I had promised myself that I would write an entry if everything went fine. So here goes :
Getting PASSPORT renewed (reissued) at Indian Embassy, NY, USA : (In person)
First things first: If possible, get your passport renewed well in advance. Currently they allow renewal 1 year before expiry.
If you are amongst the lazy (few ?) who wont, read on :
1) Go through all instructions at : http://www.indiacgny.org/php/
2) Arrange all the required docs. Exactly what they have specified is required. Nothing less, nothing more.
3) I saw photos of both 2*2 and bigger size (i think us visa size) being accepted. Dont worry. Also, photos require a white background.
4) Go a bit early (30-45 mins) in the morning. They give out coupons and you have to wait for your turn at the counter. Its very organised.
5) If you are in a hurry to get back the passport mention it at the counter when you handover your passport. If you qualify they might suggest you to pay the tatkal fee and talk with the officer. In my case, the lady advised me to submit for normal processing saying that it would be available within 4 business days and if its not I could seek an appointment with the officer and get a passport with 1 year validity done.
6) After 4 business days, when you go for collection - there is a line again. Go a bit early again. Also, they have started having security checks at the consulate now. No bags are allowed. So don’t carry anything which is not needed.
Overall a very good experience.
If you have any questions please let me know and I will try to answer.
