A passport is an irreplaceable document that you need to carry when travelling abroad. Generally, these documents have a specific validity of 10 years, after which you need to apply for a reissue of your passport. 

The following write-up deals with all you need to know when it comes to reissue of an Indian passport. It should also help you identify the differences between reissue and renewal of passport.

Reissue of passport refers to such instances where the passport holder requires a brand new booklet. Keep in mind that a reissue and a passport renewal are not the same thing. The major distinction between the two is mentioned below. Furthermore, passport reissuance can be necessary under various circumstances, which we have elaborated later on in the article.

Let us first understand the points of distinction between reissue and renewal of passport.

Now that you are aware of the differences between these two terms, take a look at the instances when you must consider reissue of your existing document –

• Your passport’s validity is about to expire in the next 3 years or has expired already.
• Your existing passport has suffered considerable damage, or if it has been disfigured.
• All pages on your existing booklet are exhausted.
• You need to enforce changes in certain details, such as date of birth, name, residential address and others.
• If you have misplaced your passport, reissuance is necessary. You would need to submit a copy of an FIR alongside the reissue application in such cases.
• You must also apply for a reissue of passport if your existing one expired at least 3 years ago.

If you face any of the situations mentioned above, understanding the passport reissue process is crucial.

If you are wondering how to reissue a passport, know that you can do so both online and offline. Here are the detailed steps involved in both these methods of application.

How to Apply for Reissue of Passport Online?

Passport reissue online involves the following steps – 

• Step 1: Visit the Passport Seva portal and register yourself if you do not already have an account.
• Step 2: Once registered, sign in and choose 'Apply for Fresh Passport/Reissue of Passport'.
• Step 3: Next, fill up an online form with all personal details and click on ‘Submit’.
• Step 4: Now, hit the 'Pay and Schedule Appointment’ button to clear all necessary applications fees. Keep in mind that you can make only online payments before scheduling an appointment.

After this, go to the Passport Seva Kendra with all passport reissue documents to complete this process.

How to Apply for Reissue of Passport Offline?

Even if you want to take advantage of this offline procedure, you would need to visit the Passport Seva website once. 

The subsequent steps are mentioned below – 

• Step 1: Navigate to ‘Forms and Affidavits’ section and select “Reissue of Passport” to download an e-form.
• Step 2: Also download the Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) from this portal. Take a printout of this PCC, along with the e-form.
• Step 3: Fill in the form, attach all documents required for reissue of passport and submit it at your nearest Passport Office.

Pay for the reissuance online to complete this application process.

Along with a reissuance form, you must submit the following passport reissue documents to initiate the process – 

• Proof of age
• Residential address proof
• Identity proof
• 2 passport-sized photographs of the applicant
• Attested photocopies of the first and last pages of your existing passport booklet
• Original existing booklet
• Appointment application receipt or the final page of the online application page. This page is considered proof of application fee payment and appointment schedule.

After a successful passport reissue application, you may or may not need to undergo a police verification process. Again, this largely depends on the circumstances for your reissue of passport.

For instance, if you are applying for a reissue to change personal details, such as name or residential address, the Passport Office requires verification. This is done to verify that all new details furnished are accurate.

However, police verification for passport reissue may not be warranted beforehand if you apply for the same after expiry or after the booklet is exhausted. In such cases, the authorities may order a post-police verification, an inspection after receiving the reissued document.

In the standard procedure, the entire process can take up to 15 days from start to finish. However, when applying via Tatkaal mode, you can complete this process within 7-10 days. The exact passport reissue time can vary on several factors, such as the need for pre-police verification or post-police verification.

You can check the status of your reissue application online using one of the following methods –

Through Passport Seva Website

• Step 1: Visit the Passport Seva website.
• Step 2: Click on the ‘Track Application Status’ bar.
• Step 3: On the following page, select the type of application, enter the date of birth and file number.
• Step 4: Click on ‘Track Status’ to see how far your application has been processed.

Through mPassport Seva Application

Register on the mPassport Seva application after downloading it on your Android or iOS phone. You would need to enter your date of birth and application file number to access the status.

Additionally, it is also possible to acquire information about reissue status offline. Here are some ways to do the same – 

• SMS Tracking – Send an SMS from your registered mobile number to 9704100100. Type ‘STATUS FILE NUMBER’ in the SMS.
• National Call Centre – Call 18002581800 between 8 am and 10 pm for an automated interactive voice response status.