Digital Passports: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has begun issuing e-Passports across the country to further strengthen passport security standards. Anyone who applied for a new passport or renewed one on or after May 28, 2025, will receive an e-Passport.
While it looks identical to older passports, the cover now features a chip below the Ashoka emblem. This chip stores all information related to the passport holder. The e-Passport will prevent use of fake passports and will also speed up immigration procedures at airports.
Convenient, Safe And Fast
Arun Kumar Chatterjee, secretary of the consular, passport and visa division at the MEA, explained that e-Passports are convenient, secure, save time at airports and comply with international aviation regulations.
“e-Passport holders will no longer need to spend long hours at airport immigration counters for verification. With the new e-Passport, you simply place the e-chip on the touch screen at the entry gate, and the doors will open. Immigration officers no longer need to manually verify everything. This is part of the Trusted Traveller Programme, the global standard for digital travel at Indian airports,” he said.
Eight Million e-Passports Already Issued
So far, 80 lakh e-Passports have been issued across India, with 60,000 issued by Indian embassies abroad. To make the passport process more accessible, the ministry has opened Passport Seva Kendras in every Lok Sabha constituency.
At present, 511 constituencies have passport centres, and the remaining 32 will get them soon. According to the MEA, all efforts are being made to make the passport application process smoother and more citizen-friendly.
Applications for passports have been rising steadily. Ten years ago, about 50 lakh passports were issued annually. Today, the number has increased to 1.5 crore passports per year.
Citizens can access passport-related information in 17 Indian languages, ensuring greater accessibility for all.
