now made all the passport application process online. So, if you are looking to apply for a fresh passport, you will have to go through the online application process. The steps for the same are given below.
How to apply for a passport online in India
Step 1: Visit the official website of Passport Seva i.e., passportindia.gov.in.
Step 2: If you are an existing user, you can log in using the old login ID and password. But, if you are a first-time user, you need to register and create a new account.
Step 3: On the home page, click on ‘Register Now’ under the ‘New User’ tab.
Step 4: Next, enter the user ID & password, then the captcha code for verification, and click on ‘Register’.
Step 5: Now, login to the Passport Seva Online Portal with the registered login ID.
Step 6: After login, choose from the options provided and click on the ‘Fresh passport/passport reissue’ link.
Step 7: Carefully, fill in the required details in the application form and click on the ‘Upload e-form' link to submit.
Step 8: Next, on the 'View Saved/submitted Application' screen, click on the 'Pay and Schedule Appointment' link to schedule an appointment.
Step 9: Lastly, click on the 'Print Application Receipt' link to take a printout of the application receipt. The receipt contains the application reference number or appointment number which must be kept safe for future reference.
