To date, e-passports have been issued to 80 lakh people across the country, and 60,000 e-passports have been issued by Indian embassies abroad.
To further enhance the security standards of passports and expedite travel, the Ministry of External Affairs has initiated the process of issuing e-passports nationwide. According to officials, the government has issued over 80 lakh e-passports as of May 2025, and the government has set 2035 as the target by which all Indian passports in circulation will be chipped. If you have been issued a new passport or renewed your passport on or after May 28, 2025, it will be an e-passport. Although this new passport appears similar to the old one, it features an e-chip embedded under the Ashoka Pillar on the cover, which contains all the information about the passport holder.
E-passports are more secure
E-passports will not only prevent the use of fake passports and misuse of documents but will also reduce the time taken during airport immigration.
Arun Kumar Chatterjee, Secretary, Consular Passport and Visa Division, Ministry of External Affairs, stated that e-passports are secure, time-saving at airports, convenient for holders, and compliant with the regulations established by international airports.
E-passport holders will no longer need to spend time verifying their identity at airport immigration counters. Place the e-chip in their passport on the touchscreen at the entrance, and the gate will open. Furthermore, the immigration officer will no longer need to verify every detail. This is being done under the ‘trusted traveler program’, the global version of Digi Yatra at Indian airports.
80 lakh passports issued
To date, e-passports have been issued to 80 lakh people across the country, and 60,000 e-passports have been issued by Indian embassies abroad. To simplify and facilitate the passport process in the country, the Ministry of External Affairs is opening Passport Facilitation Centres in every Lok Sabha constituency. These centres have been established in 511 Lok Sabha constituencies so far, and Passport Facilitation Centres will soon be opened in the remaining 32 constituencies. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, all efforts are being made to make the passport process more convenient and accessible for citizens.
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