In order to make submission of passport applications a little less tedious for some categories of applicants, the Regional Passport Office (RPO), Bangalore, will offer ‘Walk in with ARN (Application Reference Number)’ facility from January 1, 2013, at the Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs) in Bangalore, Mangalore and Hubli.
K.J. Srinivasa, Regional Passport Officer, Bangalore, said in a release that some categories of applicants will be allowed to submit their duly registered online applications with ARN number as walk-in applicants. Applicants falling under these categories are also required to register their applications online and obtain ARN number and visit the nearest Passport Seva Kendra at their convenience (no prior appointment required).
The facility will be available between 9.30 a.m. and 11 a.m. The categories of applicants who can avail themselves of the walk-in facility include citizens aged above 60 years; children below 15 years of age provided both the parents have valid passports; minor applicant below 15 years of age provided both parents have valid passports and one parent is abroad and has issued embassy/consulate certified no-objection certificate to the other parent to apply; minor applicant below 15 years of age provided both parents have given NOCs and are not having passports; and immediate family members (husband, wife and minor children) belonging to an applicant who has got an appointment and other family members are not able to get appointments on the same day/time/centre.
“All such applicants should be present in the respective centres with the required documents with the ARN sheet”, the release said.
Also, walk-in facility is available to all applicants whose applications have been rejected due to lack of necessary documents within three working days of their appointments provided they have got an endorsement from the respective head of the passport seva kendras before leaving the seva kendra.
Other beneficiaries
The categories of applicants allowed walk-in from January 1 are in addition to the existing categories that include police clearance certificates, persons with disabilities, tatkal applicants given appointments through Koramangala head office, Central and State government employees, their spouses and dependent minor children who have no-objection certificate/identity certificate, besides applicants needing change of emigration check status i.e., from emigration check required (ECR) to emigration check not required (ECNR).
