Passport applicants will now be able to apply for police clearance certificates (PCCs) at all online post office passport seva kendras, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Monday.

The MEA is the nodal ministry for the issuance of passports.

The PCCs are a pre-requisite for the issuance of passports to the applicants.

Often, the issuance of the PCCs by the local police takes time that results in a delay in the grant of passports.

“To address the unanticipated surge in demand for Police Clearance Certificates (PCCs), the ministry has decided to include the facility to apply for PCC services at all online Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs) across India, starting from September 28,” the MEA said in a statement.

“This step would significantly add to the availability of PCC appointment slots, and at an earlier date,” it added.

The MEA further said: “The action taken by the ministry in extending this PCC application facility to POPSKs would not only help Indian citizens seeking employment abroad, but also meet the demand for other PCC requirements, such as in the case of education, long-term visa, emigration etc.”