My passport was expiring by May 2014, and I realized that one must apply for a renewal within 6 months of its expiry (Most countries require that the passport be valid for a period of 6 months after the dates of the proposed visit, which means that if a passport has less than 6 months’ validity, you will not be able to visit a country even if you have a valid entry visa.)
Not expecting much, I applied for the passport renewal online. Filling up the various forms took a long time, as I had to be very careful wihile filling up the form. It’s best to keep your passport and other details handy before sitting down to this task.
At the end of this process, I was given a date and time for the passport renewal interview, which I accepted.
On the assigned date, I went to the Passport Seva Kendra (identify the most convenient one at
http://passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/welcomeLink
and give that as your preferred location)
And though initially, there was a lot of confusion about where to go and what to do, I was able to figure the process out without much difficulty. I had also taken the necessary documents with me (in my case, just a xerox copy of the first and last pages of my passport) and after about two hours, I had completed the formalities.I also paid to register for an SMS alert. All this was done on 31st Jan 2014.
I was given an id and a password which I could enter to track the status of my application.
On Friday, the 14th of Feb, I got an SMS that my passport had been despatched via Speed Post. As my permanent address is another flat in the same apartment building where I live, I was a little worried about whether the postman would go there and take back the passport. However, he was redirected to my apartment and he actually came over and delivered the document to me this morning (17th Feb 2014).
I accomplished the whole process on my own, without any bribes to anyone, or any help. It was a time-consuming process, and I do not know what would have happened if I had not been at home when the Speed Post arrived, but it was fortunate that I did not have to face this scenario.
I would like to thank the Passport Seva Kendra for having streamlined the renewal process and made it easy for an ordinary citizen like me to renew the passport. It’s a very good feeling to know that things can be accomplished without any bribe, and without much difficulty.