Passport renewal task is very common among the people traveling to other countries. Passport is mandatory for this purpose. Either it’s a solo trip or a family vacation; a business trip or a visit for medical purposes, a valid passport is a required document that must be held by the particular individual. A passport does not essentially guarantee entry into any foreign country. But it is a prerequisite for traveling outside your native country. Passport is also a proof of identity, age, or address, and not just for travel purposes. 

Passports and Their Validity in India

An Indian passport is valid for 10 years from its date of issue. Both the date of issue and date of expiry is specified in the passport. An Indian passport might consist of 36 or 60 pages according to the desire of the passport holder. Either of the passports can be applied by an individual. There are three kinds of passports in India that an individual can apply for:

  • Regular Passport
  • Diplomatic Passport
  • Official Passport

The validity of the passport must be ensured by a passport holder. He has to check its expiry if you wanted to continue to avail of its benefits. On the expiry of the passport, the holder can renew the same on the Passport Seva Portal. This portal enables the citizens of India to perform any task related to their passport application online with ease.

Documents Required for Passport Renewal

Some documents need to be submitted to the Passport Seva with an application form. The important document that one must be needing for passport renewal will be cited in the Document Advisor on the Passport Seva Portal. The applicant would have to select from the given options the option of renewal to view the documents needed. You will be needing the following documents for passport renewal:

  • Your original old passport
  • Self-attested copies of the first two and last pages of your passport
  • Self-attested copy of the observation page, if any, made by the Passport Issuing Authority.
  • Self-attested copy of the ECR/Non-ECR page.
  • Proof of documents that will eliminate the cause, if any, of issuance of Short Validity Passport (SVP).
  • Self-attested copy of the validity extension page, in case any, of the Short Validity Passport (SVP).

Renewal Procedure

Renewing an expired passport is necessary. Passport Seva provides the public opportunity to apply both online and offline. The application procedure of passports has become relatively convenient with the rapid innovation in technology and total connectivity.

Online Procedure

An individual would have to first register themselves on the Passport Seva portal, for applying for a passport. Once the applicant has come across this step, then he/she will be able to complete a variety of tasks regarding passports effectively. 

Passport Login Registration

Step 1: Visit the official website called Passport Seva.

Step 2: Choose the tab “New User? Register Now”.

Step 3: Next, select a passport office that is nearby your location.

Step 4: Fill up your details.

Step 5: Go through the terms and conditions of the portal and create your Login ID and Password accordingly.

Step 6: Choose the Hint Question and Answer as you wish. This will help you when your login details are lost. 

Step 7: Click on the Register tab.

Step 8: After completing all these steps you would receive an activation link on your registered email. Visit the link to activate your Passport Seva account. 

Step 9: Your account is activated now. Now you can proceed with your application regarding your passport. 

Application For Passport Renewal

The following are steps that you need to follow to submit your application regarding your passport renewal on the Passport Seva portal. 

Step 1: Visit the official website of Passport Seva

Step 2: Click on the “Existing User? Login” icon.

Step 3: Next, select the “Apply for fresher passport/Reissue of passport” tab.

Step 4: Next, complete the form available on the portal.

NOTE: You would have to provide details such as the current address, of their spouse, amongst other required details. You would also need to provide the details of two local references who could be contacted for police verification. You should click on the Validate option and save the form once you are done entering the city or village. The saved file is then uploaded to the same page from where it was previously downloaded. By doing this, the details would automatically be entered in the application form. In the end, you are required to verify all the information to make sure that there are no mistakes in the application form.

Step 5: Go through all your filled information once again before submitting the form. These details cannot be altered once you submit the form, and you may need to start again in case there are any errors.

Step 6: Choose the option “View Saved/ Submitted Application” to schedule an appointment.

Step 7: Online payment is compulsory for booking appointments at the Passport Seva Kendra.

Step 8: Conclude the payment process through any of the accepted modes of payment.

Step 9: In case you are inaccessible to internet banking (including debit or credit card), then you may print an offline challan and complete your payment at any SBI Branch. It may take 2 days for the bank to verify the payment.

Step 10: After completing the application process, select the “Print Application Receipt” tab. This receipt would have all the essential details along with the Application Reference Number. 

The individual must go to the passport office on the scheduled appointment. The individual can even show the SMS that they must have received as proof of their appointment when visiting the Passport Seva Kendra or the passport office. Make sure you don’t miss the appointment and if you do then you have to re-apply for an appointment all over again. 

Once you reach the Kendra, you will be allotted a particular group number. The number will be mentioned on the application form. On calling your number, you have to go with the group and begin the application process. After your application for passport renewal is accepted, you will receive the passport at your registered address within a few working days. You now can use your Passport Login credentials and track the status of your passport renewal application online. 

Reissue vs Renewal

The renewal of a passport is done when the validity of the current passport has expired. Whereas a passport is reissued when either of the following situations occurs: 

  • Lost passport
  • Expired or about to expire passport
  • Stolen passport
  • Damaged or soiled passports 
  • Exhaustion of pages
  • Change in personal details

In case of renewing a passport, the current passport is provided to you as the renewed passport with a changed Expiry Date. And a new passport will be provided to you in case you are applying for the reissue of your passport.  

We provide all kinds of legal services like Trademark Registration, Company Registration, FSSAI License, and many more. So, contact the expert team of “LegalRaasta”, for a completely smooth and hassle-free process.