Expatriates and travellers take note, Indian passports undergoing  major overhaul for faster, more convenient services

NEW DELHI: The country's passport system is undergoing a major overhaul. The old passports are being replaced by new e-passports. The e-passports are being introduced in the country under a scheme called Passport Seva Programme 2.0. They will be issued with state-of-the-art security features.

These are passports with radio frequency identification (RFID) chips that securely store encrypted biometric data. This will help in faster and more reliable identity verification at immigration counters. It will also prevent fraud, forgery and passport damage. The revised system will significantly reduce passport fraud and reduce cases related to individuals holding multiple passports, a senior external affairs ministry official said.

The government aims to completely switch to e-passports, including the existing ones, by June 2035. It has also been linked to Aadhaar and PAN cards for quick document verification. The Global Passport Seva Programme (GPSP V2.0) was launched on October 28, 2025, for use in Indian missions abroad. It also includes AI chatbots and voice bots for application assistance and grievance redressal. Meanwhile, existing passports will remain valid until their expiry date.