E-passports in India: Old Passports to Remain Valid Until June 2035

Nov 19, 2025 – Under its Passport Seva Programme 2.0, India has already issued more than 80 lakh e-passports domestically and more than 60,000 more internationally in the past six months. The nationwide rollout of chip-embedded travel documents has put India in the league of the few countries in the world using the most secure and modern e-passport system.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), only e-passports will be issued going forward, while old passports will remain valid until their expiry, up to June 2035. This will mark full transition to the International Civil Aviation Organisation-mandated format.

According to an official of MEA, “Every citizen who is applying for a new passport or renewal will now receive an e-passport. Since 28 May 2025, all passports issued in India are e-passports.”

E-passports feature a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip embedded along with the paper, making it nearly impossible to forge, and allowing immigration authorities to scan them in just a few seconds. The chip contains personal information about the passport holder and is activated only at immigration counters through chip-readable machines and cannot be tracked remotely, as per MEA officials, say reports.

The Ministry aims to implement 100% e-passports across the country by June 2035. In the meantime, all passports issued until mid-2035 will continue to be accepted at immigration counters worldwide, officials have clarified. By May 2035, all passports held by Indians will likely be electronic in nature, but there is no requirement for “premature” replacement of existing valid passports.

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