Passport Seva Portal

Passport Seva Portal Latest News

The Passport Seva Portal experienced widespread server issues recently, disrupting operations at Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs) across India.

About Passport Seva Portal

• Established by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in partnership with Tata Consultancy Services, the Passport Seva portal is an excellent example of a Public-Private Partnership. 
• It simplifies the passport application and renewal process in India. 
• Through this portal, individuals can quickly apply for a passport or its renewal from the convenience of their homes. 
• It is a user-friendly portal providing access to various passport services online.  
• The MEA has retained sovereign functions like verification, granting, and issuance of a passport as well as ownership of core assets, including data and information of the applicants. 
• Users can perform the following functions on the Passport Seva Online Portal:
  • Apply for a new passport.
  • Apply for renewal of a passport.
  • Apply for re-issue of lost or damaged passport.
  • Download the application form for the Police Clearance Certificate.
  • Download the application form for the Surrender Certificate.
  • Download the application form for the Identity Certificate.
• The portal offers complete information regarding the documents required and the process to be followed for obtaining any of the documents mentioned above. You can complete these steps online. 
• But in some instances, you will be required to take a printout of the application form, book an appointment, and then visit your nearest Passport Seva Kendra. 
• To be able to use the facilities made available under Passport Seva, it is mandatory to register for Passport Seva Online first.

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What is the Passport Seva Project (PSP)?

• The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is responsible for the issuance of passports to Indian citizens through a network of 37 passport offices across the country and 190 Indian missions and posts abroad.
• The PSP was launched by the MEA in May 2010, with the objective of delivering Passport Services to the citizens in a comfortable environment with wider accessibility and reliability. 
• The project envisages setting up Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs) across the country, a Data Centre and Disaster Recovery Centre, a Call centre operating in multiple Indian languages, and a centralized nationwide computerized system for the issuance of passports.
• With the implementation of the PSP, PSKs are working as extended arms of Regional Passport Offices. 
• An applicant may ascertain the jurisdiction of the Regional Passport Office and PSK before submitting an application.
• It enables simple, efficient, and transparent processes for delivery of passports and related services.
• Apart from creating a countrywide networked environment for Government staff, it integrates with the Indian missions and posts abroad, and with a few external stakeholders, such as State Police for physical verification of applicant’s credentials with India Post for delivery of passports, and UIDAI for applicant’s demographics and biometrics validation.

Source: ET