The police verification stage is an important security measure with regard to the issuance of passports in India. The police verification for passport can, depending on a number of factors, be done pre-issuance or post-issuance of the actual passport, and there are some cases in which police verification is not even required. This article will provide clarity on all aspects of passport police verification status, pre or post issuance factors, and shed light on some of the lesser known details of the passport police verification process.
How Passport Police Verification is Done
Firstly, there are three primary modes of police verification:
- Before the passport has been issued: Pre Police Verification.
- After the passport has been issued: Post Police Verification.
- No Police Verification.
The only difference between the first two is when the police come to the mentioned address to verify the identity of the applicant – before the passport is issued and dispatched, or after the Indian Passport has been issued and dispatched.
What is Pre Police Verification for Passport?
In most cases, the police verification happens after the applicant has submitted the application and all related required documents, annexures, etc. but before the application has been approved (and before the passport is issued).
The passport office communicates the identity and address details of the applicant to the relevant police station, and the police verification process begins. An officer is assigned the task of locating the address, and ensuring that the applicant so named resides in that address, and the officer also verifies the age and other personal information about the applicant.
If the applicant is present and accounted for, and all the details are accurate, the officer confirms the same with the police station, who then relays the information to the passport office, who will then issue the passport to the applicant. This is pre-passport issuance police verification.
What is Post Police Verification for Passport?
While it’s true that pre-passport issuance police verification is the most common form of police verification, there are cases in which the passport office (PO) decides that post passport issuance police verification is the right way to go.
A good example of post-passport issuance police verification is in the case of government employees / PSU employees who submit a “No Objection Certificate” or “NOC” through Annexure “M”. These applicants have their passport issued before the police verification process, and these cases fall under the post-passport issuance police verification process.
Another good example for post passport issuance police verification is in the case of passport applications for minor children, which has been done by his/her parents, who are both valid passport holders, and residing in the same address.
The police verification would already have been done for the parents at the time when they applied for their passports, so the passport office gives them the benefit of the doubt, and issues the passport first – before intimating the police verification team at the police station.
How will the Passport Police Verification Process work Online?
The truth is that it is already working. Police stations in Vivek nagar and Ashok nagar have already benefitted from the whole process. Earlier the policemen had to go to the individual’s home for verification and all the submission of forms and documents would take ages to actually be processed. But now, two constables in each police stations are equipped with a tablet and trained to collect all the information and documents online with the help of the tablets. The police, have higher priorities that slow down the verification process such as maintaining law and order in the area. The officials and parties are now satisfied with the fact that the verification is possible to be done in 10 days. In fact one of these teams from a police station in Bengaluru managed to carry out 90 verifications in only 6 days.
For those who are already at locations that have this system, it is recommended to have all the soft copies and documents ready to make the process much faster.
Police Verification After The Passport Has Been Issued
The Government aims at quicker delivery of passports so that things get convenient for the common people. It stated that the police verification associated with the process will take place after the travel document has been issued. This will happen if the required documents are submitted at the time of application. The Government is trying to liberalize the police verification process for issuance of passport.
As per the statement issued by MEA, all applicants who furnish their Aadhaar cards, Electoral Photo Identity Card, Permanent Account Number will get their passports issued faster without having to pay any extra fees or charges.
The MEA also stated that after the Aadhaar number of the applicant has been verified online, the passport will be issued. Electoral Photo Identity Card and Permanent Account Number can also be validated, if needed.
Last year in the month of August, the Government had stated that police verification is not required for reissuance of passports. The mPassport Police application has been launched by the External Affairs Ministry for quick submission of the verification report.
The application will be facilitating field level verification for capturing the report and feeding them into the system digitally. According to a recent release, the application will reduce paperwork to a great extent. The need of downloading and printing the application will not be there anymore. The entire process is going to become digital.
No Police Verification for Fresh Passport
In some rare cases, the Passport Office deems it completely unnecessary for a Police Verification to happen for certain passport applications.
For example, government / psu / statutory body employees who
apply for the passport by submitting a document known as an “identity certificate” through annexure “b” (in addition to their application documents) will receive their passport without any requirement for police verification.
Applicants with diplomatic or official passports will also not require police verification at the time of applying for an ordinary passport, provided they submit the identity certificate through annexure “b”.
How to Check Police Verification Status for Passport?
When applying for police verification, the police issue different statuses for police verifications conducted.
Given below are the types of verification statuses:
- Clear - this status indicates that the police have found no cause for concern and that the applicant has a clean record (no pending criminal cases against him/her). The police verification found all information provided by the applicant to be true and correct.
- Adverse - this status indicates that the police, in the course of their verification, have found inconsistencies in the information submitted by the applicant, resulting in the passport being withheld or cancelled. These inconsistencies could be due to the applicant providing an incorrect or false address in their application. Another cause could be criminal cases that have been filed against that applicant that are pending in a court of law.
- Incomplete- this status indicates that during the course of the verification process, the police have found the documentation submitted to be incomplete, stopping the process halfway. Another reason could be due to the police station not having filled in the verification report correctly. In some cases where the applicant has not been a resident at his/her current place of residence for a long duration and verification from previous addresses have not been possible, the police could label the verification incomplete due to lack of sufficient information.
- Once the police verification is complete, a report is drawn up and the passport can be cancelled or approved on this basis. In cases where the passport is not sanctioned due to an ‘Adverse’ or “Incomplete’ remark, the applicant can choose to approach the police station that issued the verification report and seek clarity on the reason for the report.
Adverse Police Verification for Passport
If the reason that your passport has been delayed due to the PV being “adverse” here’s what may have happened:
- False address given.
If the police report determines that you do not actually reside in the address that you’ve submitted in your application, the police report will reflect an “adverse” status.
There have been cases where the police officer came for verification at a time when you were temporarily unavailable, and these cases can be resolved by simply writing to the RPO with your file number and requesting a re-verification.
- Unresolved criminal cases.
If there are any unresolved, or pending criminal cases against you, neither the passport office nor the police station can take any steps towards approving your passport until the case has been resolved in court, or, a court order for a temporary short-term passport has been obtained.
If your criminal cases have been resolved but you have still received an “adverse” PV report, you can take a copy of the court order to the RPO and request a re-verification.
In any case, if the issuance of the passport has been delayed, merely contacting the RPO with the relevant file number will give you access to the information about why it was delayed, or why the process has been held up. Once you know the problem, you can contact the relevant authority to have your passport issued faster.
Police Verification Incomplete Passport
If the reason your passport has been delayed, etc. is because of a PV report that says “Incomplete”, it may be due to any of the following reasons:
- If you’ve only been residing at your current residence for less than one year.
Clearance must be obtained from all addresses that have been occupied by the applicant in the last one year. If evidence suggests that the applicant has been at the current residence for less than a year, and clearance from the previous addresses cannot be sought, the PV report can be affected.
- Police station has not filled out report properly.
If the passport office receives an incomplete or inadequately filled Police Verification report, it will send the report back to the concerned police station for re-filing or completion. The police department must be contacted in this case, in order to find out the Passport application status.
- Incomplete documents collected.
If the police verification report contains a note that the officer performing the verification did not collect enough documents to establish that you actually live at your claimed residential address. If you do not furnish the right documents which clarify the period of your stay at a particular residence, the report could be incomplete.
Passport Issued Before Police Verification
Availing a passport is more than just filling up forms and arriving for the interview. The delay is generally due to the police verification. However, individuals can now procure their passport within a lesser amount of time and without too many hassles due to a new directive that has been put forth.
If applicants submit their completely filled out application form along with necessary documents such as Aadhaar card, PAN number and Voter ID along with an affidavit of no criminal case, then the passport will be issued within a week and police verification will be done later. Individuals can choose any of the five earliest available dates for appointment.
The above has been a result of the government’s decision to improve and liberalize the process of police verification for the issue of passport. The government is not compromising on any safety regulation by providing the benefit of post police verification. Previously, the verification for passport took 49 days which was then decreased to 42, then 35 and was finally was brought down to 21 the same year. When it comes to the growth of passport holders in the world, India is the third largest after China and the United States of America.
Until the introduction of Passport Seva Kendras, procurement of passport was nothing short of an encumbrance. Police verification was and is a very important aspect of availing a passport and although the processes have changed from time to time, the basic principle have remained more or less the same, which is confirming the identity and citizenship of the applicant while ensuring that they do not have criminal records against them. Passport Seva Kendras have economized the process of procuring passports while making it highly convenient and faster as well.
If applicants provide copies of their Voter ID, Aadhaar card and PAN card, they will receive their passport within a week as long as they have applied under the normal category. An affidavit in the form of Annexure -I will also have to be provided. This process would have taken a month if police verification was a part of the process. The Ministry of External Affairs has also launched an application known as ‘mPassport Police Application’ for quick submission of police verification documents. In addition to this, a five day appointment window is also available for Passport Applications through which they can choose their date of appointment.
Other Cases
The passport office can also decide whether police verification is required at all in certain cases.
For example, if the application submitted is for a Reissue of expire passport, and the applicant’s name, address, and personal details have not changed – the passport office may only require a post-police verification.
If, however, the application for reissue of an expired passport contains a different address, etc. the Passport Office will require a pre-Police Verification to be carried out to ensure that the applicant’s address has indeed changed, and the applicant no longer resides in the old address.
This is decided depending on the Passport Office’s own records, and the availability of resources to conduct the necessary checks (depending on how many applications the PO has received).
The exceptions for the different types of Police Verification chosen by the Passport Office for reissue are:
- Re-issue in the case of lost / misplaced / stolen passport.
- Re-issue in the case of complete name change.
The passport office takes the final decision in the type of police verification (“pre”, “post”, or “no”) that’s required for different applications – depending on the case itself, the additional documents submitted, additional annexures submitted, whether it is the issue of a new passport, or the re-issue of an existing passport, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) related to Police Verification for passports
- How long does the Passport Office take to dispatch the passport in Pre-Police Verification cases?
The Passport Office will dispatch the passport to you within 3 days after receiving a “Recommendatory” Police Verification Report (PVR) from the concerned police station for normal applications.
This is not applicable for applications under the Tatkal .
- How long does the Passport Office take to dispatch the passport in Post-Police Verification cases?
The Passport Office will dispatch the passport to you within 3 days after receiving your passport application with all the required additional documents and Annexures. The Police Verification will take place after passport dispatch, and there is no need for a PVR before the passport is issued.
Under the tatkal scheme, the po will dispatch the passport on the third working day after receiving the application without the need for a pvr.
- How long does the Passport Office take to dispatch the passport in No-Police Verification cases?
The Passport Office will dispatch the passport to you on the third working day after receiving your passport application with all the required additional documents and Annexures. There is no need for a PVR before the passport is issued.
Under the Tatkal scheme, the PO will Dispatch the passport within 1 working day after the date of application.
- Is police verification required for senior citizen applicants over the age of 65 on the submission of any documents?
In regular cases like this, the passport will only be issued on a pre-police verification basis. In cases where the senior citizen applicant is able to submit a copy of his/her child’s (who is over 18 years old) passport which has a page mentioning the senior citizen applicant’s name, or if the passport application is done under the Tatkal scheme – the passport can be issued on
- Is police verification required for Government / PSU / Statutory body employees?
For regular applications and applications attached with the Prior Intimation Letter (through Annexure “N”) submitted by Government / PSU / Statutory Body employees, passport will be issued on a pre-police verification basis.
For a passport to be issued on a post-police verification basis, Government / PSU / Statutory body applicant must also submit a No Objection Certificate (NOC) through Annexure “M”.
For a passport to be issued without police verification, the Government / PSU / Statutory Body applicant must also submit his or her original Identity Certificate through Annexure “B”.
- Is police verification required for Government / PSU / Statutory body employees for the re-issue of a passport due to a change in the passport holder’s name?
There is no police verification in cases where the existing passport has a Police Verification Report of either “clear” or “exempted”, and all requisite documents have previously been submitted.
Fresh passports applied for under the tatkal scheme will have a post-police verification status.
- Is police verification required for members of the FICCI, CII, or ASSOCHAM?
Regular passport applications received by members of either the FICCI, CII, or ASSOCHAM will be on a pre-police verification basis.
In order to have a passport issued on a post-police verification basis, applicants who are members of either FICCI, CII, or ASSOCHAM must submit these additional documents as an attachment with their applications:
- Standard Affidavit as per Annexure “I”.
- Verification Certificate as per Annexure “J”.
A passport can also be issued on a post-police verification basis if it has been applied for under the Tatkal scheme.
- On which address will the Police Verification be conducted for those with a permanent and temporary address?
In cases where applicants are from a particular city, but reside temporarily in another city for work or education, Police Verification will be conducted at both the temporary (present) address in the new city, and the permanent (old) address in the applicant’s home city.
- Is police verification required for applications by retired Government Officials?
In most cases, applications by even retired Government Officials are issued on a pre-police verification basis.
In order to have the passport issued on a post-police verification basis, retired Government Officials can submit a “Pension Payment Order” along with their application, or apply under the Tatkal scheme.
- Is police verification required for applicants who hold a Diplomatic Passport, and are applying for a regular passport while still in the service?
No Police Verification will be done for such applicants, if they submit their Identity Certificate as per Annexure “B” along with their applications.
Regular Passports will be issued on a post-police verification basis is the applicant submits a No Objection Certificate (NOC) as per Annexure “M” along with his / her application.
Applications that have been submitted with a Prior Information Letter as per Annexure “N” will be issued on a pre-police verification basis.
- Is police verification required for passport applications from dependents of Government / PSU / Statutory body employees?
No Police Verification is required for dependents of Government / PSU / Statutory Body employees, if the submit the following documents:
- Dependent’s Identity Certificate as per Annexure “B”.
- Standard Affidavit as per Annexure “I”.
Passports will be issued on a post-police verification basis if they have been applied for under the Tatkal scheme.
- Are passports issued for applicants who have court cases pending?
In these cases, a written permission is required from the court granting permission for you to travel abroad. This written permission is to then be submitted along with the passport application. In most cases, a passport that’s valid for 1 year is issued, subject to whatever conditions may be mentioned in the Court Order as per GSR 750(E).
- How is police verification done for the issue of passport?
There are three main modes of police verification in India namely Pro Police Verification, Post Police Verification and No Police Verification. Pre Police Verification happens when verification take place before the passport is issued to the applicant. In this case, after receiving the required documents of the applicant from the passport office, another round of checking takes place at the police station. Post Police Verification happens when the verification is done after the passport is issued to the applicant. In some rare cases, the passport office believes that police verification is not needed for that particular applicant. In that case, passport is issued to the applicant without any kind of police verification.
- How to apply for police re-verification for passport in India?
In order to apply for police re-verification for passport in India, the applicant is requested to contact the concerned Regional Passport Office(RPO) with their passport reference file number and request a re-verification.
- What to do in case of failed passport police verification?
In case of failed passport police verification, the applicant is advised to contact the Regional Passport Office(RPO) along with his/her passport reference file number and request a re-verification.
