Indian Passport Application for 9 Month Old Baby

We have a new traveler in our group now. Our baby girl is 9 months old as of this month. We applied for her Indian Passport in Delhi last week (ITO Passport Seva Kendra). It was a fairly straightforward process. This was under the General Category (not Tatkaal).

Documents that were looked at by the officers:

• Baby’s birth certificate (online black and white printout from South Delhi Municipal Corporation was acceptable).
• Passports of Both Parents (photocopies of first 2 pages and last page were needed)
• Our passports had spouse names endorsed – so that helped simplify things
• Parents’ Aadhaar Cards for Address Proof (our passports had an older address from a different state).
• Annexure D (Declaration of Parent/Guardian for Minor Passports) – make sure when you sign this, the signature matches that on your passport. Available at: http://passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/pdf/AnnexureD.pdf
• 2 passport sized photographs (on white background) were needed — this was not listed on the passport website, but luckily a friend warned us. They don’t photograph the baby, but use the photos that you take with you.

They did take a fingerprint of the baby, with the ink-pad (not with the scanner machine).

That was it. We were given a fast track number, because baby was less than 4 years old. Our number was called very quickly at each counter, and we were done in less than 1 hour. The passport is apparently in the mail now (6 days after applying).

Police Verification has been initiated on a post-issuance basis. This means that the passport will be issued, and police verification will happen afterwards.

Police Verification Part 2 – LIU Check

About a week after the first part of the police verification was complete (click for previous post), my landline rang. The local intelligence unit (LIU) was calling. They asked me to come to their office – didn’t ask to bring any specific documents. The person had asked me to come on Saturday morning – but he wasn’t there when I reached.

Anyway, he spoke quite nicely to me on the phone, and obliged me by coming to my house on Sunday morning. He asked the following questions (can’t remember every question):

• What do you do?
• More probing questions about my work
• Are you sure you don’t do service in Delhi and actually live there? (as opposed to my home town where this check was taking place)
• How long have you lived at this address?
• Other general questions

He also asked to look at the following documents:

• Old passport
• Additional address proof – he demanded a voter ID card, but I showed him a gas connection document – which was fine.
• Photograph

He took my signature on a number of documents, and finally took a bribe (Rs. 1000) and left. I haven’t heard any further – so I assume all is well, and the police verification is complete.

Police Verification – Tatkaal Passport

The local police in my home town (small town in UP) were quite efficient about it. About 10 days after my passport was approved, I got a phone call from the police station. They asked me to submit the following documents at the station:

• 2 passport police verification affidavits signed by my two local reference persons (the people I had specified on my passport application). This is a standard affidavit, and is available from any registrar/notary.
• 2 proofs of address (I had a copy of my Punjab National Bank passbook and a gas connection in my name)
• 2 photographs

All seemed pretty straightforward. Except that I couldn’t visit the police station in person (I was traveling for work). It was sorted out after paying a Rs. 1000 bribe to the official in-charge.

So, it seems, that the police verification is complete. Though I have no way of actually checking the status – the passportindia.gov website doesn’t seem to have any information on this.

The police never actually visited my home.

Finally some relief with the Passport Application – 5th visit.

Today was my 5th visit to the Ghaziabad PSK since last July. They finally accepted my application. But I’m keeping my fingers crossed till I actually have the new passport in my hands.

The day was positive – but not without some drama. In my old passport, my father’s name was spelt “Rajeev”. But his name is actually spelt “Rajiv” in all other documents, including in the verification certificate (Annexure F) that I had got made for my passport application. I had to spend some time convincing the head of the passport centre that it is a minor spelling difference. Finally she agreed and let me use the verification certificate with “Rajiv” (though she refused to let me update the spelling in the new passport).

Let’s hope this comes through.

For those looking for guidance on passport application matters, please refer to a series of posts by me (in chronological order). This should give you a fair idea of what to expect.

1. https://insertindian.wordpress.com/2013/07/26/trouble-renewing-passport-last-passport-was-issued-abroad/
2. http://dharmbhai.blogspot.in/2011/08/passport-tatkal-annexure-f-woes-galore.html
3. https://insertindian.wordpress.com/2013/10/15/passport-application-round-2/
4. https://insertindian.wordpress.com/2013/10/29/passport-application-round-3-failed-again-annexure-f-too-old/
5. https://insertindian.wordpress.com/2014/06/12/passport-woes-continue-the-system-really-needs-some-streamlining/

Passport woes continue – the system really needs some streamlining

Went for the fourth time to the Ghaziabad Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) yesterday. Multiple issues to report.

1. My wife & I got appointments on different days, even though we booked appointments within a 30-second timeframe.
2. I tried going into the PSK with my wife on her appointment – but that wasn’t allowed. Fair enough.
3. The passport website’s document advisor clearly states that a copy of a spouse’s passport is enough address proof. I gave my wife all the following documents, but the PSK folks refused to accept them as valid address proof: My passport’s copy, My bank statement copy, and our marriage certificate. This is clearly in contradiction of what they say on their own website.
4. On our last visit to the same PSK they had accepted the above documents as proof of address (but had complained about something else, and not accepted our application). They are contradicting what they themselves were willing to accept a few months ago.

Overall I think there’s some scam going on – I just don’t understand what. We even asked them to “recommend” a good passport agent – but they point blank said that applications can’t be made through agents. If any of you have ideas on how to deal with these folks please tell me – I have been struggling now for almost a year!

Shortage of Passport Booklets in India

Shortage of Passport Booklets in India

Looks like there is a shortage of passport booklets in India right now, and there is a large backlog of passport applications. I was thinking of trying to apply for my passport again, but now I think I will wait a few weeks.

Click link below for the news item: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Short-supply-of-booklets-delays-passport-issuance/articleshow/30420348.cms

India’s Visa on Arrival – torn down

For those of us hoping that other countries would reciprocate and give Indians visa on arrival – I hate do dash your hopes.

Quoting the Indian Express: “The Bureau of Immigration will set up a website for this and upon submission of an application, it will email an electronic visa/travel authorisation within 2-3 days, allowing the tourist to enter India and also facilitate easier verification at airports.” (http://bit.ly/1fyO2U2)

You may have noticed statements like the above buried at the bottom of all newspaper articles announcing “Visa on Arrival” in India for 180 countries. This above statement doesn’t suggest “visa on arrival” at all!!

For it to be actually “visa on arrival”, the tourist should just be able to turn up at an Indian airport and complete all visa formalities there. Looks like India will still be requiring tourists to get a visa before travel. 

Of course, if they implement what they promise, applying for a visa online and receiving it electronically is a far cry above having to wait in line for hours at various Indian Embassies around the world. So Kudos anyway!

Passport Application – Round 3 (failed again!) – Annexure F too old

This is the round 3 in my series of passport application related posts. See my older posts here (round 1) and here (round 2).

This time my wife & I both went. We were pretty confident we had all our documents in order. But the PSK found a reason to turn us away again. We had Verification Certificates (Annexure F) issued by the local customs department on 18 September. Today is 29 October. So the Verification Certificates are more than 1 month old. This was not accepted. We were advised to go back to the person who created the verification certificate, and ask him to change the date on the certificate & initial it.

The documents I took for myself are listed in this old blog post: here (round 2).

The documents I took for my wife are listed below:

• Marriage Certificate (for name change)
• Husband’s Passport – for address
• Letter from her employer stating that she has been employed since April 1 2012 (date mentioned explicitly) and that she has lived at our address since then (address mentioned explicitly). Letter has to be on a company letter head, with a company stamp & HR signature.
• Verification Certificate (Annexure F)
• Annexure I

The office said her documents were all in order, except for the expired verification certificate. Let’s hope he remembers this the next time we apply. I am a bit nervous about the name change documents requirement.

Passport Application – Round 2

You may remember that I’m in the middle of trying to get my passport renewed in Tatkaal (click here for old post about passport renewal). The last time I visited the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) in Ghaziabad, they sent me away demanding that I bring a Verification Certificate (Annexure F) and Affidavit (Annexure I).

After great pains & 2 months of asking around, I found a friend who has contacts at the Customs Department in Delhi. Thanks to this friend I was able to get a Verification Certificate made. It was signed by a deputy commissioner.

So today I went to the PSK again. This time he didn’t even look at the Verification Certificate. Instead he demanded an address proof (even though I’m not asking for a change of address – my address is on my passport). He also demanded a letter of employment. Both showing that I have been at my address for the last 1 year.

I didn’t have these on me, because they didn’t ask for them when I last went. Also the Document Advisor on the passportindia.gov.in website is the most fucking useless tool. It only ‘advised’ me to take my passport with me. Nothing else. And now I have made 2 trips to the PSK without ‘adequate’ documents.

And I’m dead sure that the next time I go to the PSK, they will find another excuse to send me away. I’m starting to think there’s a government conspiracy here (incidentally all the passport officers there were sending EVERYONE away with some excuse or another – I saw at least 5 people being turned away for lack of proper documents, and NOT A SINGLE person being admitted)

Anyway – this is the running list of documents that the PSK has demanded from me so far (for a Tatkaal Passport):

1. Old Passport (+ 2 photocopies)

2. Verification Certificate (2 originals)

• Get the official text of this certificate here (also known as Annexure F)
• Need 2 originals
• On official letterhead of the signing authority
• Has to be signed & stamped by the authority
• There has to be a sign & stamp across the photo and the page
• Have to include authority’s ID card photocopy (official department ID card showing their designation — not their aadhar card or driving license or something).
• (Update) Seems that the validity of an Annexure F is only 1 month. Ensure you apply within 1 month from date of issue of the Annxure F. If more than a month as passed, go back to the issuing authority and get the date changed on the certificate (with their initials)

3. Annexure I – Affidavit (click here for text) on judicial stamp paper of minimal value

4. Marriage Certificate (+ 2 photocopies) — if you are married, of course

5. Address proof (address on your passport doesn’t count at all – trust me)

• Could be a utility bill or bank statement covering the period of the last 1 year
• Original + 2 photocopies needed

6. Letter from Employer saying you are employed and have lived at above address for last 1 year

• On original company letterhead with their stamp
• Better to have your photo on the letter, with the company stamp across the photo

7. They have even asked for a Company ID

 

Not sure what else they will demand when I turn up there next. I’m happy to even pay them a bribe, but that doesn’t seem to be on the cards.

Passport Annexure F Problems

Passport Annexure F Problems

Just read a fantastic & harrowing blog post by Dharmesh Shah about getting an ‘Annexure F’ for the Tatkal passport process. Highly recommend you read it & learn from his experience. In short, this is what you need to know (quoted from Dharmesh’s blog):

Annexure F needs to meet following criteria:
A) 2 sets of Originals required
B) Has to be on Printed Stationary and not computer generated letterhead
C) Have to provide ID proof (in 2 copies) as Liquor Card/Canteen Card of the Serving Officer…
(For Public Sector Officials) Need to provide office ID card showing that person’s designation as well. Else, get another letter from the same official stating that he indeed is who he claims to be, i.e He is the GM of Bank of XYZ. etc.
D) The photograph on Appendix I and Appendix F needs to be the SAME one as in the application

 

See the full post here: http://dharmbhai.blogspot.in/2011/08/passport-tatkal-annexure-f-woes-galore.html