All passport applicants will be guaranteed an interview slot from Friday. The applicant, however, has to pay the passport fee before booking the slot online, a break from the practice of paying it in cash at the Passport Seva Kendra during the interview.

The change in the time of payment, sources said, is intended to eliminate those not serious about getting a passport.

“Every day around 20 per cent of the slots are wasted as the applicants do not turn up despite having an appointment. Now that the fee has to be paid while booking the appointment, we can expect a better turnout,” said regional passport officer, Calcutta, Geetika Srivastava.

The new procedure will require the applicant to register at www.passportindia.gov.in and pay the fee before seeking an appointment. “The fee can be paid using credit/debit cards, through Internet banking or by generating an SBI challan online. The printout of the challan has to be taken to any branch of the SBI where the applicant will pay the fee. The bank will issue a money receipt but will take at least two working days to convey the relevant information to the passport office,” said an official.

Once the money is realised by the passport office, the applicant will receive a text message. “The applicant can then seek an appointment online and a slot will be guaranteed to him. He can reschedule the date generated by the system twice. The rescheduling can be done online,” said the official.

In case of payment through netbanking or by credit/debit cards, the appointment date will be flashed on the screen immediately after the payment.

The fee for regular applicants is Rs 1,500 and for Tatkal applicants Rs 3,500. Tatkal applicants, however, will have to pay Rs 1,500 before booking a slot and the rest during the interview.

“All slots are booked till July 10. Anyone applying from tomorrow will get an appointment from July 11 onwards,” Srivastava said.

Metro had earlier reported the plight of applicants who had to wait for months before they could get an online appointment. Golok Kumar Simli, the principal consultant and head of technology, ministry of external affairs, said the new system was aimed at curbing the tout menace.