How to renew your passport

A passport has to be renewed once in every 10 years. The essential document works as a proof of age and address, and is an authentic form of ID for school and work enrollment.

However, passports are majorly needed for international travel. When a person travels abroad, the document helps them get identified as a citizen of India. Alongside, in the case of an emergency or international embargo, your passport will help you get out of dire situations and come back home.

Before embarking into how to renew your passport, it is necessary to know why they expire to begin with.

Why do passports expire?

Passports are not a document that you can carry around for the rest of your life, like an Aadhaar card or PAN card. The document expires, and there are a multitude of reasons for the same, such as:

• Security purposes: A lot can change in 10 years. Someone who was allowed to travel some years ago could be blacklisted owing to any reason, and is not allowed to travel anymore. Thus, an expired passport will ensure that the person cannot bypass security measures.

• Preventing fraud: The documents expire to prevent fraud as well. For example, if your passport gets stolen, the individual possessing it cannot use it to carry out heinous acts for the duration of their lifetime. On that note, it is also essential to inform the authorities if you lose it.

• Keeping your details updated: An individual’s physical appearance changes drastically in ten years, alongside their geographical information. By renewing your passport, your updated details are on the document at all times, making for easy identification.

On that note, how does one renew this extremely important document?

How to renew your passport

The renewals of passports in India requires both online and offline steps. You need to undergo the following steps to update the document correctly and efficiently:

• Register and log in to the Passport Seva Online Portal.
• Select “Apply for Fresh Passport/Re-issue of Passport,” which will take you to the application form
• Fill in your details and required and submit it
• Pay the required fee
• Download the application receipt.

After the online steps are complete, you have to go to the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) or the Regional Passport Office (RPO) with your original documents to complete the process. However, there are a few things to remember:

• Booking an appointment is vital.
• The only people exempt from appointments are those with medical emergencies and children below 4
• Carry an updated photo of dimensions 4.5 cm X 3.5 cm, having a while background.
• If you do not visit the Passport Seva Kendra within 90 days of submitting your form, you will have to undergo the entire process again.

Getting your passport renewed is quite simple, with the process being the same as applying for a new one. You must make sure that all your details are correct before filling out the application form, and incorrect details will lead to huge hassles later.

Read more: What is ePassport? All about the Government of India’s initiative