Passport Reference Letter and other tips (India)

So, my Passport is due for renewal shortly. Most countries require a minimum of 6 months valid Passport to issue visa. I am against paying bribes and had decided to stick to my principles. This post is about my journey.

I had submitted my application for Passport Renewal through Passport Seva Kendra (PSK). Filling form is fairly easy. Let me share some tips:

1. Select a PSK which is close to your home / office
2. Be present at PSK at least 15 mins prior to appointment time
3. Make sure your photocopies are clear and are visible
4. For Date of Birth, you can submit, Secondary School Certificate copy. Note: If the certificate is in your native language and you're submitting an application in a state where they do not speak your native language, you'll have to get an affidavit stating that the information in the certificate is true and get the contents translated into English
5. For Emmigration check not required, since you're submitting Xth class certificate it is sufficient. It is good to carry your highest qualification certificate though
6. Your photo will be captured at PSK, make sure you look clean :)
7. For address proof, your Landline bill / Employer address proof + employee id card copy / Electricity bill etc., could be submitted
8. Application form states that, income tax assessment order could be produced as Address proof, but since orders are sent by email as a go green initiative, you'll have a softcopy. Now, PSK officials insist on originals! Even if you tell them its original, go green, Government of India proof they won't consider (Some officers may consider but you wouldn't want to risk it)
9. If you have changed addresses in last one year, some officers may ask for proof of address of previous address as well. For this most banks send account statements by email every month, take couple of months' statement and keep it handy / any other valid address proof
10. PSK has an sms service with a fee of about INR 40. Please go for it.
11. Your Spouse's / Parents' Passport copy could be used for Proof of Address as well
12. If you're renewing your Passport, do not forget to carry your previous Passport, you'll have to get a 'Cancelled' stamp on it
13. Once they cancel your previous passport, all your document copies will be returned to you

Right after I had submitted, I received an sms saying that, your application has been submitted. Passport was printed in 3 days and got dispatched through Speed post. In case, you are not able to track your consignment, you can call Speed post customer care. For more information, click here: http://www.indiapost.gov.in/SpeedPost.aspx

When the Post man arrives, you'll have to be present at home and produce your original id card. If you're not at home, these guys leave a slip and the local post office Landline (yes may not be mobile) number. Most post offices have stipulated timings for the same, ring them up and visit the office. When I visited the office, post man was out for distribution I guess. Some other kind employee, handed it over to me. To my surprise he didn't ask for any money!

After couple of days, I received sms and email stating that my Police verification is due and I should approach the (stated in sms / mail) Police station with in 30 Days, if there was no response from Police. I had stayed at two places in the last one year so I had to visit two police stations. Mind you the documents asked by Police could be different from what they ask at PSK. Cop has to get satisfied that you're a citizen of India, stay at the current address, work in current city, countries you've visited etc., 

Some tips again

1. Date of Birth - Not much of a hassle. Same documents as above
2. Carry a copy of your company id card
3. Address proof - They insist only on Electricity bill / Bank statement / Gas bill / Landline bill. They ask for the oldest possible bill and the latest. So carry both
4. Two Passport photographs - Carry latest ones
5. References / Reference letter. You might be asked to produce two reference letters if in case, you do not have satisfactory address proofs for last place of stay. I have used below format and it worked fine. (Note: There is no set format)
   

   

   You can print Reference letter on an A4 sheet

   
   
   At both the police stations, I was asked to pay 'fees', which I refused politely. One of the cop let me go. Other insisted that there is 2:30 Hours more work on my file, I mentioned, I will assist him with all the documents / to perform his job well. He is yet to visit my place. Let's see how things shape up.

I currently stay in Bangalore. The TAT per police website is 21 days. But, once you visit a station you realise the volume of applications in cities like Bangalore is quite high. If you see all this as a hassle, you can part with some "smiling Gandhijis". But on the other hand, see the potential Black money you can curb. Anyway, all the best!

www.bcp.gov.in