A big update has come regarding passport for about 35 lakh Indian expatriates living in UAE. Now Indian Embassy and Consulates have started issuing new generation chip-based e-passport. This new system has been introduced under the Global Passport Seva Program 2.0. It will be equipped with a small RFID chip which will make the immigration process at the airport much faster and will also make the security stronger than before.
Special features and fee information of the new e-passport
A chip has been installed in this new passport to protect biometric data such as fingerprints and facial recognition. Due to this technology, smart gates can be used at the airport, which will reduce the time taken for immigration from 25 minutes to less than 5 minutes. Its biggest relief is that the government has not increased the passport fees.
Fees: For a new e-passport, the same fee will have to be paid as for the old passport.
Free Correction: There will no longer be a charge for correcting minor errors in forms at BLS International centers.
Security: Advanced hologram and laser engraving have been used in it, due to which forgery will not be possible.
Old passport and application process
If you have an old machine-readable passport, there is no need to panic. Your old passport will remain completely valid till its expiry date. However, when you renew your passport, you will be issued a new e-passport. For this, the application process has also been completely digitalized so that people’s time can be saved.
Name of the rule Information Date of implementation Starting from 28 October 2025 Important portal mportal.passportindia.gov.in/gpsp Old passport will remain valid till expiry Time of application Online renewal in just 2 minutes
Now photo and signature can be uploaded on the new portal in advance, which will significantly reduce the time of standing in line at the BLS center. This new passport will work with the automated border system not only in UAE but also in countries like Singapore, Australia and UK.
