E-GUIDE SERVICE (S) – FAQS

It is a self directed service that assists in applying for Foreign Citizen PAN card at your convenience from any country.

Our E-Guide consists of  sections explained over 30 plus pages detailing step by step the online application process for PAN Card using the Protean eGov portal when applying as a Foreign Citizen (including OCI & Non OCI holder). (The term NRI is commonly used for a “Foreing Citizen” interchangeably in popular culture). This E-Guide is for an individual whom holds a Foreign passport, your application form required will be – Form 49AA. Apply from any country of residence using Form 49AA. Details such as, the online procedure, documents, fee, what to expect and timelines with examples are provided in the E-Guide.

Form 49AA will be selected during the application process by you online. This will be on the depositary site. It does not need to be obtained in advance. As you follow the process it will become apparent.

Once you have gone through the guidelines and requirements for the application process, all you need to do is apply online via Protean eGov Technologies using internet access. You can continue to use the E-Guide as you go along until the application has been completed ready to send for processing.

As a bonus, we include email support in most of our E-Guides where required. Please check the purchase details of the E-Guide you decide to choose.

The E-Guide is a supplementary form of assistance and it is not a mandatory guide to apply for PAN. The E-Guide serves in a supplementary & assistive capacity. Specifically for Foreign Citizen, (NRI), OCI, PAN Card preparation and submission of application and documents from any country at your convenience.

The E-Guide would benefit any person who prefers added assistance in applying for their PAN despite the guidelines set out to apply. For example, the online application process although detailed on the portals you may find that you still require some assistance. Our Guided assistance is for Non Indian passport holders. For Indian passport holders please contact us with your query.

Yes, the E-Guide is specific for this purpose.

• E-Guide (self directed/Step by Step)– access to a paid E-Guide that provides step by step information and assistance to apply for a PAN card as an Foreign Citizen (NRI), including OCI or NON OCI holder using the Government of India approved portal – Protean eGov Technologies. The E-Guide explains the PAN application process through step by step information and examples for the process that you would need to undertake in applying for your PAN card online yourself. You can apply from any country of residence at your convenience with this guided support. With this service you can use the checklist included to make your application process. The E-Guide can be viewed on mobile, ipad or desktop layouts. It includes email support. The E-Guide is a self directed process that would require internet use. The E-Guide is for Foreign Citizen (NRI)  only and does not include the assisted checking service.

• Full Assistance 1-2-1 Service – we also provide individual advisor based service, where an advisor works with you from start to finish to apply for Foreign Citizen NEW PAN from any country remotely.

No you do not. Our E-Guide serves in supplementary support capacity for a Foreign Citizen wishing to apply for PAN online via Protean eGov. Not everyone is confident to apply themselves online. One may have time sensitive day to day commitments and need some guidance. Although there is a vast amount of PAN information online it may be time consuming and sometimes confusing to sift through it all. It varies for each individual. This E-Guide may be helpful as it is specific, ie; Foreign Citizen (NRI) PAN information necessary to understand before applying, apply with examples on Protean eGov, submit and track. This may perhaps eradicate any guess work involved which on occasion can occur due to the amount of information and sometimes the terminology used.

However, both designated official PAN portals provide guidelines as well as direct access to apply yourself. You can go ahead and apply directly where you prefer without the use of further support.

Or you may wish to visit both portals online and consider how you would prefer to proceed. It would help in making a more informed decision. Where you decide to apply via Protean eGov and would like the added support you can always select our E-Guide Service and begin.

Protean eGov Technologies.

The E-Guide provides step by step assistance in applying for Foreign Citizen PAN Card using the official guidelines on Protean eGov portal specifically. This E-Guide provides a descriptive approach, for example, step by step process as you actually apply online, helpful image examples, Form 49AA and the inclusion of images/checklists to help along the way. Alot of our Clients have found the portal difficult to understand due to terminology. Others not confident to apply without added support. This E-Guide has been rated “excellent” by Clients.

If you want to apply for your PAN card using Protean eGov then yes this E-Guide will assist.

English language.

Applications are prepared based on individual merit. The fee for PAN application assistance would apply for each applicant. Our full service fee would apply.

Both providers have their own levels of services as well as customer service follow through. The difference is perhaps preferential.

Whytecroft Ford Services use the Protean eGov Technologies (formerly NSDL) due to a number of years of successful experience with their portal.

Both depositaries use end-to-end Government services.

From the time you post your application to Protean eGov, Pune, India it can take approximately 10-15 days for your PAN to be allotted by the Income Tax Department and for Protean eGov to process and send the PAN out to you. This does not include any postal services delays. For the UK you should factor in any strike related backlog that the postal services may be experiencing.

Prior to the above, it depends on you how long you take in applying for the PAN by following the process set out. However once you register online you have 30 days to complete your application and 15 days to send your supporting documents to Protean eGov.

Where you opt for our Full PAN Service the application preparation time may be reduced.

Real Time Involved – PAN Card for NRI

If you have chosen our  E-Guide Service you’ll receive access to the Guide on the email address provided by you within 24 hours.  You can begin to use the E-Guide once received.

Full Assistance 1-2-1 Service Clients –  an advisor will be in touch within 24 hours to begin the process via email.

Follow the E-Guide STEP BY STEP until you complete your application on the Protean eGov portal.

The E-Guide includes image examples as well as checklists to make things a little easier to follow as you progress your application online.

You can always pause and come back to a specific part or pause your application online and re-visit areas.

All of the above can be done at your convenience (within the required time frames set out by the portal).

As this E-Guide is for an Foreign Citizen (NRI) applying online, Form 49AA would come into effect via the Protean eGov portal after you have followed the steps to register as a User, obtained a Token Number from the portal and subsequently started applying.

You would not need a physical version of Form 49AA initially. The Form 49AA will be downloaded and printed by you once you complete the online application process at the latter stages.

The process will become apparent once you begin.

Yes the PAN Card E-Guide is specifically for a Foreign Citizen (NRI) including OCI or Non – OCI holder, Overseas Indian.

The E-Guide can be viewed on most smart devices.

Any further assistance  will be sent to you in .pdf format or via email.

Yes, the E-Guide includes details with image example(s) of where to place your PAN photographs and where to provide signatures.

Yes via email, however, email support is not live and would require up to 24 hours for our team to respond. It is advisable to email in advance, ideally before you begin with any questions.

Yes we can, you may choose to take our PAN Card Full Service. This is a higher level of service, therefore extra costs will be incurred.

Yes you can.

Yes, we can. The PAN Card preparatory services that we provide are in accordance with the Protean eGov portal and E-PAN option is available during your PAN Card application. As such the application process is not different from a standard Form 49AA PAN Card application process. Where the E-PAN option is available using the Protean eGov all our PAN Card services provide this option including our PAN Card E-Guide services.

Unfortunately we do not currently offer the E-Guide in other languages. However, depending on which one of our PAN Card services you select, we maybe able to assign an advisor that can speak Hindi, Punjabi or Urdu where requested.

Yes, you would need a working printer in order to print your completed PAN Card application ready to send to Protean eGov for processing in India at the final stages.

Yes, reliable, safe and secure internet access would be needed.

Yes, reliable, safe and secure electronic device would be required. We recommend using a desktop or laptop to apply for ease of use as well as your mobile that can be simultaneously used to display the E-Guide whilst you are applying for your PAN Card.

Any form of “technical support” is not included. If there is an issue with Protean eGov portal you would need to contact them directly.

Whytecroft Ford has no influence in any way whatsoever over the respective portals online site. For example, you are in the middle of your application and their site goes down.

However, if your query relates to the E-Guide, you can use the email support provided in the E-Guide. Just follow the steps outlined. The email support is not live and would require up to 24 hours for our team to respond. One way to avoid any stops to the live process of your PAN application using the E-Guide would be to go through it before you begin and email in advance.

Unfortunately, there are no fast track PAN Card services available. The PAN Card process when applying from outside of India would be the same for all applicants in accordance with the Government of India set guidelines and until further notice. However you may reduce the time that it takes for you to apply by selecting a PAN service that can assist you in your application.

You can email us on info@whytecroftford.com and a member of our team will respond within 48 hours via email. Or please use our online contact form to send us your query.

Yes, we are assisting our clients remotely and provide client meetings on appointment only when required. For PAN Card services you would not require a face to face appointment as the service is an online and over the phone service depending on which one you select for your PAN Card application.

We do not provide photographic services. However, our Guides provide information on how and where to obtain photos.

If you have opted for one of our Foreign Citizen (NRI) PAN Card Services the service would include some support, please check with the service guidelines.

Unfortunately, we cannot provide general assistance if you are already in the process of applying for your PAN independently.  You may wish to use our paid services to ask any PAN related questions via email Q/A or book a paid 30 minute telephone call. 

This E-Guide is an online service that is provided by our firm from which an Individual (User/Client) benefits by way of use of the E-guide to obtain a Foreign Citizen (NRI) PAN where they are unable to apply themselves. The E-Guide is a service of related expertise combined with assisted guidance navigating the portal. 

The Protean eGov portal apply for PAN card online service is a self directed service and the fee applicable to them is for “processing  & allotting” PAN card once the required preparation and submission of documents have been submitted to them online. This is dependent solely on the applicant. Whytecroft Ford’s associated services provide service in “applying” for PAN card namely, preparation and submission of application/documents. Both involve two different stages of the online PAN card process. The decision to engage Whytecroft Ford services is at the sole discretion of the Client/Applicant.

Our PAN Card application service fee are inline with the level of service you require as well as the level of guidance and expertise provided by our firm. Our associated fees are transparent and typically include areas such as; remote services, support of UK based company expertise from start to finish, administrative, liaison with client 1-2-1, our expertise, document checking, client communication & guidance, preparation of application, advisor time, trust of services, which can be provided in remotely, face-face or as service Guides (not limited to). The standalone fee for online PAN card processing via associated PAN portals are one time processing cost which is applicable after preparatory information has been submitted by the applicant, costs are significantly different in India. An applicant may or may not wish to apply online themselves for PAN card and not everyone can travel to India or obtain easy access to trusted expertise. Our clients have often said that they have benefitted from our services considerably when seen in hindsight. Sometimes information may or may not be easily understood. Where an applicant is using their own time in applying for PAN card online they would have to complete the whole application process from start to finish self directed at their own convenience. Where an applicant is able to apply for PAN card online themselves it is encouraged to do so. Our services provide further options. It is the discretion of the Client/Applicant to deem suitability of service.

Read the full Guide Services Terms and Conditions.