According to data from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), only 7.2 per cent of India’s population owns a passport. As per a Times of India report, 9.6 crore Indians held passports as of mid-December and most of them have availed a passport in the past decade.
The reason why the number has shot up in the past decade, as per the TOI report, is because the Indians with aspirations to go abroad and the wherewithal to do so have increased in the recent past. The majority of the passports were issued in Kerala and Maharashtra. The two states alone accounted for over 2.2 crores or nearly a quarter (23%) of the passports that were issued. The other states which accounted for a high number were Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat and Karnataka.
As the country celebrates 75 years of Independence, the overall percentage of passport holders, however, appears below par. And that is primarily because that passport issuance policy was very rigid until very recently.
So what makes the process difficult and what are the common mistakes that the applicants make and how can you avoid them? We give you all the answers here.
8 common mistakes while applying for a passport
1. Typos and incorrect/ inaccurate information on the form
While it seems a no-brainer, typos and information mismatches on various documents are more common than you think. Typographical errors including but not limited to misspelling your name, incorrect date of birth, wrong address are among the most common reasons for the application to be rejected. Worse, you might be issued a passport with an incorrect spelling of your name and it will make the further processes of applying for a visa and tickets a nightmare.
So, what happens when an incorrect application is filed? Simple: You will be advised to apply for a correction. In case of a major error, a complete re-issue of the passport will be required. So, always read the instructions carefully.
2. ‘Emigration Check Not Required’
If you have passed Class X, you need to make sure that you check the ECNR — Emigration Check Not Required — box. Most people either ignore the box or do not have the necessary documents ready as proof of the same. In case the box is not checked and the passport is issued as such, you may be stopped at the airport while travelling to countries such as Malaysia, Thailand or UAE.
3. Missing documents
Again, a very common mistake is to either miss submitting the required documents or worse, submit the wrong or ‘unacceptable documents’ (which are the documents that aren’t officially listed by the passport office) during the application procedure. We will give you an example: one might consider an Aadhaar card as an acceptable or even penultimate proof of identity, Date of Birth or Address, but quite often it states only the year of birth and not the whole date. More often than not, there might be a spelling error in your Aadhaar card that you might have missed. So ensure that you go through the list of ‘acceptable documents’ carefully before application. These could include your water bill, telephone bill, electricity bill, tax assessment bill and more.
4. ‘Dues to be cleared’
While you submit the bills as proof documents, make sure you have cleared the dues as these documents are thoroughly vetted by passport officials. One of the primary reasons for many passports getting rejected are unpaid dues and delayed payments, which can put you in a questionable position and inconsistent when it comes to your financial regularity.
5. Sign your sign correctly
Again, a fairly common reason for passport rejection. In many cases, we just sign based on muscle memory. However, a stroke or dots out of place in your signature across the various documents could result in a mismatch, and thereby your passport application is rejected. It gets worse in the case of this error: This more often than not comes up during your appointment. And in such an event, it becomes difficult to access fresh copies of documents for re-signing. In such an event, the applicant will need to reschedule the appointment, which is a hassle. It could get worse if the application is rejected on this ground, which means you have to go through the entire process again.
Make sure you practice your signature freehand before signing the documents.
6. Indecipherable copies
You will be required to submit multiple copies of your documents. So make sure that you get them photocopied properly. Photocopies are often dark, unclear or indecipherable, making it a strong ground for your passport to be rejected.
A simple thumb rule: The documents should be legible and clear to the naked eye.
7. Absent during police verification
One of the most important steps during the passport application process is the verification of your home address done by the local police. And on your part, you need to be mandatorily present at the address (mentioned in the application form). If you fail to be present, the cops might give an inconclusive report and this is a strong reason for your passport application to be rejected.
Along similar lines, if your residential and permanent addresses are different, make sure you mention that in your form. quite often, we think it is sufficient to provide the permanent address, and not being physically present there during police verification could result in the application being rejected.
8. Don’t cancel the appointment. Certainly not more than thrice
Applicants are not permitted to cancel or reschedule their passport appointments more than three times within one year of the first appointment. Unless, of course, it is on medical grounds. If you fail to turn up for your appointment more than thrice, your application will be completely cancelled. And then you will be required to submit a new form and pay the full fees once again, and then go through the entire process.
