Pune -
While passport demand continues to rise across the Pune region with the Regional Passport Office (RPO) receiving nearly 50,000 applications every month, around 25 to 30% of booked appointment slots go unused creating an opportunity to serve more applicants through better utilisation of the existing capacity. As such, the RPO has appealed to applicants to book appointments only when they are ready to attend, and reschedule them in the event their plans change.
While Pune city and Pimpri-Chinchwad account for a significant share of the around 50,000 applications received every month on an average, around 25 to 30% of booked appointment slots across the Pune RPO region currently go unused every month, primarily when applicants fail to turn up or do not reschedule their appointments. In Pune alone, around 50 appointments are rescheduled or wasted every day, potentially resulting in 1,500 to 2,000 affected slots every month. The passport office said better utilisation of these slots can help accommodate more applicants within the existing infrastructure and contribute to reducing pressure on the appointment cycle.
Pune regional passport officer Vinod Gaikwad said, “Applicants should book an appointment only when they are reasonably certain that they will be able to attend on that particular day. If there is a genuine reason why they cannot come, they should use the rescheduling facility through the prescribed process instead of allowing the slot to go unused. Every appointment slot is an opportunity for another applicant, and its proper utilisation can help us serve more people.”
“We are continuously working to reduce the appointment cycle and make more appointments available. Additional drives are being carried out and Saturday appointments are being scheduled to create extra capacity. However, the availability of appointments also depends on how effectively the existing slots are utilised,” Gaikwad said.
{{/usCountry}}“We are continuously working to reduce the appointment cycle and make more appointments available. Additional drives are being carried out and Saturday appointments are being scheduled to create extra capacity. However, the availability of appointments also depends on how effectively the existing slots are utilised,” Gaikwad said.
{{/usCountry}}Additional measures, namely opening around 1,500 additional appointments on Saturdays, are being taken to provide applicants with more opportunities to access regular passport services. Following the fee revision in July 2026, around 15 lakh appointments were booked across India within three days, putting additional pressure on the appointment system and available capacity.
“Additional appointments are being scheduled and special drives being conducted to meet the increased demand. We have also opened additional slots on Saturdays. At the same time, when an applicant books an appointment and does not turn up, that slot remains unused even though the required manpower and infrastructure have been kept ready. Applicants can support the system by ensuring that the slots they book are actually utilised,” Gaikwad said.
The passport office is also advising applicants to check the document advisory on the Passport Seva website before filling out the application form and booking an appointment. Officials said applicants can avoid delays by ensuring that all required documents are available and that the information entered in the application matches the supporting documents. Particular attention should be given to details such as the applicant’s name, date of birth and parents’ names. Applicants should also ensure that they have the required address-related documents and are prepared for police verification, wherever applicable. Missing documents or discrepancies in the application and supporting documents can result in the application being kept pending even after the applicant has completed the appointment at the passport centre.
“Applicants should check the document advisory carefully before filling in the application form and booking an appointment. They should make sure that the details entered in the application are correct and that they have all the required supporting documents. This will help avoid avoidable delays and make the process smoother for the applicant,” Gaikwad said.