You apply for an Indian passport on Passport Seva (passportindia.gov.in): register, fill in the form, pay the fee, book an appointment, and then go to a Passport Seva Kendra with your original documents. The fee goes up in a moment of confusion more than anywhere else, so one fact first. From 1 July 2026 the normal fee for a 36-page passport is Rs 2,500 and for a 60-page passport Rs 3,500. The full list is in our passport fees guide.
Official links: Passport Seva, apply · Fee calculator · Fee details: Passport fees · Hub: Passport services
Timelines, payment rules and document lists checked against Passport Seva’s Citizen’s Charter, fee-payment FAQ and form booklet on 5 October 2026. The portal’s own screens decide the final answer for your case.
On this page: Fresh or re-issue? · Steps · Documents · Timelines · Payment problems · Changing your appointment · Official sources
Fresh or re-issue: which one are you?
Choosing wrongly costs you a form and sometimes a visit, so decide before you start.
| Your situation | Choose |
|---|---|
| You have never had an Indian passport | Fresh |
| Your passport is about to expire or the pages are full | Re-issue |
| Your name, address or other details need to change | Re-issue |
| Your passport is lost, stolen or damaged | Re-issue, but the fee is higher (see the fees guide). Report a loss to the nearest police station |
| You need it urgently and qualify | Tatkal, with the extra fee |
The fee for a normal fresh passport and a normal re-issue is the same. The only way the cost jumps is a lost or damaged passport, or Tatkal.
How to apply, in order
Menu labels on Passport Seva change now and then, so look for the closest match.
- Register and log in. Create an account on the Passport Seva portal and log in. Use your own mobile number and email, because messages about your application come to them.
- Fill in the application. Pick fresh or re-issue, choose the booklet size (36 or 60 pages) and normal or Tatkal. Enter your name, date of birth and parents’ names exactly as in your documents. The booklet warns that what you enter is printed in the passport, so check every box before submitting.
- Pay the fee online. The portal’s payment FAQ lists credit and debit cards (Mastercard and Visa), internet banking (SBI and other banks) and the SBI wallet. Walk-in applicants at a Passport Seva Kendra can pay in cash. Check the amount against the fee calculator before you pay.
- Book the appointment at a Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) or a Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK). The FAQ says appointments are booked after payment.
- Go with your original documents on the day, and carry the printed appointment details.
- Police verification and delivery. Depending on your case there is no verification, verification after the passport is issued, or verification before it. Track the status on the portal.
For a paper application, the booklet lists other places that accept it: District Passport Cells, Speed Post Centres and Common Service Centres. Only fresh applications are accepted at those three. A paper form must be filled in capital letters, with a black or blue ballpoint pen and crosses, not ticks, in the boxes.
Do you need a photograph?
At a PSK or POPSK, no. The booklet says a photograph is not required there. For a paper application at a District Passport Cell, Speed Post Centre or CSC, you attach one colour photograph of 4.5 cm by 3.5 cm on a plain white background, with your face fully visible, both ears showing and your eyes open. Photographs with dark backgrounds, uniforms, dark glasses, computer prints or creases are not accepted.
Documents to carry
The portal’s Document Advisor gives the exact list for your case, and that list wins over anything printed here. The form booklet shows what is usually accepted:
- Date of birth: a birth certificate, a school leaving certificate, an insurance policy, government service records, a driving licence, an election photo ID card, a PAN card, or an orphanage declaration.
- Present address: a water, telephone, electricity or gas bill, an income tax assessment order, an election photo ID, a spouse’s or parent’s passport, an Aadhaar letter or card, a rent agreement, a bank passbook, or an employer certificate (public companies only).
The booklet is clear that you only need proof of your present address, however long you have lived there.
Two practical points. First, keep the spelling of your name and your date of birth identical across the form and every document. A mismatch is the most common reason a visit is wasted, and fixing it later costs more than fixing it first. Second, if you are renewing, bring the old passport. If you are an illiterate applicant, the form needs a left-hand thumb impression kept strictly inside its box. For a minor, the minor gives the impression, not the parent.
How long it takes
| Service | Time stated in the Citizen’s Charter |
|---|---|
| Fresh passport | Up to 30 working days, not counting police verification |
| Re-issue, no pre-verification needed | Up to 7 working days |
| Re-issue with pre-verification | Up to 30 working days, not counting verification |
| Tatkal | Up to 3 working days, if you qualify for Tatkal |
These are service targets, not promises, and the clock does not run while the police verify your address. Make sure someone is at home who can confirm your details.
When the payment goes wrong
- Paid but nothing shows. Use Track Payment Status on the next business day before you pay again.
- Money deducted, payment shown as failed. The FAQ says SBI refunds these within seven working days. If it does not arrive, contact SBI at customercare.00691@sbi.co.in or 011-41561114 and follow up with your own bank.
- Paid too much. Excess payments are refunded through the Regional Passport Office.
- How long a payment stays valid. One year from the date of payment, or from your first appointment date if you booked one.
Changing your appointment
A normal appointment can be rescheduled twice within a year of the first appointment date. A Tatkal appointment can be rescheduled once in that period. So choose a date you can keep, especially for Tatkal.
For problems that these pages do not cover, use the grievance page on Passport Seva, the toll-free line 1800-258-1800 or passport.pg@mea.gov.in.