The online portal for passport applications will be shut down for the next five days due to a maintenance exercise, the government has announced. During this period, no new appointments can be scheduled, and existing appointments will be rescheduled.
"Passport Seva portal will be down for technical maintenance from 29th August 2024, Thursday 20:00 hrs IST to 2nd September, Monday 06:00 hrs IST. System will not be available during this period for citizens and for all MEA/RPO/BOI/ISP/DoP/Police Authorities. The already booked appointments for 30th August 2024 will be suitably rescheduled and informed to applicants," a note on the Passport Seva portal said.
The External Affairs Ministry has stated that the closure of the passport application portal is a routine procedure. "For rescheduling appointments, we always have contingency plans in place. Maintenance activities for public-centric services like Passport Seva Kendras are planned well in advance to minimize inconvenience to the public. Therefore, rescheduling appointments will not pose a challenge," a ministry source commented.
The Passport Seva portal allows users to book appointments for new or renewed passports at centers nationwide. On the appointment day, applicants must visit the center with their documents for verification, followed by a police check. Passports are then delivered to the applicant's address. Applicants can choose between the regular mode, which takes 30-45 working days, or the Tatkaal mode for faster processing.