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Passport Speed Post Tracking: All you need to know

Team AckoFeb 9, 2024

Globalisation has increased the need for travel for various purposes including education, business, medical and religious tourism. This has increased the need for passports amongst individuals with some of them looking to obtain passports in a great hurry.

A passport serves as a valid identity document for citizens in most countries. Individuals travelling to countries other than the country of their citizenship are required to carry a passport to verify their citizenship in the new country. It is also required at the time of re-entry into one's own country.

Passports carry basic personal information including name, date of birth, photo, complete address, gender and physical characteristics. They have a unique number, the international standard serial number, which provides customs officials information about the individual.

All Indian citizens who plan to travel outside of the country must possess a valid passport apart from other travel documents. In this article, we take a look at how to track passports by Speed Post.

Contents

History of passport issuance in India
How passports are issued In India
How to track the Speed Post passport status
An individual must follow the below-given steps to track their passport delivery details and status.
Using the India Post Service to track Speed Post tracking number passport status
Functioning of the tracking system
Tracking using SMS service
- What happens next?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

History of passport issuance in India

Following World War I, it was decided that the Indian Government should continue the practice of issuing passports like it did during the war. The Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 made it clear that though emigration would be a central subject, states could issue their own passports. The State Governments of Mumbai, Delhi, etc., had fully functional passport offices run by their Home Departments. A few years later, passport issuance was recognised for its gravity and became a central subject. Soon after, Regional Passport Offices at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Nagpur and Mumbai were established. Under the Passports Act 1967, the Government of India began issuing passports for different purposes. Some of the passports issued in India are the Individual Passport, Diplomatic Passport, and Official Passport.

How passports are issued In India

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) introduced the Passport Seva Project (PSP) in May 2010. The project comprises a nation-wide network of staff that operates to issue passports to Indian citizens. The process is efficient and surprisingly swift. The system works in unison with State Police who handle the personal verification of details submitted by individuals and India Post, which takes care of safe delivery of the passports.

1. Modes of application: Passports can be applied in 3 ways in India.

Online
In-person
e-Form submission

2. Documents: Document submission differs for fresh and re-issue of passports as well as on the basis of whether the applicant is a minor, adult or senior citizen. Passports can be applied via normal and tatkal categories. Only people who require passports urgently are encouraged to apply for tatkal passports.

3. Steps to book an appointment: Visit Passport Seva Portal https://www.passportindia.gov.in/. Register and login. Select Fresh or Re-issue. Download the e-form, fill it offline and upload it. Schedule an appointment after making payment.

4. Visit to the Passport Seva Kendra: Be available at the scheduled time, attend the interview. Beware of touts.

5. Tracking application status: The National Call Centre enables Indians to receive updates on their passport applications throughout the year. It is available in 17 Indian languages. 'mPassport Seva' is a mobile app for obtaining more information about passport status.

How to track the Speed Post passport status

After the passport interview at the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) is over, we receive acknowledgement that the passport will be issued within a certain time period. It is dispatched through Speed Post to the address mentioned in the application and the delivery can be tracked. India Post has a tracking utility which can be used by those who wish to track the status of their passport. The challenge with the app is that at times the status visible on the display may not be the same as current status. It would be better to check with the nearest Post Office which manages the Speed Post about when the passport may be delivered.

On some occasions, an individual’s passport can be misplaced. This may be because it was not picked up at the said location due to non-availability of the applicant. In these cases, the passport is sent back to the issuing office. The applicant is required to contact the place of issue when faced with these circumstances.

An individual must follow the below-given steps to track their passport delivery details and status.

Log in to Passport Services by clicking here.
Select the tab named as application of passport status.
The applicant must enter the 15-digit file number provided during the application.
Enter birthdate which leads to the individual’s account. Click ‘track’.
Information about the status of passport delivery is available here.
In case the passport has been dispatched already, passport Speed Post tracking number with 13-digits will appear. This can be used to track the passport via Speed Post Service.

Using the India Post Service to track Speed Post tracking number passport status

An applicant can use the India Post website and the 13-digit tracking number to track their passport delivery status.
Speed Post services are listed here. Applicants must log in to this page to track their passports.
Next, in the Consignment Number field, enter the 13-digit tracking number.
Click Search to obtain information about your passport’s delivery status.

Note: In case the tracking information is not to be found, it doesn’t mean that the individual’s passport has not been dispatched. There are cases when the tracking details are not updated. Such delays are expected.

Functioning of the tracking system

Applicants can search for any item sent via Speed Post in the tracking system. This includes the passport. The following details are available.

The date of passport submission
The date of dispatch of passport
The different locations it has travelled
The date it was delivered
The date of delivery intimation notice to the recipient

Tracking using SMS service

India Post provides an SMS service to track the passport delivery status. This saves you the effort of logging into their website to gather information regarding passport delivery. Messages can be sent to 51969 or 166 – dedicated SMS numbers.

What happens next?

An SMS is received which tracks the status of the passport and is available only up to 60 days from SMS inquiry.
The tracking number must be entered exactly as given. Any deviation while typing the number will render the action null.
All phone networks in India support this service.
The telephone service provider levies SMS charge and the individual must bear this cost.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here’s a list of common questions and answers related to Passport Speed Post tracking.

How is the passport dispatched?

It is issued by the Regional Passport Office (RPO) and India Post's Speed Post delivers it at the individual's current address.

When the passport reaches an individual's residence, should it be collected personally from the postman or is it ok for any of their family members to collect it on their behalf?

The applicant must collect the passport from the postman themselves. If the applicant is not available when the passport arrives at the residence, the postman may decide whether or not to hand over the envelope to a family member after verifying the ID proof of the applicant. The postman may choose to return the passport to the issuing Regional Passport Office (RPO) as well.

Can applicants collect the passport individually when it is ready?

Collection of passports by the individual is not permitted.

When the status of a passport shows 'Dispatched/ Delivered' but it hasn't reached the residence of the individual, what steps need to be taken?

When the passport shows delivered despite not being received, the individual needs to ascertain its status through the Tracking Utility provided by Speed Post. Depending on the status, the centre of issue or the centre closest to the applicant’s centre of issue will be able to confirm the consignment status. In the likelihood of the Postal authorities being unable to trace a passport or in case the consignment has been returned to the issuing office, we must reach out to the respective Passport Office to clarify the status.

What happens when the postal authorities return a person's passport to the RPO?

If the passport is returned to the RPO, you must contact the issuing office and apply again so that the passport is dispatched once more. It would be best to contact the RPO about the process to initiate re-despatch of the passport.

What should I do if someone else's passport is delivered to me through a speed post?

Surrender the passport at your respective Passport Office at once.

If an individual applies for a passport and while it is still being processed, the current address changes, what can the person do to make sure the passport reaches the new address?

The Passport office sends the passport only to the current address provided in the application form. The respective RPO should be able to guide the applicant in this matter.

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Disclaimer: The above content is sourced from secondary sources on the internet and is meant for informational purposes only. It is subject to changes. It is recommended to take the help of an expert before making any related decision.