[ghodlur]

All I could recollect from the experience during my wife's/son's/min passport reissue process I nowhere had to create any web profile. Just access the online registration form, fill in the reqd details and submit for appointment. Once done take a print, verify whether the appoint day/time are mentioned on the form and complete the balance form manually.

I wish the entire form could be completed online itself so that there is no manual entry again on the form (esp on the Personal particular form - reference details). However to start with the online registration is a good help, maybe going in future maybe the process become simpler and uniform across all passport centres.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

frankly I cannot understand why we cant get a standard procedure across India once and for all.
all this state-wise confusion is terrible.
After all are we one country or not?

+1 to your viewpoint.

Originally Posted by ghodlur

I wish the entire form could be completed online itself so that there is no manual entry again on the form (esp on the Personal particular form - reference details). However to start with the online registration is a good help, maybe going in future maybe the process become simpler and uniform across all passport centres.

I too hope the whole darn process is made online, minimizing manual entry.

I did the following today, in the hope of giving my passport for re-issue:-

1. Went to nearby HSBC and asked for DD. in favour of Regional Passport Officer. On coming to know they charge Rs 110 for DDs collected in person, I declined and walked over to Axis Bank, around 500 metres away. Got the DD promptly free of charge.
2. Drove to RTA, Khairatabad and went to the Passport counter at the eSeva branch on the 1st floor. Was happy to see no queue in the passport counter and a yound lady manning it.
3. Was surprised when the lady said they accept DDs only from Nationalised Banks, and that Axis Bank does not figure in the list on her computer. Found it futile to argue with her as she was a fresh recruit. And I cannot blame her anyway. She had no idea why the Govt website does not list the banks from where DDs are accepted.
4. Asked her to verify the remaining docs, lest some more surprises were in store for me when I returned with a new DD. She did so and pointed out the following 'deficiencies':
5. As address had changed from Vizag to Hyderabad, she said the latest BSNL phone bill would not do. There should be one more of around a year back to substantiate that I was residing there for more than a year. When I showed my ration card issued 3 years ago, she said that would do, but wanted a photocopy.
6. She said I should provide self-attested photocopies of all pages of my current passport, and not just the first 4 and last 4 pages as mentioned in the govt website ---url given below(Check list . Darn, why don't they update their website. No wonder we are called a 3rd world and corrupt country. It is a well-deserved comment.
7. Disgusted, I returned home and went to Andhra Bank and got a DD by paying Rs 28 charges. I've asked my son to go to Axis Bank and get their DD cancelled.
8. Since many photocopies need to be taken and also becuase the DD details I'd entered earlier need to be changed, I don't want to be shocked again with a statement asking for a fresh printout of the first page. Therefore I shall go to work and re-visit the eSeva office after a couple of days.

Wish me luck, guys.

Note: There is no urgency for me and my passport is lapsing only in March, 2012.

[shankar.balan]

An unhappy scenario and lousy overall state of affairs. very frustrating indeed I must say. Some comments are below:

Originally Posted by vnabhi

I too hope the whole darn process is made online, minimizing manual entry. This would be so easy for them to do considering TCS is handling the web related stuff. Im sure they have enough server space to handle this.

1. Went to nearby HSBC and asked for DD. in favour of Regional Passport Officer. On coming to know they charge Rs 110 for DDs collected in person, I declined and walked over to Axis Bank, around 500 metres away. Got the DD promptly free of charge. Foreign Banks are rogues - always better to go to Nationalized banks.
2. Was surprised when the lady said they accept DDs only from Nationalised Banks, and that Axis Bank does not figure in the list on her computer. Found it futile to argue with her as she was a fresh recruit. And I cannot blame her anyway. She had no idea why the Govt website does not list the banks from where DDs are accepted. Hopeless lack of co-ordination. However for making payments to the Government it is generally better all round to go to a Nationalized bank for DDs and such.
3. Asked her to verify the remaining docs, lest some more surprises were in store for me when I returned with a new DD. She did so and pointed out the following 'deficiencies':
4. As address had changed from Vizag to Hyderabad, she said the latest BSNL phone bill would not do. There should be one more of around a year back to substantiate that I was residing there for more than a year. When I showed my ration card issued 3 years ago, she said that would do, but wanted a photocopy. This is correct. The Passport Seva site here in Bangalore has clearly mentioned that in case one is submitting either a land line bill or a mobile bill, one should take one recent bill and another which is at least dated from one year ago.
5. She said I should provide self-attested photocopies of all pages of my current passport, and not just the first 4 and last 4 pages as mentioned in the govt website ---url given below(Check list . Darn, why don't they update their website. No wonder we are called a 3rd world and corrupt country. It is a well-deserved comment. Thanks for sharing this info. I think I will also do the same - better not to take chances with these things just in case they cause trouble when we go for renewal.
6. Since many photocopies need to be taken and also becuase the DD details I'd entered earlier need to be changed, I don't want to be shocked again with a statement asking for a fresh printout of the first page. Therefore I shall go to work and re-visit the eSeva office after a couple of days. Better to be safe rather than sorry!

[ghodlur]

@vnabhi,

Why visit the e-seva centre when you can take an appointment online? Hyderabad passport centre has provision for taking online appointments. All you need to do is fill the online form, take an appointment, keep the documents ready (2 sets of each documents self attested), visit the passport office with documents, pay the amount and thats it. In this case ofcourse you need to pay by cash which I feel is the most convinient mode of payment instead of the DD (personal opinion). Attached is the screen shot of the Hyderabad passport centre online registration.

Regarding the passport copies, U need only the first two and the last two pages, no need of all the pages actually. Is there any way you can contest the requirement of all pages then. Better take a print of the passport web page.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

@vnabhi,

Why visit the e-seva centre when you can take an appointment online? Hyderabad passport centre has provision for taking online appointments. All you need to do is fill the online form, take an appointment, keep the documents ready (2 sets of each documents self attested), visit the passport office with documents, pay the amount and thats it.

That is what I exactly did. I you see my post on the prior page, I did not get any date printed on the pdf form, though I had chosen April 27th, which was available.
The asterisk at the bottom, which I spelt out in the prior page says only 100 normal appllications per day will be entertained. It is quite far and I don't want to risk being beyond that 100.

On the other hand, the eSeva is only 2 kms away from my house.

[ghodlur]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

That is what I exactly did. I you see my post on the prior page, I did not get any date printed on the pdf form, though I had chosen April 27th, which was available.
The asterisk at the bottom, which I spelt out in the prior page says only 100 normal appllications per day will be entertained. It is quite far and I don't want to risk being beyond that 100.

On the other hand, the eSeva is only 2 kms away from my house.

So what you are saying is that the date and time of appointment (usually printed vertically at the right of the page) was not printed in the pdf copy. Did the Pdf copy have the bar code then? If that was there then you could have gone on 27th April.

But given any day I think there would be more than 100 applications accepted at any passport centre. Suprisingly you got that asterisk.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

So what you are saying is that the date and time of appointment (usually printed vertically at the right of the page) was not printed in the pdf copy. Did the Pdf copy have the bar code then? If that was there then you could have gone on 27th April.

But given any day I think there would be more than 100 applications accepted at any passport centre. Suprisingly you got that asterisk.

Yes, the pdf had a bar code at the top right with a number like HYD119XXXX printed under it. The number was also printed on the right side of every page. However there was no date on it.

I am told this is the system nowadays in Hyderabad---one does not get the date printed on the pdf form. And I've read horror stories of long queues at the Passport Centre, located nearly 10 kms away.


As regards the xerox of all pages, I do recollect now that when I got my family's passports reissued in 2008, the cop who came home wanted photocopies of all pages in their passports, and not just the first 4 and last 4.

[Prithiv]

Originally Posted by Prithiv

Guys, applied for re-issue on normal track. I got a status 'clear PAC' on track status, does anyone know what this means?

Thanks.

Clear PAC - It's first state of clearing the application. You can apply for passport renewal on normal track in Chennai if you wish you are OK to get it after 3 months. I have applied it on Mar 14th, 2011. But the Service is Chennai RPO is damn slow, even the site does not reflect my file no . I have to get the status from PassportIndia.gov.in. Not sure why they are so lazy. Does any one know how to book a tatkal appointment in Chennai passport site? And also let me know how to follow up the old application in Chennai RPO.

[vnabhi]

Guys,

Here's an update for today I took photocopies of all pages of my passport and signed them. I also wrote my name and contact number on the reverse of the new DD. I also took a new print of the first page of the pdf and wrote down the new DD details in the space provided.

I then visited the eSeva centre and was only 3rd in line. It took about 25 minutes for my turn. The lady verifed everything and found them to be in order. She took the original BSNL bill and a xerox of the ration card as address proof.

She typed some details into her computer and took 2 prints. She asked me to verify if my details were correct. I found a spelling mistake on my hometown, which she promptly corrected. She took 2 more prints and asked me to sign them.

She also took a digital photo on the spot which was embedded into the 2 printouts that I signed--the photo was taken prior to taking the printouts, sorry for not mentioning it earlier.

She then got all the documents scanned and then placed a rubber seal on my current passport on the 2nd page that read as 'Cancelled by issue of fresh passport'. She then returned the old passport to me, and I had to pay Rs 100 as eSeva processing charge. I was told that it would take around 2 months for the new passport to reach me.

So on the whole, it was smooth sailing today. I think it was worth the Rs 100 for getting it done so close to my home and also this fast. I shudder to visit the RPO on account of my earlier experience in 2008, when I'd got my family's passports renewed.

NOTE: There was no verification done for educational certificates and date of birth for cases of re-issue of passport. I did carry mine as a precaution, but those were not needed.

[ajayr]

Originally Posted by A350XWB

I have renewed my passport recently from Bangalore and I had to change my address, add my spouse's name and also cancel ECR. Please find my answers below.


This is not a problem. Mine is also the same. In India, 99% of times, your initials are not expanded, even in official documents. So, this should not cause any trouble.


The address written should be legible but you can use abbreviations (eg: Bannerghatta Road to BG Rd.) Once you are at the PSK, you can make slight modifications to the address and they will show you how your details will look in the passport (preview).
The police station has to be mentioned for police verification. The police station name/place will not appear in your passport.

Thanks a lot!

I did the renewal yesterday, and as you rightly said, they didn't bother about my last name initial not expanded in my documents.

The officer also edited my address, to reflect more or less the full one, without truncating anything.

[NFS-II]

Guys,

I have successfully submitted all the documents required for passport reissue. I managed to get an appointment for today at 10.30am at the Lalbagh office here in bangalore after a good lot "struggle" with the passport portal, managed to get this appointment in Tatkal.

I submitted the follwing documents for re-issue

1. Old passport - copies of first two and last two pages
2. Proof of address - bank statement; covering letter from the manager providing the address and an year's statement
3. Affidavit(Annex D) in lieu of marriage certificate.
4. Non-ECR proof - Degree certificate
5. 10th marks card - photo copy

The process was quite smooth unlike the appointment booking online.

Few tips I would like to share purely on my experience...

1. Seals and signatures are very important on letters you submit. My office letter confirming my address was rejected as it had no seal on it. Luckily I had another proof which was the bank statement with seal and signature.
2. All these letters(address proof letters etc) should have a properly numbered reference number or normally called the "outward number"
3. Affidavit in lieu of marriage certificate will have to be submitted in original. Marriage certificate if submitted is a accepted in photocopy.
4. If your passport was issued before 2001, they take a while before they allow you to take the token. I presume this is because during those days the passport was handwritten (so was mine) so they go and varify it.
5. Collect your file after document varification, collect the token and wait for your turn. there are three counters A, B and C.
6. While you are at the "A" counter get your address entered as per the proof. In my case I was unable to enter the full address while submitting online because of the restriction on the number of characters in the address field.
7. Keep a copy of all the submitted documents, it seems the police will ask for a copy of it during their verification.
8. Self attest all the photocopies of the documents.

[Prithiv]

Originally Posted by Prithiv

Clear PAC - It's first state of clearing the application. You can apply for passport renewal on normal track in Chennai if you wish you are OK to get it after 3 months. I have applied it on Mar 14th, 2011. But the Service is Chennai RPO is damn slow, even the site does not reflect my file no . I have to get the status from PassportIndia.gov.in. Not sure why they are so lazy. Does any one know how to book a tatkal appointment in Chennai passport site? And also let me know how to follow up the old application in Chennai RPO.

I went to Chennai RPO early in the morning around 7 AM. OMG there were 30 people standing in front of me on queue. Was really having a unhappy time waiting until 10 AM. Got my turn around 11 AM. I am not sure if they have trick once my file no was keyed in, my status was updated online. There were two people servicing the queue, they only service us for a minute after waiting 4 hours. Chennai RPO needs to have computer kiosk for sure. People can step in and check with the system by themselves though. Chennai RPO arrange two machine. We are literates at least.

[saurabhkanchan]

I have to apply for re-issue of my passport under tatkal shceme. The passport office as such does not require any reason for the urgency, if applied under tatkal quota. For this two Annexures I (affidavit) and F(verification certificate) need to be submitted along with the application. The verification certificate has to be signed from any one of the offices mentioned on the website. When I approached the SDM office, they refused to sign the verification certificate saying that they need to know the reason fro urgency. I tried to reason with them saying the R.P.O does not require any reason for such application but they didnot relent.

May they need some under table money for signing the same which I am not ready to give under any circumstances. I am exploring my options now!!!!

[999]

Hi SaurabhKanchen,
Any authorized notary can give you the same. You have to pay around 300 for that. I got that for my passport renewal in trivandrum. My original passport was from bombay. Try that way.

[saurabhkanchan]

Originally Posted by 999

Hi SaurabhKanchen,
Any authorized notary can give you the same. You have to pay around 300 for that. I got that for my passport renewal in trivandrum. My original passport was from bombay. Try that way.

On the website, a list of personnel is given, from whom the verification certificate can be signed. Are you sure the passport office will accept the verification certificate signed by notary?