Many are not sure, how the Indian passport renewal works when you are outside of your home country living as NRI. Questions like : can it be done ? How long does it take ? what happens to my address on passport, etc. remain in their mind. They try to renew their Indian passport as NRI at home country during their visit. I recently ran out of pages and went for passport renewal in Singapore. Below is the step by step guide.
Background : Who accepts the Indian Passport Renewal Application abroad ?
In general, depending on the country you live, it would be either handled directly by the Indian High Commission/ Indian Embassy or through an agency like BLS/ VFS that process through Passport Application Centers. In Singapore for regular processing, BLS takes the application packet and process it for you. If you are going for Expedited processing, then you will need to go to the embassy/ high commission directly. You will need to check with the nearest embassy/ high commission in the country you live. Also, there is NO need for any agent here too like I wrote in previous article Indian Passport Renewal Process – Agent not needed
Document Checklist for Indian Passport Renewal Abroad – Singapore :
- Your Expired Passport / Pages Exhausted Passport
- Completed Application form
- Passport Photo – 3.5 cm x 4.5 cm with white background.
- Work Visa Documents – NRIC / Employment Pass / S-Pass / Work Permit
- Cash for Application fee – $100 SGD for normal, $130 SGD for Jumbo passport booklet.
- (Optional ) Your address proof in foreign country like utility bill, bank statement ,etc.
Step by Step Process for Indian Passport Renewal in Abroad – Singapore :
- You need to download the application from the Indian high commission website and fill out the application. You can also get a copy from the high commission/ embassy. It is pretty straightforward. Some of the info you will be asked besides what is in your current expiring passport
- Your work address
- When did you first leave India
- When were you in India last time ( recent time)
- References of two people – one in India, one in Singapore. You will need full details with address, phone number.
- You need to carry the filled out application, passport size photo and the proofs mentioned in above document checklist to passport application center or embassy. In Singapore, I directly took these to the BLS application center in Anson Road, which is in CBD location.
- If you forget to carry photo, there is a photo taking option there in BLS center and you need to pay 5 SGD for the same.
- Also, the fee is total of 160 SGD along with photo + delivery fee + BLS application processing fee for Jumbo booklet ( 60 Pages)
- No need of appointment in Singapore, you just walk-in take a token and wait for your turn to be called. This can vary by country. So, check with embassy.
- The person processing the application will read each and every part of the application and compare with current expiring passport and then take application fee. If you have any changes, you will need to provide additional proofs.
- It takes anywhere from 5 to 7 working days to get the passport delivered home.
I had my passport delivered in about 7 working days as I had two holidays in the middle. It was quite seamless.
What address do you get on your New passport – India or Singapore ?
This is a big myth for many. You will very likely get your Indian address that is on your previous passport. In my case, I got my Indian permanent address, which was there in my old passport. You can always check with the high commission of India or embassy before you apply, if you are not sure.
Did you apply for passport renewal abroad in other country ? How was your experience ?
Reference : High Commission India – Singapore – Passport Renewal