Aishwarya Rai's Passport
Do you dream of studying at MIT or joining an ivy league institute for your post-graduate studies? Do you aim to hobnob with the best brains from around the world? If yes, then you already would have thought of appearing for GRE/TOEFL/IELTS etc., by the final year of your college and also developing a vision. Most of the students start collecting information about coaching institutes and colleges they aim to study in. They also plan their finances ahead of time, but they tend to forget the little yet important prerequisite for any such exam; the Passport.
Who Needs it?
Anyone who’s appearing for an entrance exam for foreign education needs a passport ready even before applying for the entrance test. Most of these exams (GRE, IELTS, GMAT) consider Passport as the only valid proof of identification. Even test centers that conduct Technical Certifications demand the original copy of your passport.
How long does it take to get one made?
In India, it can take from three to six months (or even more) to get your passport ready. The process is a long one and involves several stages before your passport finally gets approved.
When is the right time to get it made?
As a student, I know how we tend to delay things like these and wait until the last moment. But if you are serious about your abroad studies then better start the process of applying it ahead of time. Ideal time in my opinion to get it made is in the pre-final year of your college, so that you have enough time to accommodate delays that occur due to various reasons such as address verification failure.
Advantages of getting it made early:
One advantage of getting it made well in advance is that at the last moment when you are suppose to study and keep your entire focus on the exams, these passport issues can divert your mind and result in wastage of time and resources.
Do I need it even if I have no plans of Abroad Education?
Yes, even for non-aspirants, it is always good to get it made and keep your options open. And at the end of the day you may require passport in future for going abroad. Why not get it made right now and keep your options open for foreign education too. Apart from educational purposes certain companies also ask for a passport as a part of their recruiting process. Some companies also send their employees to abroad locations for training etc., and in absence of a valid passport you may lose such an opportunity.
Other Uses
Apart from this, it is also the best form of identification and can also be used for several other types of registrations, getting a prepaid card, opening a bank account, registering voter identity card, getting a credit card etc., and would make your life much simpler.
Though its just a small piece of document but it can result in all your efforts going in vain. So in all, it is highly advisable that you get one made even if it is not required at the moment. Losing any opportunity over a document is the worst form of losing.
Further References:
About Guest Writer: This article was written by Saurabh Jaiswal, a final year student of an engineering college in Indore. You can reach him at saurabhj@in.com
About the Author: This post was written by a guest at Interview Mantra. If you are interested in contributing guest posts, contact us. 
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