What Is An e-Passport? Benefits And Key Details For Indian Citizens - Check Details

According to a release of the MEA, an e-Passport is a hybrid passport that combines both paper and electronic elements. It features an RFID chip and an antenna, which stores the data of the Passport holder in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards.

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The Indian government has recently launched the e-Passport service for citizens of India, and this introduction, alongside PSP V2.0, marks a significant milestone for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). 

What Is e-Passport? 

According to a release of the Ministry, an e-Passport is a hybrid passport that combines both paper and electronic elements. 

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"An e-Passport 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 the personal particulars and biometric information of the passport holder," as per the Passport Seva website. 

It features an RFID chip and an antenna, which stores the data of the Passport holder in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards.

The e-Passport will be visually identifiable as a small additional gold colour symbol printed below the front cover of the passport.

Benefits Of Having An e-Passport

The following are the benefits of having an e-Passport:

1- The ePassport comes with the ability to maintain the integrity of the passport holder’s data. 

2- The ePassport will have the data in printed form on the booklet, as well as digitally signed in the electronic chip, which can be securely authenticated by immigration officials and keeps the passport safe from crimes like forgery, and fraud.

3- The technology supporting the security of the e-Passport is the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) solution, which is the foundation for safeguarding sensitive information and confirming the integrity and origin of the personal and biometric data stored on the chip within the e-Passport, mentions Passport Seva website.

What Does It Mean For Individuals With Existing Passports? 

Citizens may wonder whether the introduction of e-Passports makes it mandatory for existing passport holders to replace their current passports. According to Passport Seva, the answer is no. Passports already issued by authorized Indian authorities will continue to remain valid until their stated date of expiry, and holders are not required to replace them with e-Passports before that time.