Saturday, 21 January 2012



Applying passport at the Passport Seva Kendra : PSK (Chennai)

First of all, many thanks to the Government of India & MEA for revolutionizing the procedure of applying passports. Gone are those days where one has to pay an exorbitant fee to an unauthorized agent or waste the entire day standing in queues and finally get REJECTED. The newly constructed PSKs are a definite win. Here is how it looks inside.

The official site : www.passportindia.gov.in/ maintained by TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES
The site contains almost all the required details one would want to know. You could locate your nearest PSK by feeding your pin code.

Online Application Procedure:

Here are some unstated details you would like to know before a PSK visit :
ü  Passport size photos of any dimension are NOT REQUIRED.
ü  Only the applicant will be allowed to enter the PSK. Parents/accompanies  may have to wait outside throughout the process. Parents/accompanies will be allowed inside only in the case of minors.
ü  There are usually 4 counters. A separate counter for ENQUIRY and TATKAL each.
ü  Xerox machines and a snack counter are also present inside.
ü  The PSK is centrally air-conditioned and fully computerized.
ü  The average time taken to complete the 4-stage process is 45 minutes - 60 minutes
ü  Mandatory documents required for college students :
·         College ID card - Original
·         10th / 12th Mark sheet - Original
·         College Bonafide
·         Birth Certificate with NAME on it if DOB is after 26/1/1989 (eg :1991)

Sample Birth Certificate NOT to be produced :


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


(One can get a birth certificate re-issued from the concerning Municipal Authority at the place of birth. It is advisable to get 3-4 copies of the original certificate for future use.)


ü  Applicant details can also be edited in case of any errors during online application.
ü  Mode of payment is strictly CASH.

Police Verification takes place within 30-45 days after the online submission. Either the applicant is requested to visit the police station or the inspector makes a house visit. The applicant has to take all of his/her original certificates during the verification process. He/she MAY have to carry a letter from either of the REFERENCES mentioned confirming the ADDRESS and duration of stay in that house address. Followed by the above procedure PASSPORT will be dispatched within a week through courier. An SMS confirmation will also be sent prior to the dispatch.