ePassports in state soon, ‘to curb forgery’; Existing ones to remain valid till expiry
Telegraph | 18 March 2025
Passport applicants in Bengal will have ePassports in two to three months, a senior official of the regional passport office, Calcutta, said on Monday. However, the existing passports will continue to remain valid till their expiry.
An ePassport is a combined paper and electronic passport with a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip and an antenna embedded as an inlay of the passport that contains personal details and biometric information, according to the Passport Seva website of the ministry of external affairs.
The ePassport will be visually identifiable by a small additional gold colour symbol printed below the front cover of the passport, it said.
“The ministry has upgraded the existing PSP V1.0 (Passport Seva Programme Version 1.0) to PSP V2.0, functional in a few regional passport offices, yet to be implemented in RPO Kolkata,” said the official. He said the second phase of the Passport Seva Programme, which includes ePassport, is expected to be launched in RPO Kolkata in three to four months.
The official was speaking at a programme organised by Travel Agents Federation of India, attended by travel agents and airline officials.
According to the ministry of external affairs website, the major benefit of the ePassport is enhanced data security.
The ePassport will have the data in printed form on the booklet and digitally signed in the electronic chip that can be securely authenticated by immigration officials globally. This will safeguard the passport from forgery and potential fraudulent activities.
The official said all passports will remain valid till their validity expires.
According to sources, the Tatkal fees for application would increase for ePassport.
The official also urged passport applicants to update all documents they submit, like a voter card.