All Indian Passport to get upgraded, and fitted with chips as India rolls out ‘e-passport’ for all citizens

India is ushering in a new era of international travel with the introduction of chip-enabled biometric e-passports, promising quicker queues and seamless, contactless gate clearances. While the official rollout under Passport Seva Programme (PSP) 2.0 began on April 1, 2024, nationwide implementation is expected to be completed by mid-2025.

Designed to streamline immigration processes by eliminating manual checks, the new e-passports aim to strengthen border security and curb identity fraud. Each passport includes a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip and an antenna, storing crucial biometric data such as the holder’s name, date of birth, passport number, facial image, and fingerprints. This data is protected through international security standards like Basic Access Control (BAC),Passive Authentication (PA),and Extended Access Control (EAC).

With this move, India joins over 120 countries — including the U.S. and Canada — in adopting e-passports. A gold symbol beneath the front cover marks its e-passport status, and all stored data is safeguarded using Public Key Infrastructure (PKI).

Several cities — including Nagpur, Bhubaneswar, Jammu, Goa, Shimla, Raipur, Amritsar, Jaipur, Chennai, Hyderabad, Surat, and Ranchi — have already equipped their passport offices to issue the new e-passports. Expansion to more locations is on the horizon.

In Tamil Nadu, the Chennai Regional Passport Office began issuing e-passports on March 3, 2025. According to The Indian Express, 20,729 e-passports were issued in the state by March 22, 2025.

Existing passports remain valid until their expiry, and holders are not required to switch to the new e-passport unless they are renewing or applying afresh.