Police Passport Verification Queries

Police verification for a Passport is a very important step when it comes to getting your passport. Passports are important travel documents that allow an individual to travel abroad. Every country has its passport including India.

In India, a passport is issued under the provision of the Passport Act, of 1967, which regulates the issuing and reissuing of the passport. For getting your passport, there are various steps which are involved including police verification.

This is done to confirm the identity and address of the applicant. This is done to ensure that the applicant is not a security threat and that the information provided in the passport application is accurate.

In this article, we will discuss the Police Passport Verification process, queries, etc. But first, let’s find out which law is concerned with police passport verification.

The Passports Act, of 1967

Passport Police Verification is conducted under the provisions of the Passports Act, 1967, and the Passports Rules, 1980.

 It outlines the procedures for applying for a passport, the eligibility criteria for obtaining a passport, and the penalties for violating the provisions of the Act.

Under Section 5(2) of the Passports Act, 1967, the Passport Issuing Authority may conduct police verification of the applicant’s identity and address.

This is done to ensure that the applicant is not a security threat and that the information provided in the passport application is accurate.

The police verification process is conducted by the local police station under whose jurisdiction the applicant’s residence falls.

How is police verification for a passport conducted in India?

Police verification for a passport is an essential step in the passport issuance process. It is done to verify the identity of the person along with the address of the resident for security reasons. The police verification for a passport is conducted by the following steps-

• After submission of the passport application at the Passport Seva Kendra on the appointment date, you’ll be issued with few documents from the Kendra
• The passport Issuing Authority (PIA) will send the application to the local police station under whose jurisdiction the applicant’s residence falls
• The police will then visit the applicant’s address to verify the information provided in the passport application. The applicant or their family members may be asked to provide additional information if required
• The police may also conduct a criminal background check and may ask for a non-family guarantee who will confirm your identity and residence
• Once the verification process is completed, the police will submit a report to the PIA indicating whether the applicant’s identity and address have been verified
• Based on the report submitted by the police verification report, the PIA will approve or disapprove the passport application
• The entire process may take several weeks or even months depending on the applicant’s location and other factors.
• You’ll have the option to expedite the process but that has to be done at the time of filling the application form mentioned tatkal as an option for filling the passport application form

What are the documents required for police verification for a passport?

The following are the documents required for police verification of passport-

• Proof of identity: This can be any government-issued photo ID card such as Aadhaar Card, PAN Card, Voter ID Card, Driving License, etc.
• Proof of address: This can be any document that contains the applicant’s current address such as an electricity bill, water bill, gas connection bill, landline or mobile phone bill, rent agreement, bank account statement, etc.
• Passport Application Form: The applicant must provide a printout of the passport application form with two recent passport-size photographs.
• A copy of the passport fee payment receipt

Note- The police officer may demand other documents as well to ensure that the verification of the individual is done properly

How to Check the Status of Police Verification for Passport in India?

The following are the steps that you can follow to check the status of the Police verification for your passport in India-

• Visit the official Passport Seva website by following this link- https://portal2.passportindia.gov.in/
• Now, click on the “Track Application Status” button followed by selecting the type of application you’ve applied for as Fresh/Re-issue or Tatkaal
• Enter your file number or date of birth and click on “Track Status”
• You’ll be prompted with various statuses of the passport-
  • If police verification has been initiated, you will see the status “Police Verification Initiated” on the screen
  • If police verification has been completed, you will see the status “Police Verification Report Submitted” on the screen
  • If police verification has not yet been initiated, the status will show “Pending for Police Verification”

Note: If you’ve applied for a passport under the tatkal scheme, police verification is conducted after the issuing of the passport. You may see the status of the passport as “Passport Printed” even though police verification is pending. The passport will be dispatched without police verification, and the verification will be conducted later.

What if Police Verification Fails for a Passport?

In case police verification fails then it means that the police may not feel fit or documents to be evident enough for them to confirm the identity of the person. There may be other reasons for the police verification to fail. In such a case, the applicant will be informed about the failure of the verification process and will be given a chance to provide an explanation or clarification.

The following are the reasons for the passport verification failure-

• Incorrect or incomplete information provided in the passport application
• Criminal records or pending criminal cases against the applicant
• Previous involvement in anti-national or anti-social activities
• Previous passport application rejection or adverse police verification report

In case, the passport application is rejected then the applicant has the option to appeal against the rejection and provide additional information or clarification to support the case. You may have to appear before the police authorities and provide an explanation.

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