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Passport Seva
PSP Division
Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India
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Special weekend drive for Passport applications submission at PSKs (under RPO Surat & RPO Ahemdabad) and POPSKs( under RPO Surat) in Gujarat is planned on Feb 25, 2023 and March 4, 2023. Applicants having valid appointments of future date may also opt to reschedule their appointment to earlier available date as per their convenience. Appointments at PSKs / POPSKs under RPO Ahmedabad are increased. Applicants having valid appointments of future date may opt to reschedule their appointment to earlier available date as per their convenience. PSK Kottayam will remain non operational with immediate effect till further notice. All the applicants having valid appointments at PSK Kottayam are requested to reschedule their appointment to nearby PSK / POPSK as per their choice. Regret the inconvenience.
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Information Corner
  • Getting Started
  • Passport Act and Rules
    • Passport Act 1967 (PDF, 220 KB, 15 Pages)
    • Passport Rules 1980 (PDF, 5.07 MB, 62 Pages)
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Forms and Affidavits
  • Download e-Form
    • Applicants using eForm, download soft copy of the eForm, fill the same off-line and then must upload it back. The printed copy of the eForm will not be accepted at PSK/RPO.
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You are here : Home > About Us > PSP Division

About Passport Seva Programme (PSP) Division

The Passport Seva Programme (PSP) Division of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, provides passport services through the Central Passport Organization (CPO) and its network of Passport Offices, Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs); and Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs). Consular, Passport and Visa services to overseas Indians/Foreign nationals are provided by the PSP Division through the Indian Missions and Posts abroad.

Indian passports are issued through the network of 36 Passport Offices, Headquarters at PSP Division (only Diplomatic and Official passports) and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Administration. This network has been expanded by adding 93 PSKs and 428 POPSKs as extended arms of the 36 Passport Offices. For Indians living abroad, passport and other miscellaneous services are rendered by the 190 Indian Missions/Posts abroad. All Passport Offices issue machine-readable passports as per the guidelines laid down by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

The Central Passport Organization (CPO) was created in 1959 as a subordinate office of the Ministry of External Affairs and is headed by Joint Secretary (Passport Seva Programme) and Chief Passport Officer, who also acts as the Appellate Authority under the Passports Act,1967 and the Head of Department under the Delegation of Financial Powers Rules 1978. The Head Quarter of the CPO is in the Passport Seva Programme (PSP) Division of the Ministry. The Division works under the supervision of Secretary (CPV & OIA). Joint Secretary (CPV) is responsible for the issue of diplomatic and official passports, consular and visa matters.

collapse History and Background of Passport Issuance in India
  1. There was no practice of issuing Indian passports before the First World War. During the War, the Government of India enacted Defence of India Act in 1914 and promulgated rules thereunder, which made it compulsory to possess a passport for egress from and ingress into India. The Act expired six months after the end of the War. It was, however, desired that the Government of India should retain power to continue that system in whole or in part for the purpose of bringing the Indian practice into line with that of other parts of the erstwhile British Empire and of other countries.

  2. The Government of India, therefore, enacted the Indian Passports Act, 1920 which substantially retained the earlier provisions. This Act was renamed "The Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920".

  3. Though 'Emigration' continued as a Central subject even after passing of Government of India Act, 1935, the Central Government delegated to the State Governments the power to issue passports on its behalf. Some of the State Governments viz., Mumbai, C.P. & Berar, Delhi, United Provinces etc., opened regular passport offices for this purpose functioning under their Home Departments.

  4. Subsequently, the issue of passports became a Central subject under the Indian Constitution and was allotted to the Ministry of External Affairs. Till 1954, this work was continued to be carried out by the respective State Governments on behalf of this Ministry. It was in 1954 that the first five Regional Passport Offices at Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai and Nagpur were set up. This necessitated the setting up of a separate organization and the Central Passport and Emigration Organization was created in 1959 as a Subordinate Office of this Ministry. The Central Passport Organization (CPO) has sanctioned strength of about 2,697 officers and staff members as on 01-04-2013.

  5. Up to 1966, the issue of passports was regulated through administrative instructions. The power to issue passports was exercised by the Government by virtue of Article 73 read with List I, Item 19 of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India. However, as the Parliament was not in session, the Government promulgated the Passports Ordinance, 1967 and after six months replaced it with the present Passports Act, 1967,which came into force on June 24, 1967.This day is now celebrated as Passport Seva Divas.

  6. Under the Passports Act, 1967, the Central Government has the powers to frame rules thereunder. The first such Rules called the Passport Rules, 1967 were thus framed the same year. Following various amendments in course of time, these were consolidated and the Rules were last issued as the Passport Rules 1980 which have been further modified partially.

 
collapse Passport India at a Glance
Passport Issuing Authorities (PIAs)
  • Headquarters (CPV Division) - For diplomatic and official passports
  • 36 Regional Passport Offices supported by 93 Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs) and 428 Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs)
  • Andaman and Nicobar Islands Administration
  • 190 Indian Missions/ Posts abroad
Legal Framework
  • Passports Act 1967
  • Passport Rules 1980 (amended from time to time)
  • Notifications and administrative guidelines
Administrative Framework
  • Central Passport Organisation headed by Joint Secretary (PSP) & Chief Passport Officer. Created in 1959 as a Subsidiary Office of the Ministry of External Affairs
  • Sanctioned Cadre strength: 2741 (Group A posts: 226; Group B posts:1055; Group C posts: 1460)
Passports and related services rendered in 2019
  • PIAs Passports Issued in India: 1.16 Crore(2019)
  • Indian Missions/Posts abroad: 12 lakhs (2019)
  • Total: 1.28 Crore (2019)
  • Globally, ranked 3rd behind China and the U.S.
Passports and related services rendered in 2020
  • PIAs Passports Issued in India: 56,65,438(2020)
  • Indian Missions/Posts abroad: 8,77,335 (2020)
Passports and related services rendered in 2021
  • PIAs Passports Issued in India: 77,55,634(2021)
  • Indian Missions/Posts abroad: 9,95,347 (2021)
 
collapse Gazetted Notifications
2014 G.S.R. 165(E)
2011 G.S.R. 431(E)
2010 G.S.R. 500(E)
G.S.R. 964(E)
 
collapse About CPO

The Central Passport Organization (CPO) was created in 1959 as a subordinate office of the Ministry of External Affairs and is headed by Joint Secretary (Passport Seva Programme) and Chief Passport Officer, who also acts as the Appellate Authority under the Passports Act,1967 and the Head of Department under the Delegation of Financial Powers Rules 1978. The Head Quarter of the CPO is in the Passport Seva Programme (PSP) Division of the Ministry. The Division works under the supervision of Secretary (PSP & OIA). Joint Secretary (PSP) is responsible for the issue of diplomatic and official passports, consular and visa matters. The passport services are provided throught the CPO and its network of Passport Offices; Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs); and Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs). Consular, Passport and Visa services to overseas Indians/ Foreign nationals are provided through the Indian Missions and Posts abroad.

  • Regulating Attendance in Passport Office  New!
  • Distribution of posts of Official Language Cadre of Central Passport Organization  New!
  • Promotion order of Senior Superintendents to Assistant Passport Officers  New!
  • Confirmation Order of Junior Translator in the Cadre of CPO  New!
  • Sanctioned Manpower Strength of RPOs   
  • Recruitment Rules of APO DPO & PO (07.06.2018)   
  • Recruitment Rules of JPA, SPA & Office Assistants. (23.11.2017)   
  • Recruitment Rules of Assistant Superintendent (04.03.2014)   
  • Recruitment Rules of PGO & Superintendent (13.12.2010)   
  • Recruitment Rules of Junior Translator, Senior Translator and Assistant Director(Official Language) of CPO   
  • Recruitment Rules of Stenographer Grade II ( Group 'C' post) of CPO   
 
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