Given that a passport is essentially a travel document with details of the holder’s name, nationality, sex, date of birth and place of birth, it is the most critical document which establishes the identity of an individual traveling abroad. Consequently, loss of a passport has serious repercussions for an individual unless he or she applies for a duplicate passport at the earliest.

How to Apply for Duplicate Passport Online

Applicants can also choose to apply for a duplicate passport online, through the Passport Seva website managed by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.

On the website’s homepage, scroll to the Online Services’ and select the type of service being applied for:

• Ordinary passport
• Diplomatic passport
• Police clearance certificate
• Identity certificate
• Surrender certificate

On selecting the relevant option, you will be directed to a page detailing the steps to be followed to apply online.

• You will first have to register on the Passport Seva Online Portal by clicking on the Register Now’ link provided.
• Enter the information requested and create a new account, after which you will receive a link to activate your Passport Seva account.
• You will then be able to fill in the online form.
• Check the details before submitting the form.
• You will receive an acknowledgement that can be used to track the status of your passport application through the Passport Seva website.

Duplicate Passport Application Form Online

When applying for a duplicate passport, individuals are required to submit a fresh passport application form. This is the same form as the new passport form. The form can be downloaded from the Passport Seva website managed by the Government of India.

Login using your login id and password and then click

The Re-issue of Passport’ option and select the relevant option from the ones provided:

• Validity expired within 3 years/due to expire
• Exhaustion of pages
• Validity expired more than 3 years ago
• Lost passport
• Change in existing personal particulars
• Damaged passport

Based on the option selected, provide the relevant details in the subsequent columns. Fill in all the relevant information and attach copies of the documents mentioned below:(list of documents to be attached mentioned in original doc)

Documents Required

The documents which have to be submitted are listed below:

1. Affidavit with details of how a passport got damaged or was lost (Annexure ‘L’)
2. No Objection Certificate (Annexure ‘M’)/Prior Intimation Letter (Annexure ‘N’)
3. Current address (proof)
   • Telephone bill
   • Certificate from Employer
   • Water bill
   • Election Photo ID card
   • Income Tax Assessment Order
   • Passport copy of spouse
   • Aadhaar Card
   • Parent’s passport copy
   • Gas Connection
   • Registered Rent Agreement
4. Police report (FIR)
5. Date of birth (proof)
   • Secondary School leaving certificate from the last school attended or an educational institution which is recognised
   • Birth certificate issued by a municipal authority or an authorized office
   • Semi-literate or literate applicants: Affidavit sworn before a notary stating the place and date of birth (Annexure ‘A’)
6. Photocopy of the first and last pages of old passport ( ECR/Non-ECR page), if available (optional)
7. Passport-size photographs

It is important to note that submission of a photocopy of the previous passport is not compulsory. However, pertinent details mentioned in the previous passport such as place of issue, date of issue, passport number and date of expiry should be submitted with the passport application form. In case an individual does not have the aforementioned details, he should contact embassy officials.

Duplicate Passport Fees

The fee to be paid for the issue of a duplicate passport varies depending on the type of passport, the age of the applicant, the number of pages in the passport booklet, the reason for the duplicate passport as well the type of application (normal or tatkal).

Passport application fee can be paid through credit card or debit card as well as through net banking. In case of tatkaal passports, the additional tatkaal amount is to be paid in cash at the Passport Kendra during the time of collection of the passport.

The table below lists the charges to be paid for a normal passport or a tatkaal passport:

A tatkaal passport would be issued to applicants within 1-3 days of receiving the application form and documents.

Reasons for Applying for Duplicate Passport

1. Loss of Passport

In case an individual in India loses his passport, he should file a report at a police station and a passport office. If he is residing abroad, he should immediately contact the Indian Mission. Furthermore, the individual should apply for a re-issue’ by filling out the passport application form at a Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) and submit the required documents along with it. According to central passport organisation, Ministry of External Affairs, the re-issuance of a passport may take up to seven working days where verification by police is not required. However, in cases where police verification is compulsory, it may take up to 30 working days.

2. Damaged Passport

It is important to note that the procedure to apply for reissue’ of a passport is same both for damaged and lost passports. Damaged passports are categorised into two kinds – passports which are partially damaged in that the name, photo and passport number of the holder is legible and passports which get damaged beyond recognition.

Passport holders whose passports are partially damaged can avail of the Tatkaal scheme and apply for a re-issue of their passport. However, if a passport has been completely damaged, the Tatkaal scheme cannot be availed as the individual has to report at his nearest Passport Seva Kendra to get a passport.

3. Emergency Situations

In case an Indian passport holder loses his passport while traveling abroad but has to enter India owing to an emergency situation such as death of a family member, he can do so by producing an emergency certificate’.