Tatkal Passport Application Process: There are situations when a passport is needed urgently, especially for official travel or medical emergencies. In such cases, waiting for the regular passport process can be stressful. To address this urgency, the government offers the Tatkal passport application facility for applicants who need their passports on short notice.
Compared to a regular passport, the Tatkal passport process is much faster. While a regular passport typically takes 30 to 45 days to be issued, a Tatkal passport is processed in significantly less time. One significant relief for applicants is that no verification certificate from a gazetted officer is required under this scheme.
Documents Required for Tatkal Passport Application
According to the Passport Seva website, applicants must submit any three documents from the prescribed list when applying for a Tatkal passport. These documents are used to verify identity and address, and to expedite the process.
Accepted documents include Aadhaar card, voter ID card, service identity card issued by a government or private company, caste certificate, pension-related documents, PAN card and driving licence. Applicants must ensure that the documents are valid and match their personal details correctly.
Tatkal Passport Fees Explained
If you are applying for a new Tatkal passport with a validity of 10 years and 36 pages, the applicable fee is ₹3,500. For those who prefer a 60-page passport booklet, the cost increases to ₹4,000. If a passport is lost or stolen, a Tatkal passport with remaining validity is issued. For a 36-page passport under such circumstances, the fee is ₹5,000. The exact amount may vary depending on the applicant’s situation and passport category.
How Long Does It Take to Get a Tatkal Passport?
According to Passport Seva guidelines, once the application is successfully submitted and shows the final “granted” status, the passport is usually dispatched on the third working day after submission, excluding the date of submission. Under the Tatkal scheme, passport issuance does not wait for the police verification report, which is one reason for faster processing.
Who Is Not Eligible for a Tatkal Passport?
The Tatkal passport facility is not available to everyone. Individuals born outside India to Indian parents are not eligible under this scheme. It also does not apply to those who have acquired Indian citizenship through the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Applicants seeking a name change on their passport under the Tatkal scheme are not eligible. Residents of Jammu and Kashmir are also excluded from this facility. Additionally, children adopted by Indian or foreign parents and children whose parents are separated but not legally divorced cannot apply for a Tatkal passport.