Indian Passport Application via Passport Seva: Detailed Process

Indian citizens applying for a fresh or reissued ordinary passport through Passport Seva complete the application online and then attend an appointment.

This guide explains the Passport Seva application process, required documents, photo rules, processing times and fees.

Table of contents

• Applying for a Passport via Passport Seva: Step-by-Step
• Documents Required for an Online Indian Passport Application
• Do You Need to Bring a Photo to Passport Seva?
• Get a Printed Indian Passport Photo Online with Visafoto
• Indian Passport Waiting Times
• Passport Seva Fees

Applying for a Passport via Passport Seva: Step-by-Step

The online form starts the process, but an applicant using the standard domestic route must still attend a PSK or POPSK appointment. Follow these steps:

1. Open the official Passport Seva application guide, register an account and confirm your email address.
2. Sign in and select "Apply for Fresh Passport/Re-issue of Passport."
3. Select the Regional Passport Office (RPO) for your current residential location. The system will use this selection when showing available PSK and POPSK locations.
4. Complete the online application. Enter your personal, family, address, emergency-contact and previous-passport details as applicable.
5. Review the information carefully and submit the form. Passport Seva will generate an Application Reference Number (ARN).
6. Select "Pay and Schedule Appointment," choose the relevant Normal or Tatkaal quota and book an available PSK or POPSK appointment.
7. Complete the online payment. The portal accepts the methods displayed during the transaction, which may include cards, internet banking and UPI.
8. Save the appointment confirmation. A printed application receipt is not normally required because the appointment SMS can be accepted as proof of the booking.
9. Attend the appointment with the required original documents and self-attested photocopies. For most applicants, staff capture the photograph and biometrics at the centre. For a child under four, bring the printed photo described below and follow the staff's instructions at the appointment.
10. Track the application in your Passport Seva account using the ARN.

The application must be resubmitted if the applicant does not visit the PSK within 90 days of submitting the online form.

Documents Required for an Online Indian Passport Application

The exact document list depends on whether the application is for a fresh passport or reissue and on the applicant's circumstances.

For a fresh passport

• Date-of-birth proof, such as a birth certificate or 10th standard certificate
• Address proof, such as an Aadhaar Card or Voter ID
• Identity proof, such as an Aadhaar Card or Voter ID
• Self-attested copies of the required documents

For passport reissue

• The old passport, with self-attested photocopies of its first two and last two pages, the ECR or Non-ECR page and any observation page
• Address proof, such as an Aadhaar Card or Voter ID
• Identity proof, such as an Aadhaar Card or Voter ID
• Self-attested copies of all relevant documents

Use the Document Advisor in Passport Seva for the checklist generated for your application type. The Passport Office may request additional evidence for a name change, a lost or damaged passport, a minor applicant or another special case.

Do You Need to Bring a Photo to Passport Seva?

Most applicants attending a PSK or POPSK do not upload a portrait or bring a printed passport photo. Passport Seva staff capture the applicant's photograph and biometrics during the appointment. Still, there are some exceptions when bringing the passport-sized photo is necessary

Printed Photo for a Child Under Four

Parents applying for an Indian passport for a child below four years of age must bring a recent colour passport photo to the appointment. The baby passport picture must meet the following specifications:

• Size: 4.5 × 3.5 cm (45 × 35 mm)
• Plain white background
• The face occupies approximately 80% to 85% of the photograph
• Full face shown from the front, with the head centred
• Eyes open and clearly visible, with no hair across the eyes
• Natural skin tone, appropriate brightness and contrast
• Even lighting, without distracting shadows, flash reflections or red eye
• Natural facial expression
• Religious head coverings are allowed only when the face remains fully visible from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead and along both edges

See the official photo guidelines for children below four for the complete requirements and examples.

Printed Photos for DPC, SPC and CSC Applications

Passport Seva uses a different rule for paper applications submitted at a District Passport Cell (DPC), authorised Speed Post Centre (SPC) or another designated Citizen Service Centre (CSC). The applicant must paste one recent 4.5 × 3.5 cm colour photograph in the space provided on the application form.

For this route, the photo must have a plain white background, show a frontal view of the full face and be printed clearly on good-quality photo paper. The official instructions also call for dark clothing, a natural expression, open eyes, a centred head and no distracting shadows. Do not sign the photograph.

These paper-route rules are set out in the Passport Application Form Instruction Booklet. Applicants for diplomatic or official passports, and applicants using an Indian mission or outsourced centre abroad, should follow the instructions issued for that specific route.

Get a Printed Indian Passport Photo Online with Visafoto

Visafoto, our convenient online passport photo editor, is useful when the applicant needs a prepared print, particularly for a child under four or an application submitted through a DPC, SPC or CSC.

To prepare the printed photo, take several pictures with a phone or camera and upload the clearest one to Visafoto. The source picture does not need a finished white background or studio lighting. Visafoto replaces the background, adjusts the crop and framing, improves lighting and image quality, and prepares the photo in the selected 45 × 35 mm format.

For a child under four, select the corresponding Indian minor passport-photo format so that the face and framing are prepared for the 80% to 85% face guideline. Download the printable template and print it on good-quality photo paper at the correct scale. Do not use the digital file as a supposed Passport Seva portal upload.

Visafoto provides 24/7 support and has a 99.7% photo acceptance rate. If an authority rejects a photo prepared by the service because of a technical photo-compliance issue, Visafoto offers a full refund.

First, take a source photo like this one:

Visafoto will provide a formatted photo and a printable template:

Read the detailed Indian baby passport photo requirements before printing the photograph.

Indian Passport Waiting Times

The waiting time for an Indian passport application will vary depending on the type of application and the specific location.

Typically, processing new or renewal passport applications takes approximately 5 to 6 weeks.

Expect a processing time of 4 to 5 weeks for Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) applications for Indian passports. For foreign passports, PCC applications are processed within 5 to 7 business days.

Passport Seva Fees

Passport application fees in India vary depending on the application type and the applicant's age. The following figures provide a general guide:

• Standard ordinary passport application, 36 pages and 10-year validity: Rs. 1,500
• Tatkaal application: an additional fee applies on top of the regular fee
• Minors aged eight or younger and senior citizens receive a 10% discount on the basic fee
• Optional SMS updates have a one-time charge of Rs. 50

Check the fee displayed by Passport Seva for the exact application category before making payment.

Last updated: 18 September 2026