How to Book a Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) Appointment

The portal has two separate appointment features, and confusing them wastes time:

• Check Appointment Availability, a quick look-up (no login needed) that shows whether a centre has open slots. It’s for planning, you can’t book from here.
• Pay and Schedule Appointment, the actual booking, done after you’ve filled and submitted your application and are ready to pay. This is where the slot is locked.

So the order is: fill your application first, then check availability to pick a good centre, then pay and book.

1. On passportindia.gov.in, open Check Appointment Availability (under Services, or the homepage tile).
2. Select your Passport Office from the drop-down (this is mandatory).
3. Select a specific Passport Seva Kendra if you want to check one centre.
4. Enter the captcha and submit.
5. The next available appointment date for that centre appears, no booking here, just information.

1. Log in and go to View Saved/Submitted Applications.
2. Select your application and click Pay and Schedule Appointment.
3. Choose Online Payment, and select the appointment quota (Normal; Tatkaal shows only if you filed a Tatkaal application).
4. Pick your preferred PSK or Post Office PSK (POPSK), available dates show in green on the calendar.
5. Click Pay and Book Appointment and complete the payment.
6. You’re redirected to the Appointment Confirmation screen, and an SMS arrives with the date and time. Print the receipt with your ARN.

Slots don’t trickle in through the day, they open in batches at set times, which is why timing your attempt matters:

• Normal slots: commonly released in the afternoon window (around 3 to 5 PM) for dates roughly 1 to 3 weeks ahead. Some centres also release around midnight, so early morning is worth a look too.
• Cancelled / rescheduled slots: these free up throughout the day as other applicants change plans, so keep checking.
• Tatkaal slots: open at a fixed daily time that varies by Passport Office, check the official “Appointment Opening Time” page for yours.

Be logged in and ready a few minutes before the release time at busy offices, popular PSKs can fill within minutes.

• Try a nearby POPSK, not the main metro PSK. Post Office PSKs in smaller towns often have dates weeks earlier. Since any centre is allowed, this is the single most effective trick.
• Refresh for cancellations. Freed slots appear all day, checking mid-morning and again in the evening surfaces them.
• Hit the release window. Be logged in just before the daily slot-release time for your office.
• Consider Tatkaal if your travel is close, it has its own quota and faster dates (higher fee). See our Tatkaal guide.
• Apply early. Start 2 to 3 months ahead so a tight slot situation never becomes an emergency.

Plans changed? You don’t lose your payment:

• Log in, open your application, and use Schedule/Reschedule Appointment.
• A Normal appointment can be rescheduled up to three times; Tatkaal only once.
• Your paid fee stays valid, but remember the overall 90-day limit from form submission, miss that and you must reapply.