BLS International Services to close operations on May 6.
AB Wire
WASHINGTON, DC: The existing India Passport Application Centre in Washington DC, operated by BLS International Services Limited, will close operations next month, on May 6.
With effect from May 9, the Embassy of India, in Washington, DC, will accept passport applications through the new India Passport Application Centre (IPAC) operated by Cox and Kings Global Services. A service fee of US$ 19.95 (inclusive of all taxes) per application will be charged at the IPAC in addition to applicable passport fees, according to a press release.
The address of IPAC here is: India Passport Application Centre, Cox and Kings Global Services, Suite 100-90, 1250 23rd St NW Washington, DC 20037 (www.passport.in.ckgs.us)
During the transition of outsourcing services from BLS International Services Limited to Cox and Kings Global Services (CKGS), acceptance of passport applications and return of processed passports will be handled as follows:
- BLS will not accept any postal application after April 22. Only postal applications post-marked on or before April 22, 2016 will be accepted by BLS.
- BLS will not accept regular walk-in / appointment applications after April 29, 2016.
- BLS will only accept Tatkal walk-in / appointment applications from May 2 to May 6.
Renewed passports for all passport applications accepted by BLS will be returned to applicants by BLS through walk-in collection or through postal dispatch, where the applicant has chosen for postal delivery.
For passport applications under processing at the Embassy during the transition period, renewed passports will be returned to the applicants by Embassy of India, Washington DC. Applicants are advised to check tracking status of their applications on BLS website.
BLS will also inform all those applicants by email whose renewed passports will be returned directly by the Embassy. In such cases, renewed passports will be available for walk-in collection at the Embassy’s Consular Office [2536 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC 20008] or will be dispatched by post, where the applicant has chosen for postal delivery.
All applicants who have submitted their passport applications to BLS IPAC are advised to check status of their application on the BLS website and make immediate arrangements to pick up their renewed passports from BLS, if they are now available at the BLS IPAC.
In order to avoid any inconvenience, applicants who are not in immediate need for renewal of their passports are advised to submit their passport applications to the new IPAC on or after May 9. However, applicants may take care that their postal applications do not reach CKGS IPAC before May 9.
For further information / clarification, applicants may send an email to the Consular Wing of the Embassy of India, Washington DC at consular@indiagov.org with subject head “Transition”.
For information regarding new India Passport Application Centres at Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York and San Francisco, visit the websites of Consulates General of India at Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York and San Francisco, respectively.
1 Comment
Is tatkal (expedited) service available with new agency (Cox and Kings Global Services) ? If so, What is the process?