Guidlines for online registration for passport.

1. Eligible Applicants can do online registration for applying for Passport.
2. Use Crome Browser for doing Online Registration as it is the fastest.
3. Don’t use Special characters while entering details in the Online Registration form.
4. The Dates can be entered as per the format given in the website (DD/MM/YYYY).
5. As all the details are filled in press “SAVE” to get the ARN number, Date and time of Appointment and also the provision to take the print outs of the Application Form.
6. Note: Pl note that the data once registered cannot be modified, so ensure that you are entering the correct data while doing Online Registration.
7. In case if you have registered wrong data, you have to register again with the correct details and get the print outs with fresh ARN numbers.
8. There are still some columns in the application form which you will have to fill by hand. You will have to visit the concerned mission to submit the completed application form along with fee, supporting documents such as date of birth certificate etc. on the appointed day and time. The date and time of passport appointment at the Mission will be informed by the on-line system and will also be printed on the application form.

How to Book Appointment to apply a Passport in India after successful application

Now It is very easy to apply for a fresh passport or reissue in India. Now one can fill Online application for fresh or reissue passport. There are several PSK opened by Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.

A step by step procedure is given below for applying online passport and manage appointment:

Step 1: Logon to the passport seva website : http://www.passportindia.gov.in

Step 2: Create your account by registering yourself if you are a new user: Register Here for Passport Apply

or Login to the website with you user ID and Password.: Login Here for Passport Apply

Step 3: Fill the Application Form. You can fill the application in two modes offline and online

Fill Application Offline

Download the e-form by clicking on Download e-form Link available on the left side of the home page

Save the copy of the e-form to your computer/laptop

Fill up the application e-form

After filling the e-form upload it on the link provided after login in your account.

Take a print out of the application reference number (ARN)

Fill Application Online

You can also fill the form online after login into your account at the provided link.

There are following sections there to be filled and saved step by step.

1. Passport Type

2. Applicant Details

3. Family Details

4. Present Address

5. Previous Address

6. Emergency Contact

7. References (Two References from your locality)

8. Previous Passport Details (In the case of reissue of passport)

9. Other Detials

10. Self Declaration

After filing all the details you have to save at each step and finally you can submit the application.After submiting the application take a print out of the Application Reference Number (ARN)

There is also an option to preview of application you are submitting. Read carefully before submitting it finally.

Step 4: Book an Appointment


After successful application of passport online, your next step will be manage an passport appointment 
to visit local PSK for further proceeding. But this is not as simple as it look like and how to get passport appointment is still a huge problem. Although this facility can be availed only via online, but the time for slot booking is very less and at the same time many people try to book slot, so it's not guaranteed that whether you can get an passport appointment in one attempt only. There are few passport appointment tips to manage an slot but those are also not 100% proof. Let's discuss about this and find out how to get passport appointment online.

First of all, visit passportindia website and login with your login id. Then from the first screen click on "View Saved/Submitted Applications".

Now in the next screen you can see your submitted forms details.

For security reason, I have scratched the personal details. Here you can see your application details. Next click on the "Manage Appointment" option.

Now from here click on "Create Appointment" button in the right side.

Now here you have to select the PSK location and then fill the captcha in the box. Then click on "Show Available Slots". Now from here the interesting facts starts.

For every PSK there will be some schedule at what time the database will be open for passport appointment booking. E.g. for Passport appointment Bangalore it is 6 PM every day. You cannot try before that. Otherwise you will get a message in the screen. Now if try from 6 PM time and able to view the next screen, then you can see the available slots. Simply you can click on a slot and further proceed for booking.

But the thing is not so easy. As many people try at the same time, so the database responds to them only who has a high speed or Broadband. For a general internet speed you might reach to that screen, but by the time you click and book a slot, some will finish the booking itself. So practically there is no such trick to get an passport appointment. But we have couple of choices or alternatives to get an passport appointment. Let's check them and try to find out whether they are useful or not.

• First thing you can do is to take high speed internet connection. If you don't have that or you cannot replace your existing one then find out among your friends. It will be a just 5 min task.
• Always keep trying to log in before 5 min of actual time. Keep trying, although you will get the massage. Because everyone will do the same.
• If you are able to manage a slot, then in the next screen you have to fill up the captcha or verification letters. Don't be in hurry, fill it up very carefully. Remember if you miss a single word, then you will not get a chance to come back again. You have to try next day.
•  This is the last option when you have failed after trying many times. Although this might be illegal, but it is one of the popular ways. Hire a broker. They will charge you Huge money say 800 Rs or 1000 Rs  and you have to provide your login details. They used to have a very high internet to run this business. And without any tension they will arrange an passport appointment for you. Its better rather than finding How to get passport appointment or Not able to get passport appointment.

So after implementation of technology and improving the services actually the new passport application procedure has its own drawback. And brokers are always there to take advantages of such options. Anyway you can share your experience here and let us know if there is any other better way to manage an passport appointment. Might be this is the case of every PSK locations, and I think people are facing issues. Kindly share your experiences which type of problem you are facing in your PSK.

After filling application or uploading it take a printout of ARN. Now you have to book/ schedule an appointment at PSK (Passport Sewa Kendra).

Click on Manage Appointment link to schedule an appointment by selecting date and time for visiting Passport Sewa Kendra (PSK) available for yor area.

If the time slot is available in PSK then it will display the time slot. Choose the time slot as per your convenience and finalize it and if all the time slots are full then you have to wait for the next availability. Check the message in RED and try again later.

Step 5: Print Online Appointment Receipt

After getting the appointment scheduled take a print out of Appointment Slip and visit the PSK.

Step 6: Visiting Passport Sewa Kendra (PSK)

Arrive at PSK (Passport Sewa Kendra) 15 minutes prior to the schedule an appointment time with the following documents. List of the documents to be required at PSK.

1. Application Reference Number (ARN)

2. Appointment Slip

3. Self Attested Copy of ID Proof

It can be any of following

Voter Card, Ration Card

4. Self Attested Copy of Residence Proof

5. Self Attested Copy of Date of Birth Proof (Matric Certificate, DOB Certificate)

6. Self Attested Copy of Marriage Certificate (If you are going to register your spouse name first time)

7. Old Passport

(IMP: Please take all the documents with you in original at the time of Appointment)

Whats new in passport appointment online process

Want to leave for a vacation at the soonest possible time? You can do it through online passport application. One may think that it cannot be possible but it is possible now a days. This is because online passport application and online appointment for passport are now offered through the use of internet. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has also taken the advantage of online passport application and other online transactions like appointment online concerning the agency. With that effort, the agency has launched the website Passport Seva where everybody can avail the services of the agency at the most convenient way possible.

You may think that availing your passport and appointment online is not good as it is not part of the norms that people are used to. But looking into it critically, you may know its different advantages as compared to other modes of application. One is convenience. This is because an applicant no longer need to stand in long queue, now just fill up online form, get passport appointment online and visit your preferred PSK. What is more important is all these (get passport appointment online) can be done at the comfort of one’s home. Another thing convenient in online passport application through appointment online portal is that you do not have to spend much which can be true especially if you come from a far place. The more exciting part that you would appreciate in having your online passport application form from www.passportindia.gov.in is the easiness in navigating the website. This is true as the website is designed to be used by all kinds of clients even those who are not that knowledgeable in using computers and the internet.

However, there are also things that you should remember in having pass port from this website. One of them is that passport servicing has its limited passport appointment online slots everyday but slots are available on a daily basis. Also, if applicants failed to secure appointment online , they can always visit their concerned RPO. However, such applicants should fill the applications that are available online to easily facilitate their requests. In addition, applicants should be sure enough of the schedule that they must be in the RPO or otherwise if they miss their schedule, the office and the website have the right to delete their application and the information that they gave. Applicants should also be frugal enough to provide the necessary information needed to process their travel documents to avoid delays. Applicants should be worried about the information that they provide to us because they are in safe hands.

Online application such as the one offered by www.passportindia.gov.in is a thing that is mostly patronized now a days. This is because of the convenience that such service provides to its clients. For this and in the case of this website, clients will surely appreciate transacting with this website as it can be done with much comfort and easiness.

Experience of Gurgaon Passport office

This post was sent to me by one of my blog reader from Gurgaon, who is sharing his experience of Gurgaon passport office and help the reader who are not able to get passport appointment for gurgaon

Gurgaon Passport Seva Kendra

I am not very fond of going to a govt. offices and I think not many of us would be. There is always an exception but in general the ignorant, indifferent and inhuman attitude of the staff towards people and the work disgusts me.

My three and half year old son did not have a passport so I thought to apply for a minor tatkaal passport. As usual I did the due diligence by going through the internet forums/websites. There was a lot of information as well as confusion. It seems every RPO in this country has its own rule, so what might apply to Bangalore passport office might not hold true for online passport application Gurgaon office.

The system has also changed to online passport application since the last time I renewed in 2010. In February 2012 PSK project was launched, which is a partnership between TCS and the Government of India.

Right now there are two government websites serving different information regarding passport application. The old and defunct website http://passport.gov.in/ and the new website http://passportindia.gov.in. When you use google to search, the results are returned from both websites. This is some what confusing as many things  advocated on old website are no more applicable.

I live in Gurgaon so it was logical for me to go to Gurgaon PSK. The steps to online passport application Gurgaon are simple:

1. Visit http://www.passportindia.gov.in
2. Register yourself.
3. Login to the website.
4. Fill the online application form.
5. Take an online appointment for passport.
6. Get the printout of the appointment for passport in a sheet.
7. Take the documents required for application of passport (original and photocopy) with the passport appointment sheet.

For more help on Application process follow the link Application of passport.

Although these steps seem to be easy, the last step (#7) is where the complication occurs. On the official website there is a Document Advisory where you can enter the information about which kind of passport you want to apply for and it will show you the documents required. Everything works great except whatever it says is rubbish. In my case it said that I did not need Annexure F for minor tatkal which was not true. To be on the safer side I decided to go to the PSK and ask for the required documents.

MM Tower, Udyog Vihar, Gurgaon

Gurgaon PSK is located at MM Towers, Plot No. 8 & 9, Phase IV, Udyog Vihar, Gurgaon – 122002. If you are going from IFFCO Chowk then drive in the side lane instead of NH-8, else you will have to take a long detour. There is a sign board Atlas Chowk, from there turn left and go straight. Around 1 km you will see the MM tower on your left hand side. The location is easily accessible but the there is no parking (just 4-5 slots in front of the building), so you have to park on the road side. During my 4 visits I either went early or went with the driver to avoid any inconvenience.

There are few notary services located nearby so if you have to get any affidavit it can be easily done.

At the entrance the guard checks your online passport application for gurgaon sheet. I told him that I have come to ask few questions and he let me in. There is a token/information counter where I asked the staff about the documents required for minor tatkal application. He said:

1. Parent’s passport.
2. Marriage certificate or name endorsed of spouse in the passport.
3. Annexure H
4. Annexure I
5. Annexure F
6. Birth certificate.
7. Residence proof.

For full list of Documents visit Required documents for application of passport.

He also told that the child needs to be present.

1. Parent’s passport: We both have passport so no issue here. There is no need to get the photocopy attested by gazetted officer.
2. Marriage certificate or name endorsed of spouse in the passport: I have the name of my wife endorsed on my passport and we also have marriage certificate.
3. Annexure H: This is a declaration by both parents with signature. Just to be printed on plain paper. No need to be notarized.
4. Annexure I: This is an affidavit by the applicant but in case of minor it has to be written by parent. This needs to be printed on a low denomination stamp paper. If you go to the notary service they know what to write in there. The guy at the notary service charged me Rs 200 for printing it on Rs 10 stamp paper and notarizing it.
5. Annexure F: This is also known as VC (verification certificate). There are limited number of Govt. officials who can issue this certificate. The list is mentioned in the Annexure F form. There is a friend of my father at rail bhawan from whom I got this issued.
6. Birth Certificate: We have the birth certificate issued by NDMC.
7. Residence proof: If you have not lived at the same residence for last one year then you need to show the address proof of all previous residences. For Gurgaon residence I had only Bank account statement of a private sector bank. I went to the bank and got the printout of monthly bank statements (the one you get in the mail) signed by the staff. For previous residence I had Voter ID card.

I made 2 photocopies of all the documents and my wife and I self attested it. I printed out the passport application form and pasted a photo of my son and put a left hand thumb impression on it. Now next is to taking appointment online. I tried several times but unable to took the appointment online. At last I go through agent and he provided me the online appointment for passport @ 1500. I got an appointment for passport on Thursday, 4th October at 2:30pm. For tatkaal I got an appointment for passport Gurgaon on the next day but I have heard that for normal it take weeks.

Visit 1

We reached the PSK, Gurgaon at 2:15pm. I had the driver with me so parking was not an issue but things look chaotic on the road. There is Maruti Suzuki and other factories nearby so you see constant flow of trucks and trailers.

First you need to take the token at the reception. To get the token you have to stand in the queue. They have batch numbers which is a number allotted to a group of people according to online appointment time. Only people from the current batch (having same appointment group) need to stand in the queue. Things were little chaotic here but nothing compared to my earlier experience at Bhikaji Cama Place RPO. The whole setup is fully air conditioned with proper sitting arrangements. Also there is refreshment counter in case you get hungry or thirsty. There was also a photocopier installed.

At the token counter TCS staff does a preliminary scrutiny. If they approve it then all the photocopies are put in a file with a printed token sheet stapled at the top.

With this token you can enter inside the designated area. There are many electronic information boards where token numbers keep flashing with a counter number against it. When your token number flashes you have visit the respective counter. The whole process involve 4 steps  A Counter > B counter > C counter > Exit counter.

A counters at Gurgaon PSK

A Counter: There are approximately 15-20 A (A1, A2, A3 etc.) counters. Here the TCS staff takes your original document to scan and upload it. You can also upload the documents through the website, which I did, but the lady at the counter did it a fresh.Do not staple any document as the paper gets stuck in the document feeder of scanner. She printed the passport form again, so the one I brought with photo and thumb impressions was not used.

For 4 years and above they take a photo there only but my son was below that age so she took the photo I brought with me. Here is a funny moment, she asked about my three and half year old kid, “Can he sign?” I almost replied, “Yes, but he might not able to restrict his creative urge inside that small signature box”.

B counters at Gurgaon PSK

B Counter: Once you are through with A counter you have to go to B counter. There is nothing you have to do other than wait; your token will flash again with B counter information. There are three B counters (B1, B2 and B3) this is where the real deal starts. These are the passport officers which check your document. Unfortunately I had few shortcomings with Annexure F:

• Annexure F had to be on printed stationary (no computer printout) the one which comes out of printing press. They differentiate it by checking if emblem or logo is embossed or not.
• I had put the two addresses where I stayed for last one year under present address marked as i) and ii). The correct format is:
  Present address: Residing since [date] and then the address
  Previous address: Resided since [date] till [date]
• I did put NA in front of Permanent address. It has to be filled with present address in case you do not have a permanent address.

So for that day my journey ended there only. I asked the passport officer if I need to bring my son again, he said, that would not be required. This whole process took around two and half hours.
At the exit counter you have to deposit the file. On my file the staff wrote On hold and gave me an acknowledgement letter which mentioned that I can bring the required document from Mon to Fri, 9:00am till 10:30am

Visit 2

I went to the rail bhawan again on Friday, 5th October and got the new Annexure F with corrections. I took an online appointment for gurgaon passport office from that agent again paying the same charge for Monday, 8th October 9:00am. On that day I departed from home at 8:00am to beat the traffic. I reached at Gurgaon Passport office at around 8:30am. There were not many people around at that time and there was ample space for parking.

Road outside Gurgaon PSK

The PSK opened exactly at 9:00 am. I gave the new Annexure F at the token counter and he issued me a token number. I went to the counter A where the lady scanned the Annexure F and uploaded it. For some reason the work for the passport officers start at 10:00 am so despite being issued the first token, I had to wait.

This time I appeared in front of another passport officer. He checked the document and Okay it. Next was the C counter.

C Counter: This counter also has three desks C1, C2, C3. The passport officers here are senior to the one at B counters and their job is to scrutinize the documents again.  Here the officer rejected my Annexure F.

Annexure F has a fixed format (which can be downloaded from the website) in which there is a line which says “Applicant has been staying at his/her address continuously for the last one year”. This needs to be amended if the stay is less than a year. The officer who checked earlier should have pointed this out with other mistakes but then in govt. office the onus always lies with the applicant. I tried to argue this out since on the same form both the address have been mentioned with respective period of stay. I also went to APO (Assistant Passport Officer) but in vain. That lady did not look like decision making type. She even tried to convince me to covert that application to normal. I deposited my file again at the exit counter to be put on hold.

I visited the rail bhawan on the same day just after leaving the passport office and got that line changed to reflect the current tenure of residence.

Visit 3

I took an online appointment for passport on Tuesday, 9th October 9:00 am. This time I was issued a token number which said to visit APO. Yippie!! I was promoted. Seems second rejection was some kind of flag. If the junior officers start at 10:00 am so you cannot expect any less from their in-charge. She came at around 10:15 am. Thankfully I was first in the queue. She checked the document and said it was OK. She told me to go to C counter. I thought I will pick up from where I left yesterday but after C counter I had to go through the same drill again: A > B > C > Exit.

If you want to learn virtues like patience, humility then there is no place better than a govt. office. After having an unfruitful conversation with APO and TCS in-charge I went in to the queue again. By that time there were already lots of people. When I reached at the C counter again, it was more than 3 hours.

Despite having three counters there was only one officer at C1 since morning. A lady passport officer arrived at 12:30 pm but she did not seem in hurry. Finally my turn came. The officer at C1 counter cleared the VC this time.

Now all I had to do was deposit the file at exit counter and get the acknowledgement receipt.

On Thursday, 11th October I checked the status on website and it said, “Passport printed, ready for dispatch”. On 12th I got an email as well as SMS that the passport has been dispatched via speed post. They also provided a tracking number. On 13th afternoon my passport was delivered.

Same day in the evening a policeman came for verification. He asked for an address proof, some details from my two neighbors (with their signature) and finally my signature. Surprisingly he did not show any sign for want of money.

I am quite satisfied with the overall experience. I can say that this is an almost a perfect example of private and public sector venture. Keeping the govt. staff at minimum (only passport officers), Passport Seva Kendra does not make you feel that you are dealing with a govt. entity. I applaud both the parties for their effort.

Feel free to ask if you have any questions. A question asked might save you a trip to PSK 

How to get passport appointment online?

Source: Manish Singh

Since 2012, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has changed the process of passport application and reissue. The application for issuance of fresh passport or reissue of expired/expiring passport has been made online. This has been done to streamline the whole process. Also Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has been roped in to manage the online application system as well as to manage the data entry process. MEA and TCS have launched many passport kiosks also known as Passport Seva Kendras (PSK) where an Indian citizen can visit to submit his or her passport application. This is certainly a good news for Indian Passport applicants as it removes all middlemen and agents in the process. However, in order to visit the PSK, one has to book an appointment online (unless your are filling up a tatkal application in which case you can simply walk into the nearest PSK without appointment). The number of slots at any given PSK are limited and hence they get filled up really quickly as soon as they are open. Here are some of the tips that will help you get your appointment faster.

Make sure you have already created your account on the website http://passportindia.gov.in/

Either fill the application online or download the PDF form to be filled offline. Once the offline form is filled, you need to generate the upload file and upload the same from your account at passportindia website.

Verify all the details entered in the form and submit the form. Once submission is complete, you will now be able to create an appointment.

Click on “View Saves/Submitted Applications” link and the system will list down all the applications that you have created. At most you can create only 3 applications per account.

Select the appropriate application and below the application list, click “Manage Appointment” link. The link will only be enabled for forms that have been submitted. Partially filled forms will not have this link enabled.

On the next screen, the system will ask you to choose PSK nearest to your location and click on “Create Appointment”.

The system will ask you to fill in a CAPTCHA code to verify its a human being and not any automated bot trying to create appointments. The CAPTCHA code is alphanumeric and alphabets are also in capital.

Once you enter the CAPTCHA, click on “Show Available Slots”. Most likely you will see the following message displayed “Currently no appointment slots are available for the selected Passport Seva Kendra (PSK). Please try scheduling an appointment from DD/MM/YYYY, 3:00 PM onwards. Total number of appointments booked today : XXX“. The appointment timings for various passport offices are also published on the passport website.

Note down the date and time carefully. Also sync your computer/watch/mobile (whichever one you refer to) to the website’s clock. Website’s clock is displayed at top left corner of every page.

Visit the website on specified date at least 10 minutes before the scheduled time.

Follow steps 4 to 7 and reach the “Show Available Slots” page. Make sure to keep the CAPTCHA code filled in the form. Do not click on the link to see the slots yet. Wait until the time is exactly 3:00 PM (or whatever time was mentioned in the error message). Hit the “Show Available Slots” within seconds of clock hitting 3PM.

You will now see many slots open for one or more days. Do not think twice and simply choose a slot immediately. It is advisable to choose afternoon slots as many people don’t prefer it or 3PM to 4PM slots.

The system will ask you to enter another CAPTCHA and if the choosen slot is still available, you will receive an appointment confirmation number.

The system may become extremely slow during this period since there is heavy visitor traffic on the website. Make sure to access the website from a broadband or high speed Internet line (if possible, e.g. from office). Do not hit refresh/back buttons on the browser since you will only get one chance before slots get filled. If for some reason, your booking gets stuck on the final page, open another window without disturbing the stuck window and login into your account again and see if you have an appointment ID. Sometimes the system is too slow to respond and may have already booked your slot but unable to show you the appointment confirmation. In such cases opening the account in a new window can help verify if appointment went through.

If you are unsuccessful in your attempt, come back again at the date and time mentioned in the error message.

Do not try to make bookings for multiple accounts as only one account will be logged in from a single browser. If you have multiple bookings to be made, make sure to open them on different browsers (such as Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome etc) or use multiple computers.

Update (June 13, 2013): If media reports in TOI and other leading newspapers are to be believed then Passport authorities are rolling out two important changes in the application process.

Now the system will automatically give an appointment from available slots instead of users logging in at a specific time to book an appointment. Users will be allowed to change their appointment twice in an year.

Payment of Passport Fees will be made online and must be done along with the appointment in order to confirm the booking.

These changes will be rolled out slowly through the country.

Not able to get passport appointment

For the one who are not able to get passport appointment online and wants to know How to get passport appointment online – sync your clock with the server’s clock and add your passport appointment booking online request at exactly the time passport appointments open. 3 minutes late and you lose. To get an idea of how to get passport appointment online. Also, use IE for this. Update: To know what to expect on the select passport appointment screen, scroll to the end.

[Now that the "executive summary" folks are gone] I recently wrote about appreciating the increased use of technology by government departments, while criticizing the look and feel. I finally got a chance to enjoy using one of these web services. My new passport will require renewal (the correct term is re-issue) soon, so I went over to the nearest PSK. Upon trying to ask the usual questions I might have – what documents are needed, any specifics to keep in mind etc – I got the response, “check it online”.
“But…(you haven’t even heard my questions!)”
“online, everything online”, he waved and pointed at a printed notice pasted on the window. Not having an urgent need, I left. I figured I’ll look it up online and if I have any specific questions, I’ll return; I need to get to work.

Over the next few days, I browsed the site and figured out what all was needed and how to get passport appointment online
- fill up the passport application form online
- look up the documents required based on the procedures (change in details, Non-ECR status, etc) needed 
- upload documents
- and how to get passport appointment online
Following this I spent the next few days/weeks chasing up documentation that would be required. Once I had all the documents (that I interpret to be needed – I’m yet to see!), I scanned and uploaded them. Following that I went to the manage passport appointment online section. The page had a drop down with the nearest PSK and captcha. I filled in the captcha and submit. Something didn’t work; maybe I got the captcha wrong? I tried again – same thing I am not able to get passport appointment online. Then I noticed the error message “Currently no appointment slots are available for the selected PSK. Please try scheduling an appointment from 10/01/2013, 6:00 PM onwards ( For passport appointment Bangalore).” This was in the evening on the 9th. (Side: Who writes their copy?)
Wait, what? Is my concept of taking an slot wrong? May be for this I am not able to get passport appointment online, I was expecting a calendar with slots, you choose a date/time if it’s free in their schedule and lock it in – even if the next free slot was a week or a month away!

Okay, maybe they designed it this way because a lot of people might (or they’ve tried this already and it’s based on sampling actual behavior) fill up the slots and never show up.  Just like we’re great at standing in lines, we’re great at keeping times and appointments too. [Side note: There may be a lot of individuals in this country (or world) who are intelligent, considerate, law abiding, decent and other qualities which might be considered for an “evolved civilization”. But when it comes to thinking about the group, the opposite qualities take over.] Missed appointments would lead to wasted time and resources (Tax 
sucker
 payer’s money) on part of the state employees. This limitation of the system could certainly have been built around – but that’s another discussion (allow a limited number of people who would like to wait – limit to a specific lot – take a chance on someone not showing up after taking an passport appointment. Also, fine the people who don’t re-schedule or cancel their passport  appointment at least a day before.).
PSK site at 5:40 pm ( passport appointment Bangalore)

The next day I tried once in the morning – same problem I am not able to get passport appointment online. Then again around 5:40 pm ( passport appointment Bangalore) . I thought to myself, "Okay, If this is how the system works – it unlocks at 6, I’ll log in then and tried to get an passport appointment". When I tried, this was a 6:03 pm ( passport appointment Bangalore) – just 3 minutes past the time the system would’ve been “opened”, I got a new message “Currently no appointment slots are available for the selected PSK. Please try scheduling an appointment from 13/1/2013, 6:00 PM ( passport appointment Bangalore) onwards”. Again unable to book online appointment ! Two days worth of slots are gone in 3 minutes?

PSK site at 6:03pm ( passport appointment Bangalore)
Side Note: The next day I went to the PSK, while walking towards it I heard a person sitting in the back of a Black Scorpio (SUV, seems dodgy…) speak out loud – “ Passport ?” I thought it was to someone else and I kept walking. Along a wall I saw a bunch of people with documents in their hands hanging around this guy in dark glasses (now I’ve got touts and agents in my thought process; the “good old” system).
Is the passport appointment a separate number – not linked to the ARN – which can be traded by touts?
If the passport appointment system is rigged by touts – I haven’t figured out their play yet. Have they written a bot? (Some of the guys I’ve worked it might remember P-R-A…[end cryptic-inside-joke].)

[Next day] I went into the PSK and met “Mr. Online” again. He gave me the usual response at first, but then I told him that I already tried – even at 6:03 ( passport appointment Bangalore) two days worth of slots were gone.
“Is it like a lottery/rally/contest…? You have to get in at exactly 6:00 (for passport appointment Bangalore) to win the slot ?”
He just nod his head and shrugged “heh heh heh” (So he does utter sounds other than – online). I asked if there was someone I could speak with – file a grievance. “Yahan toh kuch nahi hai (There’s nothing here)”.
“Fine, I’ve got to get to work, I thought and left. 

Also, there’s a toll free support/grievance number. On the 10th, when I called it in the evening (16:27 in my phone’s log), the number was busy – it’s supposed to be a 24 hour call center. I guess it’s too much to expect to be in a wait queue (which can tell you the queue length/expected time to answer). Then I tried late in the evening (23:38 in my phone’s log) – this time I got through to an IVR. I navigated through it and choose the option to speak to a representative to file a grievance.
“This service is only available between 8:00am and 6:00(or was it 10?)pm”
Oh, okay, so it’s on the “official” 24 hour clock.
The next morning I tried again (10:55 am in my call logs) – guess what? Busy. I’m starting to see a pattern here.

I mentioned the online queue which is gone in minutes at work and another person mentioned that he’s been trying for months but has not able to get passport appointment finally given up. He mentioned there was a protest a while back and it was revealed that all online slots for a particular day were from the same IP. I’ll take that with a grain of salt since that’s just anecdotal “evidence” that I’ve heard. The system has the benefit of doubt till I come across any conclusive proof.

Suggestion: I propose a few steps as a way to make the system more transparent.
Since I don’t want the PSK workers to waste their time in creating reports etc, these systems are to be automated (More project work and payments for you, TCS!). Knowing a thing-or-two about programming, I know these suggestions can be implemented.
If they don’t want to implement a system where it gives you an slots at an arbitrary (free) date in future, the suggestions below can be implemented instead. [I've mentioned the system to friends and they have responded that they would have expected a similar system. I say - these fancy trip date selector websites selling travel tickets have spoilt this lot!]

The manage slot page should show a (paginated) report of all the slots given out. The fields should include ARN, User ID (blanked out for privacy – like on Google Groups), IP Address (blank out one digit from second and third set of numbers), time slot. These are the slots still to happen. The manage (request) slots screen should show the number of available slots, the number of filled slots and also the number of appointments (unique ARNs) requested. The requested slots number will give people a clearer picture on how hard other people are trying to make an appointment, but it should be backed with a report on all the attempts – otherwise the “riggers” will just use a bot (breaking that captcha shouldn’t be too hard) to drive up the number by filing a lot of applications and requesting an passport appointment on it.

There should be an additional report showing the slots that have happened. This would include all the earlier fields and whether the slot was made and whether or not the appointment result was success (application have moved into the next stage – police verification or accepted for renewal etc) or failure (person was turned back for not enough documentation etc). The system is known to have this data, since one can track status of an application online. This post passport appointment booking report will also help to catch bogus slots; unless the department employees themselves rig it – but I trust (at least hope) that everyone in the department wouldn’t be crooked.

Time for a win

Anyway, I logged in on the 13th and synced my clock to the server’s time then took into account the lag a little and managed to win an passport appointment. I’d like to think I keep most of-less-use junk disabled, but for the duration of this competition, I added the clock gadget to time my clicks better.
Perhaps someone from the department took a course ongamification since it’s quite a popular term lately. Or they’re preparing the country for an Electronic Sports Olympics.Game Time!

T minus 54 seconds – Logged in and ready to “Manage passport Appointment”

10 seconds remain (Unreal Tournament anyone?)
The gadget seems to be off sync from the server by 6 seconds, I’ll keep that in mind.

T plus 3 seconds; captcha time.

T plus 26 seconds.
Hurry! I’ve clicked on the first slot I could lay the mouse pointer on. Another captcha.
Unfortunately this was the first time slot link, a lot more people might’ve chosen it. After this I saw a page telling me that the slot was already full.
Did I lose and not able to get passport appointment again?! No
Not so fast.
I was a little tense on the select an appointment screen focusing on trying to score one that I forgot to take a screenshot. In the coming days, I will play the game again and try and change my passport appointment to sooner (yes, there’s an option). Next time I will be calmer and get the screenshot.

T plus 90 seconds.
In the excitement I’ve missed pressing the hot-key for the slot screen’s shot again.
Did the shot clock run out? I seem to have caught the rebound and have another shot!
(For the uninitiated, that’s a Basketball reference.)
So I blazed through the process of View Applications > Manage Appointment… and chose another slot at the bottom of the page. Once again, I was in game-mode and couldn’t take a screenshot. But to describe it, the left coloumn had dates. The columns on the right were links with time on them – each slot being a 15 minute slot.
What was odd though was the first (row) slot was the 16th as seen in the screenshot above, but below that there were almost 15 or so rows with something in capital letters, I couldn’t register it (my head was filtering out noise) as I scrolled to the bottom of the page (last row) and noticed a few open appointments – for almost a month away.

T plus 101 seconds.
He shoots, he scores. It’s good!
I hope this set of screenshots helps others know what to expect and therefore shave off some time in trying to get an passport appointment.
“But doesn’t that decrease your chances? You’re giving your edge away” Meh, had I been desperate enough, I’d write a bot.Update: As promised, here’s a screenshot of the slots selection screen. This should help you know exactly what to expect when you come across and plan where you want to click.
And this is the way How to get passport appointment and left not able to get passport appointment

Step to step guide -How To Apply For Passport And Manage Appointment

To get new Passport, facility of online application is available now. Some Psk in selected cities have started to accept printout copies of online application to issue passport. In this regard, Indian government has launched PSK which is running by TATA Consultancy Services (TCS).
To apply for new passport in online way is preformed in many steps. For this, firstly you will have to register in Passport Seva Web portal,  then you will have to download and then upload filled form on the website and  manage passport appointment online and visit the your prefered PSK of which you have taken the appointment online and at last it will be finally verified by police by visiting on your address. So it is a time consuming process. But Here I  am trying to make easier. That is why, tips and process of how to get passport appointment online is being described step wise. Get further:
1.    How to apply and How to get passport appointment online –

• To do it, launch official website of seva – http://passportindia.gov.in
• Choose Register link  from left corner of main page. Now fill up each boxes in online form with personal details. Make ensure that you have valid email address to complete registration in proper ways (email is optional).

• After registering online application form successfully, you will get message as Thank You.
• A registration link is dispatched to your email address. You need to remember that validity of the sent email link is only 7 days.

• So, sign in your email account and click on link immediately in order to activate and complete registration procedure
• 

Login Passport Seva Portal –

• Again go to official websites and click on login link nearby existing user option and type user Id and it’s password.
• Next you will have to across from verification process. Then view captcha text carefully and Type it in capital letters. Click on Login button.

• Then after click this link – Apply for Fresh / Reissue of Passport

 Submit the Application –
You can submit the application with two modes.

• Download pdf format, fill it and again upload the filled format to the online portal.
• Otherwise you can apply and fill the form online. To continue click online apply link.

• Then type correct details in each box and hit Next button after ending each page.
• Finally press this link – Save my details to submit your application online.

2.   Passport Appointment schedule –
In this process, you can undergo through several difficulties. So you have to follow every instructions fluently.
Important Instructions -

• The Passport appointment page of seva portal starts from 6:00 pm (say for passport appointment bangalore) only for 5 minutes. So you are permitted to access in between schedule of appointment.
• The appointment page will confirm period of 15 days with different present time period. If you miss an opportunity in any day then you will have to wait 24 hours or next day to start passport appointment schedule.
• To complete passport appointment booking schedule successfully, you need to follow time policy of time management.

To know How to get passport appointment  

• At first, sign in your online portal and click this link - Manage Appointment

• Choose your preferred PSK and type the captcha text quickly in capital letters.

• At this stage, online portal becomes slow down around 6 pm for passport appointment bangalore due to huge traffic, so keep your patience and wait to page loading completely.
• As soon as next page loads, immediate choose any passport appointment time/date.
•  If you become successful in this process, you will be given passport appointment format with serial no, batch no, date/time and extra details. Now take print out of this page at once or later if you save it.
• This print out will be submitted at PSK of chosen cities and get a receipt with file number.

4.  Know Application Status Online –

If you wish to know the current status of your application -

• Click on this link – Track Application Status  in left panel under Passport Services section in online portal .
•  Next insert the file number with your date of Birth and choose Track option.

5. Police Verification –
In this process you will receive a call on mentioned mobile number from police station in order to commence police verification. Follow next instructions while they visit at your address or home on schedule date/time.
6. Dispatch of a Passport -
As soon as your passport will ready, you will receive an SMS on your mobile phones or email regarding Dispatch related details.

Holidays For Passport Seva Kendra 2013.

Holidays for Psk in 2013(Exclude Saturday and Sunday) 

Date	Holiday
14/01/2013	Pongal
25/01/2013	Prophet Mohammed Birthday (ID-E-MILAD
29/03/2013	Good Friday
11/04/2013	Ugadi
24/04/2013	Mahavir Jayanti
25/05/2013	Buddha Purnima
09/08/2013	Eid-Ul-Fitr
09/09/2013	Ganesh Chaturthi
13/10/2013	Dussehra (Vijaya Dashami)
16/10/2013	Eid-Ul-Zuha
03/11/2013	Diwali (Deepavali)
14/11/2013	Muharram
17/11/2013	Gurunanak's Birthday
25/12/2013	Christmas Day

Note: Saturday& Sunday are already a holidays for PSK.

How to get Passport Seva Appointment Online.

If you are looking for information on how to get passport appointment online, you have come to just the right place.You can schedule an appointment for getting your passport application at a regional passport agency by visiting their office under some catagories. Some offices also offer the facility of scheduling appointments online using their web portal. In fact, if you are computer friendly, you may find the option of getting a passport appointment online more convenient. You can get appointment for passport online by following a few easy steps listed below. Following are the guidelines, from a local agency that offers this service.Simply log in the online portal from your personal computer or laptop. It is highly recommended that you login 30 minutes before the time that is given in the website. This will ensure that you do not encounter any server delays during peak traffic time. You can increase your chances of getting an appointment online by opening multiple tabs in the browser, so that you can take advantage of multiple sessions. You can use the same id and password to log in to online portal on all three tabs. This way you can quickly move on to the next tab for booking a online slot if the previous session fails. You will not find this tip elsewhere while looking for information on how to get passport appointment booking online.Once you are in the home page, you need to go to the slot booking page and carefully enter the captcha code that flashes on your screen. Be especially careful while distinguishing between lower “L” and capital “I” in the captcha code. Filling the correct captcha code will ensure that your session remains active till the time slotted for you to. While providing information in various forms for getting appointment for passport online, you should not use any special characters. You need to keep this in mind especially while entering personal details about yourself in the slot registration form.Since the appointment for passport online is snapped within minutes of opening of the slot for an area, you need to be both careful and fast while filling the booking page. You can enquire your PSK about the slot reserved for your area and act quickly as soon as the slot timing is released. Thus, if the slot timing for your area is 3pm, you should be online at least 30 minutes before the given time. To get a passport appointment online you need to enter the captcha code in a text box at the end of the page and then swiftly move on to choose a convenient option from among the list of online appointment time slots provided in the page. Make sure that you are using high speed internet connection while booking an online slot to avoid unnecessary delays in page loading.Since most people who are simultaneously trying to get passport appointment online are likely to opt for the first few online appointment time slots from the list provided, these get filled in a matter of seconds. Thus, it is best to select the last time slot available for appointment for passport online. Simply enter the correct captcha code and click on the last time slot listed. Next, you will be directed to a confirmation page where you will have to enter the captcha code once again. It is as important to be correct as fast to get an online appointment for passport. Finally, take the print out of your passport application that will have the date and time of your passport appointment at your local agency. This essentially sums up how to get passport appointment online.

Documents required for application of passport.

The required documents for passport appointment are as follows :

1. Present Address
Proof :

(The following are the list of documents that are accepted as present address proof)

A.   Electrical Bill

B.   Telephone Bill (Land line or postpaid mobile bill)

C.   Water Bill

D.   One year statement (with transactions)/Passbook of running bank account (Scheduled Commercial bank excluding Regional Rural banks and local area banks)

E.    Income Tax Assessment Order

F.   Election Commission Photo ID card

G.  Proof of Gas Connection

H.  Certificate from Employer of reputed companies on letter head

I.    Spouse's passport copy (First and last page including family details), (provided the applicant's present address matches the address mentioned in the spouses passport)

J.   Applicant's current and valid ration card

K. Parent's passport copy, in case of minors(First and last page)

Note (For Document No. A, B, and C) : Atleast 2 bills are required - One bill should of be of last year and the other bill of current year.


Note (For Document No. H) : Only public limited companies can give address proof on company letter head along with seal.
Computerized print-outs shall not be entertained.



Note (For Document No. J) : If any applicant submits only ration card as proof of address, it should be accompanied by

one more proof of address out of the given categories.

2.Date of Birth (DOB)

Note :- The following are the documents accepted as the date of birth proof by the passport authority of India for those who had there date of birth before 26/01/1989

A. Birth certificate issued by a Municipal Authority or any office authorized to issue Birth and Death Certificate by the Registrar of Births & Deaths

B. School leaving certificate / Secondary School leaving certificate/ Certificate of Recognized Boards from the school last attended by the applicant or any other recognized educational institution

C. Affidavit sworn before a Magistrate/Notary stating date/place of birth as per the specimen in Annexure 'A' by illiterate or semi-illiterate applicants (Less than 5th class).

Note :- Those who born After 26/01/1989

A. Birth certificate issued by a Municipal Authority or any office authorized to issue Birth and Death Certificate by the Registrar of Births & Deaths.

Documents Required For Minor Applicants (Age below 18)


Those whose age is below 18 year will counted minor category for application of passport.

A 1 month baby is also
required to have a passport which is considered as minor  child

the following are the required documents to get the passport for minor

1.Either of the parents should have a valid passport (with spouse name endorsed).No need of both the parents to have the passport any one with valid passport is enough to apply a passport for minor

2.Passport application of minor in consent of both the parents "Annexure H " should be completely filled and submitted with the both the parents attestation.

The "Annexure H" is used by the legal Guardian and also single parent(on parenet deceased) for applying fresh passport for minor


If  both the parents are not giving consent then "Annexure G" has to be submitted by the parent who is applying passport for minor

The parents who are separated but not divorced can us "Annexure C " for applying passport for minor

Passport Appointment Booking