Now your passport will become even smarter! E-passport has been launched in India, know its benefits and easy way to apply.

E-Passport in India: Now traveling abroad will be safer and easier, as the Government of India has made a big and important change in the passport system. Recently, e-passport has been launched in the country under “Passport Seva Program V2.0”. This new passport will have an advanced electronic chip, which will keep your personal and biometric information completely safe. From now on, if you apply for a new passport or renew your old passport, you will get this new e-passport equipped with a chip. However, those who have an old passport need not worry, as their passport will remain valid till its validity period. What is an e-passport? In simple words, an e-passport is a modern, high-tech version of the old passport. It will look exactly like the old passport, but on its cover, below the Ashoka Pillar, there will be a small golden electronic chip. This chip has Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology and an antenna. It stores all the biometric information of the passport holder like name, address, photo, fingerprints and iris scan securely in digital form. What are the benefits of the new e-passport? This high-tech passport has many benefits, which will make your travel much easier: Complete Security: Because of this chip, it will become almost impossible to tamper with the passport or make a fake passport. Data Security: All your information is digitally signed, so it remains completely safe. Faster Immigration: No more standing in long queues at the immigration counter at the airport. Once the chip is scanned, all your information will be entered into the system, making the immigration process much faster. What will happen to your old passport? According to the Passport Seva Portal, your existing passport will remain fully valid until its validity period expires. You don’t need to change it. When it comes time to renew your passport or its pages are full, you will be automatically issued a new e-passport. This change has been automatically implemented at all passport centres. How to apply online for e-passport? The process to apply for e-passport is the same as for the old passport. There has been no change in this. You can apply online by following the simple steps given below:Step 1: First, visit the official website of Passport Seva.Step 2: Create and register your user ID by clicking on ‘New User Registration’ on the website. Here you have to select the nearest passport office (RPO) as per your address. Step 3: After registration, log in with your user ID. Now click on the option ‘Apply for New Passport/Reissue Passport’. Step 4: If you are getting a passport for the first time, select ‘New Passport’ and if you are renewing, select ‘Reissue’ option. Step 5: Now an application form will open in front of you. Fill all the information asked carefully. Step 6: After filling the form, submit it and go to ‘View Saved/Submitted Applications’ section and click on ‘Make Payment and Schedule Appointment’. Step 7: Here you have to pay the fee online. After paying the fee, you will get an appointment at the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) or post office. Step 8: Once the payment is made successfully, you will receive a receipt containing your ARN number and appointment details. This information will also be sent to you via SMS. That’s all, by following this simple process you can apply for your new hi-tech e-passport.