Passport Reissue for Dummies - Part 1
Now this one post has nothing to do with Biking. I am writing this one to share with you some pearls of practical wisdom I collected last week when I went through the process of passport re-issue. Now why this is called re-issue and not renewal etc. are topics that will be covered subsequently. I hope this note is useful to those who will need to brave this new and inhospitable terrain invariably.
All the discussion below is for Mumbai Regional Passport Office. I am not sure if the process is exactly the same for other offices, or if there is any process at all.
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- A passport normally gets issued for 10 years, which means that at the end of the 10th year, you will need to get it 're-issued'. There is no running away from this. It is like Death and taxes, only gruesome.
- If your passport is valid for less than 6 months at the time of applying for a visa, there is every possibility that you will not get your visa. So it is essential to go get the passport re-issued SIX months before the actual date of expiry.
- Other than the visa, there is no problem (which is like saying 'the flashlight's switch functions properly, only thing is that there are no battery cells, so you won't get any light' ... what is the use of a passport if you cannot travel?).
The point is, even if your passport expires today and you have not got it re-issued, you have 2 years to get it re-issued without police verification. Any further delay and you will need to go through the police verification process, which is (a) more time-consuming, (b) I think is more expensive, and (c) gives me the creeps.
- You need to personally go there and get it done. Going through agent is more expensive, unreliable, time-consuming and also sometimes not in your favor. I saw one lady who was given all the wrong advise by some agent and the little lady at the counter was not happy about the whole agent involvement.
If you go personally and if your documents are in order, your application process will be completed in one day flat. One really really reeeeally long day -- but only one day nevertheless.
PART I:
Step 1: Online Application
-------------------------------------------
1. Go to https://passport.gov.in/pms/Information.jsp. First page gives general information. Read it.
2. Second page is the Online Application Form. It will give you text boxes to fill your data, and drop boxes to choose from. Fill it. It will ask you personal details, address, old passport details etc., so keep all of that ready.
3. For the fee, say '1000' and 'Cash'. This is the best form of payment, rather than a DD or so.
4. Once you say 'Save', it will give you a 6-page PDF file with all your data filled in it. It will also have a number like BOMI19481707 and a Bar code on its pages.The first 4 pages is the form. The next 2 pages are two copies of one same form (which is called Personal Particulars form - PP form).Parts of these 6 pages will be filled with the data that you have keyed in. The rest you have to write with a pen on the printed document. Do this before you reach the counter, or the gnome on the other side will get very upset.
Step 2 : Preparing for the Application
------------------------------------------------------------
- You need the following things for the Re-issue Application:
1. A Scanning Form
Available on the website at http://passport.bom.nic.in/reissue.htm
Also available at the hall in case you don't carry it with you. You will find it lying in a heap in some corner of the hall.
2. The Application Form -- The one that you have got filled from the Online site. Get the 6-page PDF printed as is. First 4 pages are the App form, then there is a 'Personal Particulars Form' - 1 page - in duplicate (2 copies). No need to take photo copies of these. Only one printout is okay.
You need to sign on the different pages, and say No - No - No to questions like 'whether you were ever convicted of crime', 'are any cases pending', 'have you ever granted political asylum', 'is your neighbor a hot dumb blonde?' etc. It is quite amusing. You must write No, no matter what. Remember that.
3. Four copies of photographs One on the scanning form, one for the re-issue application form (face page). The remaining two are for the 'Personal Particulars Form'.
4. Ration card + two photo copies: This is a must for address proof. If you don't have this, you are going to go through a lot of question-and-answer and maybe have more supporting documents like driving license, bank statements ready.
5. One bill (MTNL or Electricity) + two photo copies: This needs to be current or a couple of months old max. This is needed along with the Ration Card to prove that you are still living in Mumbai. Instead of this, a bank statement will also do. If none of these are available, then go for a certificate from your office, but at your own risk.
6. An education certificate + two photo copies:- Any one of the Post-Grad Degree, Grad Degree, 12th or 10th Certificate will do.Don't give all. It will only confuse the guy at the counter. No need of any marksheets, special certificates. You need one cert and 2 photo copies. That's all. Note that you need this if you want your passport status to change from ECR to ECNR.
Dummy's Notes:
- ECNR: This is one big decision point in the application process.
If you show that you are educated by having some degree / certificate, then they have the following thought process -->
This bloke has wasted a lot of time in books.
Obviously he would not have spent time in taking care of himself.
Ergo, he cannot yield weapons or do kung-fu or plan exotic millitant operations.
Net net, the dude is a complete bore.
Ergo, no point in wasting time in meeting him.
So EC NOT Required.
What it does for you is save money and time in the visa process, when you are planning to travel to countries like Bangladesh, Malaysia, UAE etc. (when you are indeed traveling to such places, might as well waste 2-3 days and some money more eh?)
- The PP form needs two references. Two respectable neighbors. Now that may be a little bit of challange - not the two part, but the respectable part. So you may want to check with your folks and get names, addresses and telephone numbers. No-one will use them, since your police verification is not going to happen, but it is better to give real names and real numbers than fabricating some who would look too real to be true.
So now you are all set and ready for your ride ... Watch out for the actual process in the next post!
Cheers -
Shreekant
All the discussion below is for Mumbai Regional Passport Office. I am not sure if the process is exactly the same for other offices, or if there is any process at all.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- A passport normally gets issued for 10 years, which means that at the end of the 10th year, you will need to get it 're-issued'. There is no running away from this. It is like Death and taxes, only gruesome.
- If your passport is valid for less than 6 months at the time of applying for a visa, there is every possibility that you will not get your visa. So it is essential to go get the passport re-issued SIX months before the actual date of expiry.
- Other than the visa, there is no problem (which is like saying 'the flashlight's switch functions properly, only thing is that there are no battery cells, so you won't get any light' ... what is the use of a passport if you cannot travel?).
The point is, even if your passport expires today and you have not got it re-issued, you have 2 years to get it re-issued without police verification. Any further delay and you will need to go through the police verification process, which is (a) more time-consuming, (b) I think is more expensive, and (c) gives me the creeps.
- You need to personally go there and get it done. Going through agent is more expensive, unreliable, time-consuming and also sometimes not in your favor. I saw one lady who was given all the wrong advise by some agent and the little lady at the counter was not happy about the whole agent involvement.
If you go personally and if your documents are in order, your application process will be completed in one day flat. One really really reeeeally long day -- but only one day nevertheless.
PART I:
Step 1: Online Application
-------------------------------------------
1. Go to https://passport.gov.in/pms/Information.jsp. First page gives general information. Read it.
2. Second page is the Online Application Form. It will give you text boxes to fill your data, and drop boxes to choose from. Fill it. It will ask you personal details, address, old passport details etc., so keep all of that ready.
3. For the fee, say '1000' and 'Cash'. This is the best form of payment, rather than a DD or so.
4. Once you say 'Save', it will give you a 6-page PDF file with all your data filled in it. It will also have a number like BOMI19481707 and a Bar code on its pages.The first 4 pages is the form. The next 2 pages are two copies of one same form (which is called Personal Particulars form - PP form).Parts of these 6 pages will be filled with the data that you have keyed in. The rest you have to write with a pen on the printed document. Do this before you reach the counter, or the gnome on the other side will get very upset.
Step 2 : Preparing for the Application
------------------------------------------------------------
- You need the following things for the Re-issue Application:
1. A Scanning Form
Available on the website at http://passport.bom.nic.in/reissue.htm
Also available at the hall in case you don't carry it with you. You will find it lying in a heap in some corner of the hall.
2. The Application Form -- The one that you have got filled from the Online site. Get the 6-page PDF printed as is. First 4 pages are the App form, then there is a 'Personal Particulars Form' - 1 page - in duplicate (2 copies). No need to take photo copies of these. Only one printout is okay.
You need to sign on the different pages, and say No - No - No to questions like 'whether you were ever convicted of crime', 'are any cases pending', 'have you ever granted political asylum', 'is your neighbor a hot dumb blonde?' etc. It is quite amusing. You must write No, no matter what. Remember that.
3. Four copies of photographs One on the scanning form, one for the re-issue application form (face page). The remaining two are for the 'Personal Particulars Form'.
4. Ration card + two photo copies: This is a must for address proof. If you don't have this, you are going to go through a lot of question-and-answer and maybe have more supporting documents like driving license, bank statements ready.
5. One bill (MTNL or Electricity) + two photo copies: This needs to be current or a couple of months old max. This is needed along with the Ration Card to prove that you are still living in Mumbai. Instead of this, a bank statement will also do. If none of these are available, then go for a certificate from your office, but at your own risk.
6. An education certificate + two photo copies:- Any one of the Post-Grad Degree, Grad Degree, 12th or 10th Certificate will do.Don't give all. It will only confuse the guy at the counter. No need of any marksheets, special certificates. You need one cert and 2 photo copies. That's all. Note that you need this if you want your passport status to change from ECR to ECNR.
Dummy's Notes:
- ECNR: This is one big decision point in the application process.
If you show that you are educated by having some degree / certificate, then they have the following thought process -->
This bloke has wasted a lot of time in books.
Obviously he would not have spent time in taking care of himself.
Ergo, he cannot yield weapons or do kung-fu or plan exotic millitant operations.
Net net, the dude is a complete bore.
Ergo, no point in wasting time in meeting him.
So EC NOT Required.
What it does for you is save money and time in the visa process, when you are planning to travel to countries like Bangladesh, Malaysia, UAE etc. (when you are indeed traveling to such places, might as well waste 2-3 days and some money more eh?)
- The PP form needs two references. Two respectable neighbors. Now that may be a little bit of challange - not the two part, but the respectable part. So you may want to check with your folks and get names, addresses and telephone numbers. No-one will use them, since your police verification is not going to happen, but it is better to give real names and real numbers than fabricating some who would look too real to be true.
So now you are all set and ready for your ride ... Watch out for the actual process in the next post!
Cheers -
Shreekant
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