A fresh 36-page passport with ten-year validity costs ₹1,500, and the Tatkal route adds ₹2,000 on top, according to the Ministry of External Affairs’ passport fee schedule. For Chennai residents, the application itself happens at one of three Passport Seva Kendras in the city or at a post office centre, after you fill the form and book a slot online.
The Regional Passport Office (RPO) on Anna Salai oversees all of this for a large slice of northern Tamil Nadu. Here is who does what, the full fee table, how police verification fits in, and what the switch to chip-based e-passports means for you.
RPO, PSKs and post office centres
The RPO Chennai page gives its address as Royala Towers, 4th Floor, 158 Anna Salai, Chennai 600002, with phone 044-28518848 and email rpo.chennai@mea.gov.in. Its jurisdiction covers Chennai, Chennai suburban areas, Kanchipuram, Tiruvallur, Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Cuddalore, Viluppuram, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri and Puducherry. It closes on Republic Day, Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti, plus a list of other gazetted holidays.
The RPO is mostly the back office and the place for problem cases. Routine applications are handled at Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs) and Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs). The RPO’s own RTI disclosure lists:
- PSKs: Saligramam, Aminjikarai and Tambaram in the Chennai area, and Puducherry.
- POPSKs: Chennai GPO, Kanchipuram, Tiruvallur, Ranipet, Vellore, Arni, Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Cuddalore, Chidambaram, Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri.
Appointment slots at the city PSKs can fill quickly. Residents of Avadi, Poonamallee or Sriperumbudur sometimes find earlier dates at the Tiruvallur or Kanchipuram post office centres, which process the same applications.
Passport fees
| Service | Fee | Extra for Tatkal |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh or re-issue, 36 pages, 10 years | ₹1,500 | ₹2,000 |
| Fresh or re-issue, 60 pages, 10 years | ₹2,000 | ₹2,000 |
| Minor under 18, 36 pages (5 years or till 18) | ₹1,000 | ₹2,000 |
| Replacing a lost, stolen or damaged passport, 36 pages | ₹3,000 | ₹2,000 |
| Replacing a lost, stolen or damaged passport, 60 pages | ₹3,500 | ₹2,000 |
| Police Clearance Certificate | ₹500 | Not applicable |
The ministry also allows a 10% discount on fresh applications, not re-issues, for children up to eight and for people over 60. Teenagers between 15 and 18 can choose a ten-year passport by paying the adult ₹1,500 fee. All fees are non-refundable, so check your details before paying.
The application, step by step
- Register on the Passport Seva portal (passportindia.gov.in) with your name, date of birth and mobile number.
- Fill the application form for a fresh passport or re-issue, choosing normal or Tatkal.
- Pay online and book an appointment at a PSK or POPSK.
- Attend with original documents for verification, photograph and fingerprints.
- Complete police verification and receive the passport by post.
Tatkal is meant for urgent cases and costs more, but it still needs documents in order and does not change the basic eligibility. Read the Tatkal conditions on the portal before choosing it, because the extra ₹2,000 is not refunded if you are moved to the normal track.
Police verification and e-passports
For most fresh passports, the local police station verifies your address and antecedents after your PSK visit. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said in June 2025 that the mPassport Police App had brought verification down to five to seven days in 25 states and union territories, The Logical Indian reported. Being at the address you gave, with ID ready, avoids a second visit.
The same announcement launched Passport Seva Programme 2.0 and chip-enabled e-passports. On the 14th Passport Seva Divas on 24 June 2026, the minister said e-passports had been introduced and new PSKs and POPSKs opened, All India Radio News reported. A valid passport without a chip remains usable until it expires, and you do not need to re-apply early just to get an e-passport.
Tips that save a second visit
- Carry originals of every document you listed in the form, plus one set of photocopies. A missing original is the usual reason for being sent back.
- Reach the PSK a little before your slot; entry is by appointment time, not by queue.
- Use the same spelling of your name and your parents’ names as in your Aadhaar and school records.
- If you are renewing, take the old passport. It is cancelled and returned to you.
- For a child, both parents’ details are needed, and the child must attend for the photograph.
Help when something goes wrong
The national passport call centre is 1800-258-1800, with executives available from 8 am to 10 pm and automated help round the clock. For a stuck application, write to the RPO email with your file number. The Ministry of External Affairs also runs a public grievance officer in New Delhi, listed on the RPO page.
Quick answers
Where are the passport offices in Chennai?
The RPO is at Royala Towers, Anna Salai. Applications go to PSKs at Saligramam, Aminjikarai and Tambaram or the Chennai GPO post office centre.
How much does Tatkal cost?
An extra ₹2,000 over the normal fee, so ₹3,500 for a 36-page adult passport.
What does a police clearance certificate cost?
₹500, applied for through the same portal.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- RPO Chennai (Passport Seva, Ministry of External Affairs)
- Fee Structure (Passport Seva, Ministry of External Affairs)
- RTI disclosure, Regional Passport Office Chennai (Passport Seva)
- EAM says Passport Seva Programme 2.0 enhancing ease of travel (All India Radio News, 24 June 2026)
- India rolls out Passport Seva 2.0, Jaishankar launches e-passports (The Logical Indian, 28 June 2025)
