Get Your Passport Within A Week

First-time passport applicants can now heave a sigh of relief as they can get passports within a week and by only submitting four required documents. The documents include Electoral Photo ID card, Aadhaar card, PAN card and No Criminal Record Affidavit in the form of Annexure I. Police verification process, which is the usual cause for delay, will hereafter be carried out after the issue of passport.

Skip Waiting Time For Police Verification

So far, passport applicants had to first submit their applications along with the requisite documents and had to wait for the police verification process to be over. The police verification, is actually time-consuming since it lacks an organised structure. Police officers would come for verification at a time of their convenience during which the applicant could be unavailable.

Till recently, the police verification process alone would take around 21 days. Lack of proper schedule would make the process more tedious and it would mostly take over a month (and sometimes even more) for a first time applicant to get passport.

But now, passport applicants who have all their documents in place need not worry about the waiting time for police verification. Passports will be issued within a week after they submit their applications and later police would come for verification. Individuals planning to apply for passports now seem lucky as they have escaped from the prolonged process of getting passports, thanks to the new rule of government.

Recent Changes

Two new changes have been announced by the Ministry of External Affairs which are-

1. Passport shall be issued within a week after the first-time normal category applicants submit application, along with the four documents.
2. Police verification will be carried out after the issue of passport.

There will be no extra charge for police verification process under the new procedure. If the police verification reveals that there is anything unreliable about the passport applicant or if the information provided by the applicant is proven wrong, then the authority holds the right to cancel the passport.

Now onwards, the MEA would provide the first five earliest available dates for passport related services. The applicants will be allowed to choose any one of their choice and visit the selected Passport Seva Kendra (PSK). Till now, the appointments for applicants were getting fixed on the basis of availability and under first-in-first-out (FIFO) method.

These changes will certainly speed-up the process of issuing passports to the passport applicants, whose documents are in place. This also makes it easier to get appointments at the local Passport Seva Kendras.

No Criminal Record Affidavit (Annexure I)

Annexure I is a declaration by the applicant (deponent) about the basic details of the applicant and that he/she has no criminal record during the preceding five years. The applicant will be the one making the declaration through this affidavit Annexure I, so here, the applicant will be referred to as deponent. The Annexure I has to be drafted on Stamp paper of minimum value and should be attested by Executive Magistrate or Notary Public.

The Annexure I affidavit for passport contains the following details:

1. Full name of the deponent
2. Date of birth of the deponent
3. Father’s name, Mother’s name and Spouse’s name (if married)
4. Residential address
5. Period of stay in the given address
6. Deponent’s declaration stating that he/she has no criminal records during the last 5 years
7. Date of making the Annexure I
8. Place of making the Annexure I
9. An undertaking that the information provided in the affidavit is true and correct
10. Signature of deponent