Your passport is the most important identity proof you can own. It is granted by your home country and needs to be with you at all times while traveling or residing in another nation. In some cases, it can also be used in your own nation as a verification document in the place of an Aadhar Card or Voter ID.
Like all other identity documents, the passport requires a proof of address for being made, and can function as one afterwards. When you use a passport to travel abroad, the authorities of that nation stamp your passport before allowing you to enter their land. An important point to be noted is that while traveling abroad, your passport cannot replace your visa and often, you would require both.
The procedure for passport application is a tedious one and requires a ton of patience. The hectic hassle of running errands all day can make most people feel like it isn’t worth the trouble. The actual passport takes weeks to be delivered to your address. Hence, if you are on a tight schedule and need to travel abroad urgently, this process could be the cause of your delay.
To make things better, the Ministry of External Affairs in India has started a scheme for quick release of passports. This is called the Tatkal Passport Scheme, and can grant you access to your passport way faster than the normal passport processing time. This will help all who need to travel abroad urgently, but is subjected to certain terms and conditions. First let’s take a look at the process for getting a Tatkal Passport.
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The Application Process
The Tatkal Passport process of application is quite similar to that of a normal passport. The only difference arises in the fee and the delivery time. Here are the basic steps of the application process, and for queries you can visit the official website of the Ministry of External Affairs.
Step 1. You need to visit the official portal of the Passport Seva and get yourself registered using your email address and phone number.
Step 2. Once registered, you can login using your email address and your chosen password.
Step 3. Find the application button and click on it.
Step 4. Here, you will need to choose between a getting a fresh passport or renewing/re-issuing an existing one.
Step 5. Once you’ve clicked next, you need to select the “Tatkal” option in the drop-down scheme menu.
Step 6. Once you’ve done this, you will need to download the application as a .dox or .pdf file and fill in your details.
Step 7. After filling in your details, proceed by uploading the application to the website and click submit.
Step 8. At this point, you will be re-directed to the payment page and will need to make the payment via your debit/credit card, net banking or SBI Chalan.
Step 9. After your payment has been processes, you will be given an online receipt and you will need to print this.
Step 10. For your final step, you will need to book an appointment at your local Passport Service Kendra.
Once all the above steps have been completed, you can wait for your passport to be delivered. You inquire about the exact ETA of your passport at the Service Kendra, but you can be certain that it will be faster than normal passport time of delivery.
Fees of Tatkal Passports
The fees of Tatkal Passports are a little different from those of the normal passports. This is due to the fact that the passport is delivered within an express deadline. The fees are as follows:
Brand New Passport or Renewed Passport
- For children below 15 years of age, the fee is Rs. 3,000.
- For teenagers between 15 and 18, the fee is between Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 4,000 depending on the validity.
- For adults, the fee is between Rs. 3,500 to Rs. 4,000 depending on the type of passport – 36 pages or 60 pages.
Eligibility Terms
Like every scheme that involves national security whether directly or indirectly, the Tatkal Passport scheme depends on several eligibility requirements laid down by the judicial department of the Ministry of External Affairs. These are meant to make sure that the nation stays safe and that national integrity is not compromised due to someone producing illegitimate documents. If the following apply to any potential applicants, they will not be eligible for a Tatkal Passport:
- Children of Indian parents born outside of India, whether in an allied nation or not.
- People who became Indian citizens on the basis of naturalization.
- People who have already been deported to India by a foreign nation.
- People who have had their name or surname changed, no matter how small the change may be.
- People who have been repatriated from a foreign nation at the government’s expenditure.
- Denizens of J&K and Nagaland.
- Citizens born of Nagaland, but currently residing outside of Nagaland.
- Children who have been adopted by both an Indian parent and a foreign parent.
- Minors who have a single parent
- Minors who are not born of Nagaland, but are residing there currently.
- Applicants wishing to renew passports with a short validity.
- Those wishing to reapply for a passport after the previous one was lost or stolen.
- Applicants whose previous passports have been damaged beyond the point of being recognized by anyone.
- Applicants who have had any change in appearance or a sex change procedure.
- Applicants applying to change some personal details.
Documents Required for the Procedure
The passport application procedure in India requires that you must submit some documents to get your passport verified. This is done to ensure that only Indian citizens can apply for the passport.
The documents required for a Tatkal Passport must include a Verification of Certificate as per Annexure F. Besides that, you are also required to submit an address proof, arms license/driving license, government issued army guard. Only after these are verified will the work on your bench has begun.
Once this is done, you can be sure that you will get your Tatkal passport soon. This process may seem complicated, but is actually quite simple in practice.
