Tatkaal Passport Time in India: Processing, Verification, Reissue, Delivery

Need a passport fast? Many people do not realize that the Tatkaal passport time in India is very different from the normal passport.

So, how fast can you really get it? In most cities in India, the tatkaal passport processing time takes 1 to 3 working days from the date of approval, not counting holidays. No waiting for the police report. The booklet prints first. Police verification happens after delivery.

But that speed only applies if your passport application has no mismatch, no name spelling mistake, and all ID proof is clear. If your Aadhaar has no surname or your past police record shows pending, the file will pause.

In this post, you will see how much time it takes for tatkal passport each step. From submission at PSK to printing, dispatch, and final police visit. Every timeline processing, verification, reissue, and delivery is broken down clearly.

What is Tatkaal Passport and Why It is Faster

Tatkaal passport is a quick passport service in India made for urgent cases. It gives you the passport faster than the normal option. You do not wait for police clearance before printing.

People choose Tatkaal when they have a job offer abroad, last-minute visa slot, urgent medical travel, or lost passport. Tatkaal is faster because your passport prints first. The police visit comes after you get the booklet.

Any Indian citizen can apply for Tatkaal. But it works best when your documents are clean and ready. One mistake can hold the file, even in fast mode.

Tatkaal works like a fast-track lane. It moves first, checks later. That is what makes it faster than a normal passport timeline.

How Much Tatkaal Passport Take Time From Start to Finish

Tatkaal passport processing time is usually 1 to 3 working days after final approval. This time starts from the day your file status turns to Granted, not from when you submit the form.

If your passport is marked as No Police Verification, it is dispatched the next working day after grant. If the police verification is marked as Post PV, then the booklet is dispatched on the third working day, skipping the day of submission.

That means if you submitted your Tatkaal form on Monday and it gets approved the same day, the passport can go to dispatch by Wednesday or Friday, depending on your police check tag.

This is clearly stated in the official rule: passport is dispatched on the third working day excluding the date of submission. The timeline skips holidays and Sundays.

In Delhi, Hyderabad, and Mumbai, real users have reported getting their passport in hand within 72 hours. In many Tatkaal cases, passports arrive before the police even visit your home.

Keep one thing in mind. If your file has spelling mistakes, mismatch in Aadhaar, or blurred ID scan, it may get paused. Then even Tatkaal stops moving.

Tatkaal passport delivery time depends on final status. Once it shows Granted, the dispatch is done fast, within 1 to 3 working days as per MEA rule.

Who Should Not Apply Under Tatkaal Passport

Tatkaal passport is a fast service, but not for everyone. If your case is sensitive, complicated, or outside MEA’s instant approval list, your Tatkaal form will get blocked. At PSK, it may shift to normal mode without refund. Before you pay Tatkaal fee, match your case with this full list.

You cannot apply under Tatkaal scheme if any of these apply to your case:

• You are applying for a fresh passport as a new Indian citizen
• You got Indian citizenship by Registration or Naturalization
• Your passport is lost or stolen
• You are applying for re-issue of a short-validity passport
• Your passport is damaged beyond recognition
• You are a minor adopted by Indian or foreign parents
• Your child is born out of wedlock and has only one parent
• Your child is born out of surrogacy
• You want to change or correct date of birth or place of birth
• You want to change name of father, mother or spouse
• You are applying for a major name change
• You are a minor with only one living parent
• You are applying with Annexure C (example: divorced or separated parents)
• Your present address is outside the RPO’s area
• You were repatriated from abroad at Government cost
• You were deported to India or came using Emergency Certificate
• You are of Naga origin (even minors below 18)
• You are of Naga origin but staying outside Nagaland
• You are from Jammu and Kashmir (even minors)
• You are linked to Section 6(2)(e) or 6(2)(f) cases (criminal court restrictions)
• You have adverse police report, or you were:
  • flagged under a watch list
  • a habitual passport loser
  • someone who earlier used forged or fake passport

What Happens at PSK if You Apply by Mistake?

If your passport case matches any of the above and you pick Tatkaal, the PSK system will stop your file. The officer will mark it as not eligible for Tatkaal, shift you to the normal application, and your application may be delayed or put on hold.

Some users get this issue when they hide a lost passport case or when their file shows name change without Gazette proof. These are common reasons for rejection.

Tip: Always check your case against the official Tatkaal block list before booking an appointment. This small check saves days of delay and helps your passport move fast.

Tatkaal Passport Appointment Booking Time in India

Tatkaal appointment slots open once a day at a fixed time set by your RPO. Delhi RPO opens at 6 PM. Hyderabad RPO opens at 4: 30 PM. This timing is fixed and listed in the official slot release PDF on the passport portal.

Most people miss booking not because of portal issues but because of poor timing. If you refresh even 30 seconds late, the slots are gone. In Delhi, many users open the portal at 6 PM. But the smart ones refresh at 5: 59 PM with everything ready. In Hyderabad, users miss their slot because they think it opens at 4 PM when the actual release is 4: 30 PM.

Tatkaal appointment slots open without any alert or warning. The system follows a fixed release time by location. There is no popup. No countdown. You must already be on the booking screen.

If you want to book your PSK slot under Tatkaal, keep your ARN and captcha ready before the exact slot time. Log in 5 minutes early. Use a laptop, not a phone. Keep one backup browser or device open. When the time hits, refresh instantly. The tatkaal slot timing closes fast. Every second counts.

These slots fill in under one minute in major cities. That is why precision matters. Set an alarm and be ready. Your passport depends on timing.

Time Taken at PSK for Tatkaal Passport Application

Tatkaal PSK visit takes about two hours for biometric, photo, fee, and approval. You finish everything the same day if all documents are correct.

What happens inside PSK:

• Reach 10 minutes before your slot
• Queue up for document check and fee counter
• Go for biometric capture, live photo, and digital signature
• File is marked Granted by officer on duty

Delays you can face:

• Name mismatch or Aadhaar not matching
• Missing original papers or low-quality copies
• PSK crowd slows down counters, especially in high-load cities
• Wrong token print or out-of-turn push can freeze your ARN

Quick Tip: Carry original ID and photocopies together in one folder. Keep it in your hand.

Tatkaal Passport Police Verification Time in India

Tatkaal police verification starts after you get your passport and usually completes in 1 to 3 working days.

Once your status shows Granted, the passport goes into printing. The police officer gets a file copy and visits your address for the check. This is called a post-grant police visit.

In metro cities, the visit finishes in 2 to 3 days. In remote towns or villages, it may take up to 7 working days. But your passport dispatch does not wait. You get the booklet first, even if the police visit is pending.

Your passport becomes fully active after the police submit the report. For most users, this does not affect travel. But if your visa officer asks for a police check stamp, that may matter.

To avoid delay, keep your phone active. Be at home or let the family answer. Police use local numbers from the SP office. If your address is clear, they will come quickly.

That means you get the passport fast, and the police check quietly follows within a few days.

Tatkaal Passport Granting and File Approval Time

After a PSK visit, your Tatkaal file reaches RPO and gets approved in one working day, then moves to printing.

The file goes from Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) to Regional Passport Office (RPO) on the same day. It is sent digitally after your biometric and signature are completed. The RPO officer checks your Aadhaar, verifies name spellings, and matches address. If everything is clean, the file is marked as Granted for print.

Most RPOs in India take a few working hours to approve Tatkaal cases. Some, like Ghaziabad, clear over 100 Tatkaal files within two hours during special Saturday drives. Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore RPOs also finish approvals on the same day or next working day.

Once the file gets the Tatkaal file approval, it goes to printing. If the grant is not done, the passport will not print. That is why RPO clearance is the most critical step before booklet dispatch.

To avoid any delay, double-check that your Aadhaar, address proof, and PSK form match. If your file has even one mismatch, the RPO may hold the approval. That pause can break the Tatkaal speed.

That means once PSK visit is done, your Tatkaal passport moves to print within one working day if records are clean.

Tatkaal Passport Printing and Dispatch Time from RPO

Tatkaal passport prints and moves to dispatch within one working day after approval.

Once the RPO marks your file as granted, it is sent to the print centre the same day. The passport is printed, laminated, packed, and handed over to India Post’s Speed Post service for delivery.

This step is fast. The official citizen charter confirms that Tatkaal passports are dispatched within one working day after approval, not counting the submission day. Delhi and Mumbai cases show users receive dispatch SMS within 48 hours of PSK visit.

Weekends and public holidays are not counted. If your file clears on Friday, the printing may happen on Monday. For clean records, printing begins the same evening or next morning.

Tatkaal Passport Delivery Time to Your Address

Tatkaal passport delivery by Speed Post in 1 to 3 working days in metro cities, and 2 to 5 days in small towns.

Here is the usual Speed Post delivery timeline

Once the passport is printed and marked for dispatch, it enters the India Post Speed Post system. From there, the passport travels through the sorting hub and reaches your local delivery office before it lands at your doorstep.

Your delivery time depends on where you live. Metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai, or Bangalore usually get the passport in 1 to 3 working days. In small towns, rural zones, or remote blocks, delivery may stretch to 2 to 5 days after dispatch.

India Post does not deliver passports on Sundays or national holidays. So if dispatch happens late Friday or on a holiday eve, delivery might move to the next available working day.

Tatkaal Passport Reissue Time for Lost or Damaged Passport

Tatkaal reissue is allowed for damaged passports that are still identifiable, but not for lost or completely damaged ones.

If your passport is damaged beyond recognition or lost, you can only apply under the Normal scheme. The official rule is clear: Tatkaal applies only when passport damage is readable and proof like FIR or Annexure F is provided

For reissue under Tatkaal:

• You submit a copy of the damaged passport or FIR
• Pay standard Tatkaal fees
• PSK marks it as a reissue case and grants post‑police verification mode

Police clearance may be needed again. Even in Tatkaal, the authorities check your updated record through the local SP office once the passport is printed.

Timeline for reissue under Tatkaal can stretch to 3–5 working days, because it follows the same schedule as a new Tatkaal passport. The key difference from a fresh Tatkaal is the extra step of FIR verification. If FIR is clean and documents match, dispatch still happens within 3 working days of grant.

What to Do if Tatkaal Passport Is Delayed After Approval

If a Tatkaal passport gets delayed after approval, the first step is to track your file on the Passport Seva portal. Use your ARN (Application Reference Number) to check if it says Granted, Printed, or Dispatched.

If the status is stuck or no update appears after 48 hours, your file may be delayed at the RPO (Regional Passport Office) or with Indian Post office Speed Post.

Call 1800 258 1800 or file a complaint on passportindia.gov.in under the Grievance tab. This toll-free number works 8 AM to 10 PM every day.

Delay Before Dispatch? Contact RPO

If the status is Granted but not Printed or Dispatched, your file is with the RPO.

• Go to Passport Seva Grievance page
• Fill your ARN, RPO location, and contact number
• Mention: Tatkaal delay after approval, need dispatch update
• Or call the helpdesk directly to raise it verbally

Delay After Dispatch? Track Speed Post

If your status shows Dispatched, but the passport is not delivered:

• Open Speed Post Tracking
• Enter your tracking number from SMS/email
• Check last scan location
• Call your local Speed Post centre with tracking ID

If the parcel shows “Out for Delivery” and still not reached, go to your local post office with Aadhaar or any ID and ask for it directly.

Follow-up If Delay Is Not Resolved

If no reply comes within 5–7 working days:

• Use CPGRAMS via the link on Passport Seva site
• Provide your ARN, current status, and complaint ID
• Escalation usually triggers faster RPO action

CPGRAMS complaints go directly to Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)

Normal vs Tatkaal Passport Timeline in India

Tatkaal passport processing time is much faster than the normal passport timeline. In urgent cases, Tatkaal can complete from booking to delivery in 4 to 6 days. Normal passport application can take 30 to 45 days from start to delivery.

Pros and Cons of Tatkaal Passport

Pros

• Shorter total time: 4 to 6 days end to end
• Booklet prints without waiting for police
• Best for last minute flights or visa needs

Cons

• Fee is higher: ₹2,000 plus standard charges
• Blocked for lost, stolen, damaged beyond fix
• Errors in name or Aadhaar cause full hold at RPO

Tatkaal passport processing time beats the normal passport timeline in every step. But make sure your file is clean and address matches to avoid delay in speed post delivery or approval.