Passport service has now become more hi-tech in India. The government has introduced chip-based biometric e-passports across the country, which will make the immigration process even faster, safer and contactless for Indian citizens traveling abroad. With this initiative, India has joined the list of 120+ countries like the US, UK, France, Japan and Canada, which are already using e-passports.

What is e-passport and what will be new in it?

E-passport is an electronic document, which has an RFID chip and antenna installed in the back cover of the passport. This chip stores biometric and personal information such as name, date of birth, passport number, face and fingerprint of the passport holder. This data is encrypted as per international security standards BAC, PA and EAC.

This facility has started in India from April 2024 under Passport Seva Program 2.0. In the first phase, the pilot project was implemented in cities like Nagpur, Bhubaneswar, Jammu, Goa, Shimla, Jaipur, Chennai, Hyderabad. The central government aims to fully expand it across the country by June 2025.

What will be the benefit to passengers?

The immigration process will be more smooth and modern with e-passport. Passengers will now be able to go through automated and contactless process through e-gates, which will eliminate the need to stand in long queues. This will make the travel experience faster and more comfortable.

How to apply for e-passport?

Citizens can apply for e-passport on the passport service portal as before. Biometric information will have to be given by visiting the nearest passport service center or post office passport center. In future, features like digital visa, mobile passport wallet, Aadhaar and DigiLocker integration can also be added to it, which will make international travel completely digital and paperless.

The value of Indian passport will increase on the global platform

With the introduction of e-passport facility, Indian citizens will get better recognition, respect and faster immigration clearance in countries like US, UK, France, Japan, Singapore. This initiative is considered to be another big step towards the digital transformation of India.

PC:Punjab Kesari