Passport application rejected or police verification adverse: what to do
Last reviewed: 13 August 2026.
Quick answer: Track the file on Passport Seva and contact the concerned Passport Office to learn the exact reason. Passport Seva's official police-verification FAQ says that when the report is adverse, the applicant should clarify the reason with the Passport Office; re-verification can then be requested if required. The office needs a clear police report before it can process issuance. Do not submit a duplicate application or pay an intermediary without written direction.
“Rejected” can mean four different things
| Status | What to obtain |
|---|---|
| Application on hold/deficient | Deficiency or show-cause notice and document list |
| Police report adverse | Reason communicated through the Passport Office and evidence needed for clarification |
| Police verification pending | File status and the office/police unit where pending |
| Formal refusal/impounding/revocation order | Signed order, statutory provision and appeal information |
Read the actual order or status. A police officer's oral comment is not a substitute for the Passport Office's decision.
Adverse police report: correction sequence
- Open the official Passport Seva application-status page and save the status.
- Contact the concerned Passport Office to understand the adverse reason.
- Correct factual problems: present-address evidence, undisclosed addresses during the preceding year, identity mismatch or other recorded issue.
- Submit the clarification and supporting originals in the manner directed by the Passport Office.
- Request re-verification where the office says it is required.
- Track the existing file; on a clear re-verification report, the file is processed further.
Passport Seva says address proof is required for the present address, while all places of residence during the preceding one year must be furnished for police verification. Do not invent continuous one-year residence at the present address.
Criminal case or court proceedings
Do not conceal a pending criminal case. Passport Seva's FAQ says an applicant with a criminal case pending in court may be issued a passport subject to written permission from that court to travel abroad; the conditions of the Passports Act and the court order apply. Obtain case-specific legal advice rather than copying a generic affidavit.
Tatkaal is not a universal workaround. The official Tatkaal page lists categories that may not qualify, including applicants with an adverse police report and certain criminal-case situations.
Document-deficiency file
Keep the submitted application, appointment receipt, originals and self-attested copies, deficiency/show-cause notice, police-verification communication and every response. Passport Seva says applicants submit self-attested photocopies and produce originals at PSK/POPSK for verification.
For a minor's declaration, use the official form requirements in the corrected Annexure D guide. Do not notarise Annexure D merely because an agent says so; the official specimen controls.
Grievance and escalation
Register a Passport Seva grievance online or through the National Call Centre 1800-258-1800. Passport Seva issues a Service Request Number that can be tracked online. State the file number, status, office, dates and precise remedy; do not include passport or Aadhaar numbers in a public post.
Passport Seva also links CPGRAMS and, after unsatisfactory redress within a reasonable period, the Directorate of Public Grievances. Follow the current official page rather than an unofficial email list.
RTI to MEA/Passport Office can seek existing file movement, notices, order and police-report receipt/status subject to exemptions. It cannot direct passport issue or obtain sensitive police material automatically. For a focused record strategy, see RTI for delayed passport police verification.
Official sources
Can the Passport Office request police re-verification?
Yes. The official FAQ says re-verification may be requested after clarification when required, and a clear report is needed for further processing.
Should I apply again immediately after an adverse report?
Not without the Passport Office's direction. Clarify and correct the existing file first to avoid duplicate or inconsistent records.
Is Tatkaal a way around an adverse police report?
No. Passport Seva lists applicants with an adverse police report among categories not eligible under the Tatkaal page's rules.
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