Online passport application portal shut for 5 days: Here's why

The government has announced that the online passport application portal will be temporarily shut down for maintenance later this week. The system will be unavailable from 8:00 PM on August 29th, 2024, until 6:00 AM on September 2nd, 2024.

During this period, users will not be able to schedule new appointments, and any appointments previously booked for August 30th will be rescheduled, with notifications sent to the affected applicants.

This temporary shutdown is part of routine maintenance procedures, as stated by the Ministry of External Affairs. The ministry's note on the Passport Seva portal reads, "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."

Contingency plans have reportedly been put in place to minimize public inconvenience during the maintenance window. The Passport Seva portal is a crucial tool for booking appointments at passport centers across the country, whether for new applications or renewals.

Applicants are required to appear in person for their scheduled appointments, submit necessary documents for verification, and undergo police verification. Depending on the service selected—either regular or Tatkaal—passports are typically delivered within 30-45 working days or in just a few days, respectively.