India e-passport: What are the differences, benefits; how to apply for it?
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, they are expected to be expanded to all Passport Seva Kendras this year.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, they are expected to be expanded to all Passport Seva Kendras this year.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, they are expected to be expanded to all Passport Seva Kendras this year.
India rolls out e-passports, a modern version of the conventional passport with new-age features that enhance security and identification. They are currently issued in Jammu, Goa, Nagpur, Shimla, Bhubaneswar, Delhi, Ranchi, Surat, Hyderabad, Chennai, Jaipur, Amritsar, and Raipur. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, they are expected to be expanded to all Passport Seva Kendras this year. Here's what you need to know about the new e-passport.
How is it beneficial?
1) It has an embedded Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip and antenna on its back cover. It stores the passport holder's biometric information like their photos, fingerprints, date of birth and passport number. The data is encrypted and stored following international protocols, which apparently prevents tampering or unauthorised access.
2) This makes immigration processes like manual verification faster. Travellers can now pass through automated e-gates that recognises such biometric passports.
How to apply for an e-passport?
According to reports, the application process for an e-passport is the same as that for a traditional passport. Citizens can apply through the Passport Seva Portal, get an appointment at their nearest Passport Seva Kendra or Post Office Passport Seva Kendra, and submit their biometric details to get the passport.
Other countries with e-passports
The USA, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, UK, Italy and France are a few of the countries with e-passports. 'India e-passport' has more than 2K searches on Google Trends in the past 3 hours.