India Rolls Out E-Passports in 13 New Cities: Everything You Need to Know About This High-end Tech

India today formally started issuing e-passports in chosen cities under the first phase of the Passport Seva Programme (PSP) Version 2.0, taking its tech game a step up. Launched by the Ministry of External Affairs, the initiative combines modern tech advancements with the traditional passport format to improve identification, lower fraud, and simplify immigration procedures.

E-passport now in 13 Indian Cities

Now operating in 13 Indian cities, the e-passport project went live on April 1, 2024. The cities that get e-passport are - Nagpur, Bhubaneswar, Jammu, Goa, Shimla, Raipur, Amritsar, Jaipur, Chennai, Hyderabad, Surat, Ranchi, and New Delhi. The rollout is gradual with full-deployment to be done by the mid-2025. 

E-passport is government’s attempt to streamline the process of travelling and make things easier for travellers, the fortifying of the identification system goes without a say. With the Chennai Regional Passport Office beginning e-passport issuing on March 3, 2025, Tamil Nadu was among the early users of the program. Government numbers reveal that by March 22, a total of 20,729 e-passports had been granted in the state. 

What is an e-passport?

An e-passport is basically your regular passport with a high-end tech-backed layer of digital security. It hides an electronic chip inside and an antenna embedded in its back cover. This chip stores the information printed on the passport’s photo page along with the biometric data. This data is saved in an encrypted format to safeguard data from unauthorised access. 

How to Get an e-passport?

You could immediately get an e-passport by applying for a new passport or renewing an old one at one of the chosen RPOs. There is no particular procedure as such; simply use the official web or Passport Seva Kendra to complete the usual passport application procedures. It is equally important to know that those having old passports can continue using the same passport until its validity remains. 

Read more: India's e-Passport: What It Is, How to Use It,