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News India Will Soon Issue E-Passports To Make International Travel Easier: Here's Everything You Need To Know
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India Will Soon Issue E-Passports To Make International Travel Easier: Here's Everything You Need To Know

The move to issue e-passports is aimed at making international travel easier, preventing identity theft, and ensuring greater data security.

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By: Karan Kaushik Published: Jun 24, 2022 06:06 PM IST

India Will Soon Issue E-Passports To Make International Travel Easier: Here's Everything You Need To Know
Image: Shutterstock

You may have an e-passport by the end of this year. The Indian government is working towards issuing e-passports for citizens in order to make international travel easier. The move is also aimed at identifying theft and ensuring improved data security. By Karan Kaushik

All you need to know about the Indian e-passport

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that the Ministry of External Affairs and the Central Passport Organisation are working towards providing an improved citizen experience in passport-related services. Speaking on the occasion of Passport Seva Divas 2022, Jaishankar said that the Indian government wants to offer citizens efficient, dependable, accessible, transparent, and speedy passport and passport-related services.

According to news reports, the task of making chip-based e-passports has been assigned to leading IT company Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). The company will start rolling out e-passports by the end of this year.

TCS and the Ministry of External Affairs have established a command and control centre and a data centre to support all the backend requirements for the e-passport project. It is also being said that this is India’s largest mission-critical governance programme ever. 

Jaishankar even said that the Ministry of External Affairs had rolled out passports during the pandemic. “I am happy to note that passport services were rendered with the same vigour and enthusiasm even during the testing times of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Ministry rose to the occasion to meet the increased demand for passport services built up due to two and half years of the pandemic, and dealt it swiftly with an impressive monthly average of 9.0 lakhs, with 4.50 lakhs additional applications granted in the last one month, thus setting a record,” news agency ANI quoted him as saying.

world's most powerful passport

The minister added that the government has also integrated the Passport Seva System with the DigiLocker system to make the documentation process paperless. He informed that 428 Post Office Passport Seva Kendras have been operationalised to reach out to citizens at their doorsteps. The passport issuance systems have also been successfully integrated across 178 Indian embassies and consulates abroad.

He mentioned that the Passport Seva Programme (PSP) will launch PSP V2.0, which will be an upgraded version of PSP V1.0. This will improve the quality of passport services and ensure a digital ecosystem among all stakeholders.

What is an e-passport?

Indian passports

E-passports look like regular passports. They are equipped with a small electronic chip, the same way our driving licenses are. The chip is used to store all important information about the passport holder, including their name, birth date, and address. E-passports also feature a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip along with an antenna, which is embedded in the back cover. This chip helps in verifying the details about a traveller in a fast manner. 

Benefits of an e-passport

e-passport
Credit: Skitterphoto/Pexels

Having an e-passport helps travellers in the following ways:

  • A flier with an e-passport is not required to queue up at the airport as it can be scanned quickly.
  • An e-passport helps in keeping track of the flier’s biometric data. This not only prevents data theft but also prevents the creation of a duplicate passport.
  • It is impossible to wipe data from an e-passport.
  • If tampered with, the chip passport authentication fails.

Features of an e-passport

e-passport
Image: Shutterstock

An e-passport comes with as many as 41 unique features. The validity of an e-passport is between five to 10 years, depending on the age of the passport holder. Some of the prominent features of an e-passport are as follows:

  • An e-passport features an embossed holographic image.
  • It carries the fingerprints of all 10 fingers of the passport holder’s hands.
  • An e-passport carries demographic information of the passport holder.
  • It also features the iris scans of the passport holder.
  • A coloured photograph of the passport holder is also present on an e-passport along with their digital signature.

Related: Planning An International Trip? These Are The Best Travel Insurance Plans In India

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Question: What is an e-passport?

Answer: An e-passport comes with a chip and biometric identification card. It is same as a traditional passport in terms of application, verification, and information.

Question: Is e-passport available?

Answer: The e-passports will be rolled out by the end of the year 2022 at all 36 passports offices in India.

Question: Can I get e-passport online?

Answer: Yes you can apply for an e-passport online in both normal and tatkal categories. You will have to book an appointment to the nearest Passport Seva Kendra or Post Office Passport Seva Kendra after the e-form submission.

Question: How does e-passport look like?

Answer: It looks the same as your traditional passport but features an embedded microchip and the international biometric symbol at the bottom of the front cover.

Question: How many countries have e-passports?

Answer: According to the International Civil Aviation Organization, more than 100 issuing authorities have rolled out e-passports. These include countries like Ireland, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh.

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