I thought I would do a post on the list of things to keep in mind if one wants to get the name changed in one's passport. I am somewhat qualified to do the post as I managed to successfully get this done in the fifth attempt. After much anger, frustration and generally cursing the world for creating passports I have realized that the fault lay with me. I hope this post will help someone else avoid multiple trips to the passport office. This is based on my experience at the Bangalore Passport Office.
1. Do not trust anyone else (not even the website of the Passport Office - the currency of information is not the most recent moreover all the required information in not very well crosslinked) for the documents. Call up the passport office and confirm what you have learnt. You will have try the phone a few times before you get through.I had to return the first time as the passport office no longer accepted property tax receipts as address proof.
2. Its best to have a Passport Information Booklet at hand to help with the format of affidavits etc to be produced. In my case, we got format of the affidavit for change of name wrong even though we had taken help from agents to get it done.
3. Keep in mind the cultural considerations. What is easily considered a surname in Bihar will not be accepted as the surname in Karnataka. I failed to convince the passport officer that my father could not be called Kumari for reasons as basic as gender.
4. Take care to fill the form carefully - Surname should go in the correct column. Even if it is in the correct column, how your name appears in the previous passport dictates how it appears in the new passport. Do not assume that simply by filling the form in desired manner, the changes will be done. Apply for the relevant service (bifurcation of name, change of surname on account of marriage, change of name etc.) with the relevant documents. My previous passport had both my given name and surname in the Given Name column and thats how it went in the new passport. Then I tried the bifurcation of name route but that failed too. I finally had to go for a full fledged name change in the form of an affidavit and ads in the newspaper.
4. The web registration system available at Bangalore is good but you cannot apply for Tatkaal having registered on the web. You will have to queue up physically, get a token number and then apply. It is best to reach the passport office early - around 7 am or so to get your place in the queue. There are chairs so you can sit and work or read during the wait time. H reached the passport office at around 7:30 am. D and myself reached at around 10 am, just in time to collect our coupons. We were 50th in the line and our work took less than 2 hours thereafter.
Overall the Bangalore Passport office is pretty efficient and the process is really hassle free if you take care of producing correct documents and apply for the right service.
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3 comments:
what a coincidence! i've spent the last two months "trying" to get my passport renewed. am now thinking of trying out the tatkaal thingy but where in bengalooru will i find a magistrate/tehsildar/SP who will vouch for me. i think i have enough material for a post on this topic.
btw, hubby and i applied at the same time. he got his within 3 weeks. waaaaaaaaaah! the injustice of it all!
Trying to Renew my passport and get Venky's passport made. I have an agent for that, but lets see how many trips and how much time it takes.
BTW, its been almost 3 months and the passport has still not arrived. Have been to passport office 3 times and waited endlessly. Its like "tirupathi darshanam" - you wait, wait and wait.. when your turn comes, you are given not more than 5 minutes with the Passport Officials barely listening to you!
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