New Delhi :
Starting from August 5th, people who are applying for new passports for international travel will need to upload the necessary supporting documents on DigiLocker.
This should be done at the passport seva kendras (service centers) and post office passport seva kendras (PSKs/POPSKs) before submitting their online passport applications at www.passportindia.gov.in.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) recommends that applicants complete the “DigiLocker” process by uploading the required documents.
This will help to reduce the time it takes for the application to be processed.
According to the new rule, applicants must upload the required documents on DigiLocker before they can submit their passport applications online.
Under this new process, applicants won’t need to carry their original documents if they have already uploaded them using DigiLocker.
The purpose of the DigiLocker process is to make the application processing faster and to decrease the need for physical verification of documents at the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) and the Post Office Passport Seva Kendras across different regions.
Additionally, the ministry has expanded the acceptance of Aadhaar documents through DigiLocker for online application submissions.
Every year, the Regional Passport Offices receive a large number of passport applications that need to be processed.
In the past, issues arose during physical document verification at the PSK, such as changes to birthdates and personal information.
The government has provided a list of documents that are accepted as proof of residence.
This list includes the Aadhaar card, current ration card, driver’s license, electricity bill, income tax assessment, and others.
DigiLocker can be used to store important official documents like educational certificates, birth certificates, PAN cards, Aadhaar cards, passports, and voter IDs.
You can access DigiLocker through the app or by visiting digilocker.gov.in on a web browser.
