Kerala floods: Centre waives fees for reissue of passport

Passport fee of Rs 1,500 and penalty of Rs 1,500 (for damaged) would be waived for re-issue, a release from the Regional Passport office here said today.

Heavy rains in Kerala (Photo | EPS/Manu Mavelil)

KOCHI: The Centre has waived fees for reissue of passport for people of Kerala who lost the vital travel document in the floods.

Under the initiative, the procedure for reissue of passports in lieu of lost or damaged will be relaxed, a release from the Regional Passport office here said today.

Passport fee of Rs 1,500 and penalty of Rs 1,500 (for damaged) would be waived for re-issue of passports, it said.

It advised applicants to approach the nearest Passport Seva Kendra or the Regional Passport Office for assistance.

Online registration was not mandatory and if the passport had been lost, a copy of FIR from the Police station concerned should be furnished.

"All the damaged/lost passports will be replaced on the same day itself", the release said.

The unprecedented floods this month had affected most districts in the state with over 14.50 lakh people displaced after their homes were inundated.