How To Apply For A Passport For Government Employees

According to the Ministry Of External Affairs, any resident of India over 18 can apply for a passport. This includes government employees, whose application processes are more simplified when compared to the application processes of other Indian citizens. Individuals who can apply for government employee passports include:

• State Government Employees.
• Central Government Employees.
• Employees of PSUs.
• Employees of Autonomous Bodies like Universities (AIIMS, AMU, Indian Academy of Sciences (Bangalore), IIFT, etc.).

Government employees of India travelling for official purposes are issued a white passport. These individuals can apply for a passport as regular citizens, but doing so would require them to present additional documents for their passport application process, that a passport application for government employees wouldn't.

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All government employees that apply for a passport will need to present a set of documents needed to verify their authenticity. This includes documents that provide identity and address proof, the same as a regular citizen, and some unique documents that only government employees need to present.

Identity Proof

As the name suggests, identity proof documents verify the individual's identity and ascertain whether they are who they say they are. Documents that include details like the applicant's name, date of birth, and other basic bio-data about the individual come under this category.

Some examples of valid documents you can produce for identity verification are:

• Birth Certificate.
• PAN Card.
• Aadhar Card.
• Certificates For Academic Qualifications (HSC, SSLC, and/or Bachelor's Degree certificates).

Address Proof

Applicants need to present documents that state the current residential address of their place of stay. Valid documents under this category can be:

• PAN Card.
• Aadhaar Card.
• Bank Passbook.
• Income Tax Returns (ITR).
• Any utility bill receipt (Water, Gas, Electricity bills).

Specified Documents

Apart from the documents mentioned above, government employees also need to present additional documents when applying for a passport. Three primary documents, to be precise.

On all three of these documents, the controlling authority's telephone, fax, and email ID should be included for the passport office to confirm the applicant's details. All three documents will be valid for six months from their issue date.

Here are the additional documents needed for a passport application for government employees:

1.Prior Intimation Letter (PI)

This is a letter from the applicant to their controlling authority or administration informing them about their passport application. A PI letter must be sent before they start their application process. The letter format is covered under Annexure H for the passport for government employees on the Passport Seva website. So after the passport application has been submitted, a copy of this letter will be sent to the same authority or administration. Suppose the controlling authority has any objection regarding the applicant's passport application. In that case, they must report to the Regional Passport Office with their reasons for the objection.

The final decision, however, will lie with the Passport Issuing Authority. Additionally, the PI letter must be submitted on plain paper.

2. No Objection Certificate (NOC)

The No Objection Certificate for passports for state government employees or NOC should be issued in the format of Annexure G for passports for government employees. An NOC certificate is needed for the passport application of government and PSU employees in India. Even with a No Objection Certificate, the passport will be issued only after the police verification.

This applies when providing an NOC for all government employees for passports. The NOC can be submitted on plain paper with the signature or stamp of the issuing authority.

3. Identity Certificate (IC)

This is also issued by the governing authority under which the applicant works in the format of Annexure A provided on the Passport Seva website. An Identity Certificate is used by government servants, PSU employees, and autonomous body employees to get their passports.

With an IC, applicants can skip the police verification process, and their passports will be issued on a no-police verification basis. The IC should be submitted on Official Stationery with Office letterhead.

Government employees can apply for a passport on the Passport Seva website either through a regular scheme or under a Tatkal scheme.

1. Applicants need to register and log in to the Passport Seva website.
2. Next, choose "Apply For A Fresh/Re-Issue Of A Passport" under the Tatkal or regular scheme.
3. Fill out the application form and pay the online application fees through the site.
4. Choose an appropriate appointment slot at your closest Passport Seva office or RTO, and remember to download and print out your application receipt to present on the day of your appointment.

All that's left is for you to attend your in-person interview with all your required documents. Then, based on the documents submitted, you may or may not need to under police verification to be issued a passport. Once approved, the passport will be dispatched to your address through speed post.

The application fee will depend on the scheme and type of booklet chosen when applying for a government employee passport.

As you can see, the application process for a passport for government employees is, for the most part, the same as it is if a regular citizen. The only differences lie in the documents they must present during their appointment.

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