Passport renewal process in India: Fees, required documents and more

A passport is an official certification of its holder’s identity and nationality. It is a gateway to travel beyond one’s country for - leisure, business, education, etc. Therefore, maintaining its validity becomes paramount to ensure seamless and hassle-free travel.

To assist you in maintaining the validity of your Indian passport, we navigate the intricacies of the online passport renewal process through the Passport Seva portal in this post.

When to renew a passport?

An Indian passport remains valid for ten years from the date of issue, after which it must be renewed. You can apply for renewal of your passport up to three years after it expires or up to one year before it expires. It is ideal to apply for passport renewal at least nine months before the expiry date to experience a hassle-free passport renewal process. While renewing within six months of expiry may be okay, it’s a gamble. Delays can occur, potentially jeopardising travel plans.

Minors' passport validity is restricted to 5 years or until they reach 18, whichever is earlier. After that, they can apply for online passport renewal. Minors aged 15 to 18 can also apply for a full-validity passport of 10 years.

How to apply for the renewal of passport?

You can follow the given steps to start the online passport renewal process.

• Visit the Passport Seva website.
• Register using the ‘New User Registration’ tab if you are a new user. If you are an existing user, log in with the ‘Existing User Login’ option.
  
  

• Click the ‘Apply for Fresh Passport/Re-issue of Passport’ link.
  
  
  
  
  
• Select the ‘Click here to fill application form’ option.
  
  
  
  
• Select the state and district.
  
  
  
  
• Choose the ‘re-issue of passport’ option and the reason for re-issue accordingly. Also, choose the application type (normal/tatkaal) and booklet type (36 pages/60 pages).
  
  
  
  
• Fill in the required applicant details in the form.
  
  
  
  
• Fill in family details.
  
  
  
  
• Fill in the address details.
  
  
  
  
• Enter the emergency contact details.
  
  
  
  
• Enter the details of your previous passport.
  
  
  
  
• Fill in the other details, as shown in the image below.
  
  
  
  
• Agree to the self-declaration and submit the form.
  
  
  
  

After the form has been filled out and submitted, the next step involves paying passport renewal fees and scheduling an appointment.

Also Read: Which countries have the priciest passports?

How to book an appointment?

To schedule an appointment, follow these steps:

• Log in to the Passport Seva website if you are logged out.
• Choose ‘View Saved and Submitted Application’ and then the ‘Pay and Schedule Appointment’ option from the ‘Payment and Appointment’ tab.
  
  
  
  
• Choose a payment method.
• Select the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) of your choice on the ‘Pay and Schedule Appointment’ page.
• Confirm your PSK by entering the CAPTCHA code.
• Choose a convenient slot from the available dates mentioned.
• Next, select ‘Pay and Book the Appointment’ to pay.

After this, you will be directed to the payment portal.

What are passport renewal fees?

Online payment can be made through SBI Bank Challan, Credit or Debit Card (Only Visa and MasterCard are acceptable), or Internet Banking (SBI and other associate banks). The passport renewal fees will differ based on the applicant’s age, the number of passport booklet pages, and the scheme denoting normal or tatkal.

Services	Application Fees
Fresh Passport/Re-issue of Passport with additional booklet due to visa pages exhaustion (36 pages) of ten years validity	Rs.1,500/-
Fresh Passport/Re-issue of Passport with additional booklet due to visa page exhaustion (60 pages) of ten years validity	Rs.2,000/-
Fresh Passport/Re-issue of Passport for Minors (below 18 years of age), valid for five years or until the minor is 18, whichever is earlier (36 pages)	Rs.1,000/-

Regarding online passport renewal under the tatkaal scheme, a tatkaal fee of Rs.2000 is paid in addition to the application fee.

Documents required for passport renewal

After completing the above steps, you can upload the required documents on the portal by selecting the ‘Upload Supporting Documents’ option under the ‘Application’ tab in the ‘View/Saved application’ section.

The Passport Seva Kendra website has a ‘Document Advisor’ for online passport renewal. The documentation differs depending on the kind of passport being renewed (regular/tatkaal), applicant category (child/adult), and employment type. These are the documents required for passport renewal.

1. Original passport.
2. A printout of the application receipt.
3. Self-attested copies of the first and last two pages of the passport.
4. A self-attested copy of the Emigration Check Required (ECR)/ Non-ECR page.
5. A self-attested copy of the observation page, if any, was made by the Passport Issuing Authority.
6. A self-attested copy of the validity extension page, if any, regarding the Short Validity Passport (SVP).
7. Proof of address in case of address change. Check out the list of acceptable documents as address proof here.
8. Document proof for the relevant non-ECR category, if applicable. Check out the documents required for non-ECR here.
9. A declaration affirming the particulars provided in the application about the minor.
10. The original and self-attested copies of parents’ passports in case of minors.
11. A recent passport-size photograph (4.5 X 3.5 cm) with a white background in case of minors below four years of age.
12. No Objection Certificate (NOC) or Prior Intimation Letter (PI) if government/PSU/statutory body.
13. Pension Payment Order if retired government official.

The final step in the online passport renewal process is visiting the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) on the appointment date, along with the original documents to renew your passport.

How do you track your passport renewal status?

The time taken for online passport renewal depends on your chosen scheme. The normal scheme’s wait time is between 30 and 60 days. The tatkaal scheme facilitates quicker passport renewal in 3-7 days. If you wish to track your passport renewal status, you can follow these steps:

• Login to the Passport Seva portal.
  
• Choose the ‘Track application status’ option.
• Enter the details like your application type, file number, and date of birth.
• Click on the ‘Track Status’ button.
• You will get to know the status of your passport.

FAQs

How long is a passport valid?

A passport is valid for adults ten years from the issuance date. For minors, it is valid for five years from the date of issue or until they turn 18, whichever comes first.

How long after expiry can a passport be renewed?

A passport can be renewed up to three years after its expiration date. After this time, you’ll need to apply for a new passport, not a renewal. It will involve the entire application process, including fees, documents, and police verification, similar to obtaining a passport for the first time.

Is police verification required for passport renewal?

If the passport renewal application is submitted before the passport expires or within three years of the expiration date, police verification is not needed.

How long does it take to get a renewed passport?

Once you have submitted all the relevant documents and been to the PSK for your appointment, you can receive your renewed passport within 10 to 30 business days, depending on your chosen scheme.