F-1 Visa seekers in India can either attend a Biometrics (OFC) Appointment + Consulate (Interview) Appointment, or simply drop off their visa application documents at the nearest VAC (Visa Application Center) location for their Dropbox Appointment. Regardless of your appointment type, prior to booking your visa appointment(s) through your CGI Federal account, you must select the mode of receiving your passport from the US Embassy/Consulate. 

You can choose to either pick up the passport yourself (or have someone else pick it up on your behalf), or have it delivered to a specified address. Here are the details you must understand for both passport shipping methods.

Option 1: Self Pick Up

If you choose to have your passport picked up by yourself (or someone else), the US Embassy/Consulate will have your passport delivered to the pickup location that you specified when booking your visa appointment(s). You can choose to have your passport picked up from any of the 11 VAC locations in India, or from one of the 22 Blue Dart locations in India (scroll below for a complete list of all Blue Dart locations in India). 

If you choose to pick up your passport from a location other than the VAC (or OFC) location where you submitted your visa application documents, you will be charged a nominal fee of INR 650 at the time of picking up your passport.    

When your passport is ready for pick up, you will receive a text message or SMS (on the phone number you provided on your CGI Federal account profile page) confirming the same. There are no additional charges that you have to pay should you choose to have your passport picked up from the collection locations. 

If you choose a VAC location as your pick up location, you must pick up your passport within 14 days of receiving the SMS confirmation. If you choose one of the Blue Dart locations, you must pick up your passport within 7 days of receiving the SMS confirmation. Failure to collect your passport within this timeline will result in your passport being sent back to the US Embassy or Consulate location that processed your visa application; you will be required to collect your passport from the Embassy or Consulate itself.

Documents to carry:

You must carry at least one original (and a photocopy) of a government-issued photo ID as well as your Visa Appointment Confirmation Letter. We recommend that you carry more than one proof of ID (for Indian citizens, an Indian driver’s license, Aadhar Card, and PAN Card are acceptable forms of identification). 

If you are having someone else pick up your passport from the passport collection location, ensure that they are carrying the following documents:

• At least one original (and a photocopy) of their government-issued photo ID 

• A photocopy of your government-issued photo ID with your signature on the photocopy

• A copy of the your Visa Appointment Confirmation Letter

• An authority letter signed by you explaining that you have given this person consent to pick up the your passport

Note: the authority letter must clearly state your full legal name, as it appears on your passport and visa application documents, as well as the representative’s (the person picking up your passport) full legal name, as it appears on their government-issued photo ID that they will be carrying. 

Note: If you are under 18 years of age, the representative picking up your passport must carry the following documents:

• At least one original (and a photocopy) of their government issued photo ID 

• A photocopy of the your Birth Certificate or an acceptable School ID with the your parent’s signature 

• A copy of your Visa Appointment Confirmation Letter

• An authority letter signed by one of the your parents explaining that they have given this person consent to pick up your passport

• A photocopy of the your parent’s government-issued photo ID with your parent’s signature 

Option 2: Premium Home Delivery

The second option you can choose for receiving your passport is the Premium Home Delivery option. If you choose this option, you must specify the exact address you want your passport to be delivered to once the US Embassy or Consulate is done processing your visa application. 

For a fee of INR 500 (inclusive of all taxes), the U.S Embassy and Consulates in India will get your passport delivered to the address you provided via Blue Dart Express LTD.

Ensure to double check the address you specify before your visa appointment(s). You are allowed to make changes to the delivery location in your CGI Federal account up to 11:59pm IST on the day prior to your Consulate (Interview) Appointment or your Dropbox Appointment. 

COVID-19 has significantly impacted the processing times for visa applications across US Embassy/Consulate locations in India, and it typically takes between 2-14 days for your passport to be returned. If your passport is taking longer than normal to arrive at the address you specified, you must email support-india@ustraveldocs.com and notify the Embassy/Consulate of the delay. 

Click here to learn more about Tracking your F-1 Visa Application Status and Passport Delivery

List of Blue Dart Locations (in India) for Passport Pick Up

Vishakapatnam - Blue Dart Express Ltd 
Mon-Sat 10:00a.m.-4:00p.m.
47-10-32 Grd Flr., Guttikonda Mansion, Dwarkanagar
Vishakapatnam - 530016

Vijayawada - Blue Dart Express Ltd
Mon-Sat 10:00a.m.-4:00p.m.
D. NO. 24-29-214/ 5 & 6, Ground Floor, Akhil Chambers, BRTS Road, Gulabhi Thota
Vijayawada - 520011

Tirupati - Blue Dart Express Ltd
Mon-Sat 10:00a.m.-4:00p.m.
11/22 Renigunta Road, Near Cotton Mill
Tirupati - 517501

Mangalore - Blue Dart Express Ltd
Mon-Sat 10:00a.m.-4:00p.m.
Harmony Complex, Anand Shetty Circle Attavara
Mangalore - 575001

Thiruvananthapuram - Blue Dart Express Ltd
Mon-Sat 10:00a.m.-4:00p.m.
TC 25 / 362 (2) Gandhari Amman Coil Road, Opp. South Gate of Govt
Thiruvananthapuram - 695001

Coimbatore - Blue Dart Express Ltd
Mon-Sat 10:00a.m.-4:00p.m.
Paga Towers 8/128 to 132, Kattoor Street, Papanaicken Palayam
Coimbatore - 641037

Sholinganallur - Blue Dart Express Ltd
Mon-Sat 10:00a.m.-4:00p.m.
89/4 Old Mahaballipuram Road, Sholinganallur
Chennai - 600119

Patna - Blue Dart Express Ltd
Mon-Sat 10:00a.m.-4:00p.m.
Rajendraram Plaza G.Floor, Exhibition Road, Behind YES Bank
Patna - 800001

Surat - Blue Dart Express Ltd
Mon-Sat 10:00a.m.-4:00p.m.
Plot No. 16 Grd Flr., Ridhi Sidhi INDL CHSL, Near Daxeshwar Temple, GHB Road, Opp. Bharat Petroleum Pande
Surat - 394221

Baroda - Blue Dart Express Ltd
Mon-Sat 10:00a.m.-4:00p.m.
S-12, Shri Rang Plaza, Near Suraj Plaza Sayajiganj
Baroda - 390005

Indore - Blue Dart Express Ltd
Mon-Sat 10:00a.m.-4:00p.m.
Plot No.340-D/AD, Scheme No.74/C, Vijay Nagar, AB Road, Near Doshi Honda Showroom
Indore - 452010

Bhopal - Blue Dart Express Ltd
Mon-Sat 10:00a.m.-4:00p.m.
229 Nirmal Bhavan Zone I, Maharana Pratap Nagar
Bhopal - 462011

Nagpur - Blue Dart Express Ltd
Mon-Sat 10:00a.m.-4:00p.m.
179 North Ambzari Road, Andhra Association Building, Near University Library
Nagpur - 440010

Bhubaneswar - Blue Dart Express Ltd
Mon-Sat 10:00a.m.-4:00p.m.
A-69 Ground Floor, Mallick Commercial Complex, Kharvel Nagar
Bhubaneswar – 751001, India

Lucknow - Blue Dart Express Ltd
Mon-Sat 10:00a.m.-4:00p.m.
3A/5 Radha Krishna Bhawan, Park Road
Lucknow - 226001

Guwahati - Blue Dart Express Ltd
Mon-Sat 10:00a.m.-4:00p.m.
Nilgiri Path, Near Doordarshan Kendra, RGB Road
Guwahati - 781024

Dehradun - Blue Dart Express Ltd
Mon-Sat 10:00a.m.-4:00p.m.
Gr Flr., Khasra #506 (Old Khasra #506/4), Mauja Niranjampur, Pargana Central Doon
Uttarakhand - 248001

Jaipur - Blue Dart Express Ltd
Mon-Sat 10:00-16:00
Plot No C, Sahkar Marg, Near State Motor Garage
Jaipur - 302005

Jamshedpur - Blue Dart Express Ltd
Mon-Sat 10:00a.m.-4:00p.m.
Krishna Kunj Nr Regent Road, Innercircle Road Bisturpur
Jamshedpur - 831001

Panjim - Blue Dart Express Ltd
Mon-Sat 10:00a.m.-4:00p.m.
G-6, Grd Flr., Citi Centre EDC Complex, Patto Plaza
Panaji - 403001

Raipur - Blue Dart Express Ltd
Mon-Sat 10:00a.m.-4:00p.m.
Shop No. 3 & 4, Progression Point Building, Near New Fruit Market,
Raipur - 492001

Puducherry - Blue Dart Express Ltd
Mon-Sat 10:00a.m.-4:00p.m.
77 Dr Ambedkar Road, Near Immaculate School, Netaji Nagar Mudaliarpet
Puducherry - 605001