[arpanjha]

Mod note: I could not find the edit button for my above post, hence I am posting the entire text again here, request you to delete the above post.

Ok, so I wish to update on my status and report on the sheer apathy of the institutions of this country.
As I said in my last post, I visited the district additional SP office which houses the District Intelligence Branch, and they told me your designated PS DIB officer is on personal leave and will join this week, so ignore the delay of 3+ weeks and you shall receive a call shortly. I asked the officer, what if I don’t receive a call after how many days should I check back? To this, he said you can check back at this office after 7 days if you do not receive a call. So I waited and 9 days passed without a call, on the 10th day I reached the local PS to find that the DIB officer was not present, and I turned my car towards the Additional SP office 12 Kms away once again since this was now getting frustrating. Upon reaching there, the same officer said, the DIB of your PS is sick etc etc., on that I politely requested, if that is the case there must be a substitute, if not, you being the superior authority please clear out my case, I am carrying all documents required right with me. Puzzled, he gathered few of his colleagues and ultimately asked me to visit the local PS the very next day saying the officer will be present. I again asked him, why can’t they verify my docs and process? On this they replied since a PS level DIO is appointed it has to be done by him. I politely said, in case I fail to meet the DIO the next day and a week after that, I shall need a written explanation from the additional SP office, and I shall fix an appointment at the RPO with or without the same and I walked off. And, VOILA! I receive a call the same evening from the local DIO asking me to come down to the PS on Tuesday 23rd Feb with all documents. 22nd Feb evening I get a call again, please come on 24th as the officer can’t attend on 23rd. So on 24th I reach the office with documents as below:
1. Matriculate level admit card original and photocopy,
2. My KYC, Adhaar, voter , pan, bank pass book, etc etc
3. My mothers all KYC, and my late fathers death certificate
4. A residential proof such as a letter from the local elected person.

So, I reached with all these, except the deed of my forefathers, because he was a poor priest and never could buy a land. I reached, waited for 1.5 hours and then got called in. Now straight off, the bald smart officer asked why I didn’t have a ration card, I said I don’t need one since my family can afford decent non subsidised food, he was silent. Next he asked me why I didn’t have a deed which has my forefathers name, I replied, they were poor couldn’t buy a place, the officer was sort of unhappy. Then he asked for a copy of the voter list where my name appears under the local poll booth. But I couldn’t manage one. Next he asked me to certify my fathers death certificate by the same issuing authority to recertify the genuine-ness. Then he asked for my school class 10 board exam admit card, graduation certificate, upon showing all of these, he asked me get each one of them attested by the issuing authorities, for example, the university needs to certify my graduation certificate. All these seemed very strange and harrassing to me, so I requested him politely to tell me which documents do I really need to produce, as these requests seem very impractical to me. To this, he told me to get a copy of the voter's list page where my name appears with photograph and get it attested by local councillor, also download and print the net-copy of the death certificate of my dad, and get my birth certificate verified by the issuing municipality. I went home, got the printout of the voter list where my name appears, and the death certificate copy from the issuing authority. Submitted both printouts after 2 hours, and requested once again to clear my file without me having to certify an already issued certificate such as birth certificate, ICSE admit card, graduation certificate etc. The officer remained very unsatisfied, I tried to ask him do I need to pay anything to get this done? He did not reply anything. He said, he will submit my file with documents now he has in hand, and lets see if it gets back rejected, will think of something next.

I want to know, are all these really necessary? I do not remember of anything like this during my initial issue of passport, this is just a renewal with a new address of which I already have a voter's card and bank passbook. It is extremely strange to face such harassment at police verification level. Can anyone tell me what might happen now? Will the report from the officer go directly to the passport office or it will go to some other DIB officer?

[arpanjha]

After one month's agonising wait, and same status as "your application is under review at regional passport office" now today it has changed to "Police verification not clear and your application is under further review at regional passport office". Frustrating results of not paying bribe. Now I have booked an appointment again at the RPO Kolkata for tuesday 30th March, let us see what they say. Hoping for the best or atleast less of harrasment.

[arpanjha]

Today I had the scheduled appointment at RPO Kolkata for understanding the reason of police verification not clear, upon reaching, the peon collected my details and after about 30 minutes wait, came back with my application saying, your application is now closed because police has given a negative report for 2 consecutive times. I asked the details what was negative, to this he replied, your citizenship could not be established. I was in two minds, to laugh or be angry . I did not argue with him any longer, and asked when can I reapply, he said after 7 days, I walked back disgusted. After having a valid passport for 10 years+ and several overseas trips and few short stays even, now the local police says my citizenship is not established. Super hilarious I must say.
I am getting ready to re-apply next week, and again face the same police officer, this time with a lot of zeal to know how could he not establish my citizenship. Will keep fellow BHP-ians updated here.

[condor]

Has anyone recently got a passport renewal (Expired within 3 years) done recently ?

I have my appointment on Monday, and just want to confirm the documents to be carried - apart from:

Old passports + copies of first 2/ last 2 pages
Aadhar card

(note - my Voter ID is at a different address)

My DL has expired, so my DL card is not with me.

TIA !

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by condor

Has anyone recently got a passport renewal (Expired within 3 years) done recently ?

I have my appointment on Monday, and just want to confirm the documents to be carried - apart from:

Old passports + copies of first 2/ last 2 pages
Aadhar card

(note - my Voter ID is at a different address)

My DL has expired, so my DL card is not with me.

TIA !

According to the document advisor on the passport website, I think you will also need supporting docs for getting the Non-ECR category endorsement done.

Just to be on the safe side, I would say take originals and copies of your electricity bills - latest and March/ April 2020 - to prove that you are staying at that address for the past one year. When we re-issued my daughter's passport in Jan, we had to show these, even though there was no address change.

[condor]

Originally Posted by comfortablynumb

Just to be on the safe side, I would say take originals and copies of your electricity bills - latest and March/ April 2020 - to prove that you are staying at that address for the past one year. .

Thanks, However these are not in my name. Property is in late dad & brother's names.

[MissionManali]

Originally Posted by condor

Has anyone recently got a passport renewal (Expired within 3 years) done recently ?

I have my appointment on Monday, and just want to confirm the documents to be carried - apart from:

Old passports + copies of first 2/ last 2 pages
Aadhar card

(note - my Voter ID is at a different address)

My DL has expired, so my DL card is not with me.

TIA !

if applied through Tatkal Need to have minimum 3 photo IDs of applicant. we showed old passport+bank photo passbook+PAN. We had Aadhar of different address.
for normal application, only two ids are required

[arindambasu13]

Could anyone confirm whether passport renewal appointments are being given at this time during the lockdown in Bangalore? Is passport renewals being undertaken at this time?

[shrjun]

Guys,I'm in a bit of a conundrum . I'm currently a Singapore PR and have been in Singapore since 2011.My Indian passport is expiring in about a month.I currently do NOT have a valid Indian address as the old house has been sold and the old address can't be used in the passport as the online application form now reflects the splitting of Andhra Pradesh into 2 states!
The front office guy at the Indian High Commission in Singapore straight away told me that it's not possible to renew a passport without an Indian address.
However I find this a little ridiculous and have now asked for a meeting with an official higher up in the food chain.I can think of many situations where someone might not have a residential address in India esp when they have stayed overseas for a long time.

I also found this bit of news online https://www.deccanherald.com/nationa...rt-908249.html

Does anyone have any good ideas.TIA

[KA18]

Originally Posted by shrjun

Guys,I'm in a bit of a conundrum . I'm currently a Singapore PR and have been in Singapore since 2011.My Indian passport is expiring in about a month.I currently do NOT have a valid Indian address as the old house has been sold and the old address can't be used in the passport as the online application form now reflects the splitting of Andhra Pradesh into 2 states!
The front office guy at the Indian High Commission in Singapore straight away told me that it's not possible to renew a passport without an Indian address.
However I find this a little ridiculous and have now asked for a meeting with an official higher up in the food chain.I can think of many situations where someone might not have a residential address in India esp when they have stayed overseas for a long time.

I also found this bit of news online https://www.deccanherald.com/nationa...rt-908249.html

Does anyone have any good ideas.TIA

What he has said is indeed ridiculous.

The passport will be reissued without any changes in particulars and without any other documents.

Any changes would require verification, sometimes by authorities like police, which can be possible only when you are physically present in India.

He's trying to take you for a ride, you did right by asking for his superior.

[carthick1000]

Originally Posted by shrjun

Does anyone have any good ideas.TIA

I think you should use this link for filling up the application and just fill in the permanent/present address as your SGP address with documents attached as proof. Here in the Netherlands, I got my address proof from the local municipality. I think the front office staff should know most of the normal procedures, but may be your case of not having an Indian address is new to them and they have never encountered before. Checking with higher ranking official is the right way.

This is typical poor behaviour of ignorant front office workers to just answer without checking. May be if you receive an email or reply from the higher ups, it is indeed good practice to let the officer know that their front desk employee is not up-to-date.

[shrjun]

@KA18 and @carthick1000 - Thanks guys for chipping in.I have yet to meet someone who can help me at the High Commission.
My understanding is that I can get my Singapore address printed in the passport and have a meeting set up in 2 days to clarify this.
The passport application in that link is what I used to fill up my SG address.but there is no way to attach any documents , which have to be submitted the old fashioned way.Unfortunately , passport matters are managed in SG by an outsourced third party ( who man the enquiry office in the High Commission ) .

But there is also this pop up on the bls ( 3rd party site ) https://www.blsindia.sg
which makes me nervous about the situation

[carthick1000]

Originally Posted by shrjun

My understanding is that I can get my Singapore address printed in the passport and have a meeting set up in 2 days to clarify this.

I think this is the best way forward and never mind the police verification, as I presume you are a law abiding citizen and there should not be an issue. However, the problem is you don't have any address for yourself in India and I am not sure which state police they are going to send your verification to. Usually, there will be an email / social media handle of these Indian missions abroad which you can contact. If not, only a physical appointment is the best bet.

Regarding application, here in NL too, the front end tasks are outsourced to VFS by the Indian mission. And of course, partial filling of application is online and all the documents presented has to be in person at VFS. When I encounter anything with Indian missions here, it feels like I am back to the 90s in terms of how they are still clinging to physical appointments and paper trails.

[mazda4life]

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

Could anyone confirm whether passport renewal appointments are being given at this time during the lockdown in Bangalore? Is passport renewals being undertaken at this time?

I just took an appointment for my wife and it is scheduled for 7th June at Lalbagh PSK

[shrjun]

Originally Posted by KA18

What he has said is indeed ridiculous.

The passport will be reissued without any changes in particulars and without any other documents.

Any changes would require verification, sometimes by authorities like police, which can be possible only when you are physically present in India.

He's trying to take you for a ride, you did right by asking for his superior.

Anyway , I've now been told by a high commission official that I can't have a Sg address in my passport and I definitely need to have an Indian ID like aadhar\voter..etc which all doesn't make sense as the address itself doesn't exist since the address in the current passport has been sold.He says that he can't help me and that as a citizen of India , I need address proof.