Indian e-Passport 2026: How to Apply, Fees and Who Gets It

Published 2026-10-25 · 7 min read · By the Travlys visa team

Every fresh or renewed passport issued in India is now a chip-based e-passport. Here is how to apply, what the revised July 2026 fees are, and why you do not need to replace a valid old passport.

In 2026 every fresh or renewed passport issued in India is a chip-based e-passport. You do not apply for it separately. You apply for a normal passport on passportindia.gov.in or the mPassport Seva app, and it is printed with an embedded chip. Fees went up on 1 July 2026: a 36-page passport now costs ₹2,500 (normal) or ₹5,000 (Tatkal). Your old passport stays valid until it expires.

At a glance: What it is: A passport booklet with an RFID chip and antenna that stores your data page details, digitally signed, to ICAO standards. Who gets one: Everyone issued a passport in India since late May 2025; Indian missions abroad moved to the new system from 28 October 2025. Fee (36 pages): ₹2,500 normal, ₹5,000 Tatkal. Fee (60 pages): ₹3,500 normal, ₹6,000 Tatkal. Minor (36 pages): ₹1,750 normal, ₹4,250 Tatkal. PCC: ₹750. Old passports: Valid till expiry. How to spot it: A small gold chip symbol on the front cover.

When the e-passport rollout started

The e-passport is part of Passport Seva Programme Version 2.0 (PSP V2.0). News reports date the pilot to 1 April 2024, and by May 2025 a handful of passport offices were issuing chip passports. On 26 May 2025, PSP V2.0 went live across all 37 Passport Offices, 93 Passport Seva Kendras and 450 Post Office Passport Seva Kendras, according to an MEA statement from November 2025.

MEA said that all newly issued passports will be e-passports. A Joint Secretary in the Consular, Passport and Visa division was quoted in November 2025 saying that all passports issued in India have been e-passports since 28 May 2025. Indian embassies and consulates moved to the Global Passport Seva Programme (GPSP V2.0) on 28 October 2025. News reports put the number of e-passports issued in India at over 80 lakh by November 2025.

So the short answer to which cities issue e-passports is all of them. Any Regional Passport Office, PSK or POPSK in India now produces chip passports. There is no separate e-passport counter.

Revised passport fees from 1 July 2026

The Ministry of External Affairs notified the Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026 (G.S.R. 516(E), dated 20 June 2026). They replaced the old fee schedule from 1 July 2026. If you saw ₹1,500 for a passport in an older article, that rate no longer applies.

• Adult, 36 pages, fresh or re-issue: ₹2,500 normal, ₹5,000 Tatkal (was ₹1,500 and ₹3,500).
• Adult, 60 pages, fresh or re-issue: ₹3,500 normal, ₹6,000 Tatkal (was ₹2,000 and ₹4,000).
• Lost or damaged, 36 pages: ₹5,000 normal, ₹7,500 Tatkal.
• Lost or damaged, 60 pages: ₹6,000 normal, ₹8,500 Tatkal.
• Minor below 18, 36 pages: ₹1,750 normal, ₹4,250 Tatkal. Valid five years or until 18, whichever is earlier.
• Minor below 18, lost or damaged: ₹4,250 normal, ₹6,750 Tatkal.
• Police Clearance Certificate: ₹750.
• Discount: 10% off fresh applications (not re-issue) for children up to 8 and senior citizens above 60.

Tatkal fees include the normal fee. Minors aged 15 to 18 can choose the adult category to get a 10-year passport, at the adult fee. Adult passports remain valid for 10 years.

How to apply, step by step

• Register on passportindia.gov.in or the mPassport Seva app with your email and mobile number.
• Fill the form for a fresh passport or re-issue. PSP V2.0 pre-fills some details and lets you upload documents, including from DigiLocker.
• Pay online. Payment is mandatory to book a slot. UPI and QR payments are supported.
• Book an appointment at a PSK or POPSK. Choose Tatkal at this stage if you need it.
• Visit with originals: proof of address, proof of date of birth and your old passport for re-issue. Your photo and fingerprints are taken at the centre.
• Police verification: Fresh passports need it before or after issue. For a re-issue with no change in details, it may not be needed. MEA says the mPassport Police App has cut verification to 5 to 7 days in the 25 states and union territories using it.
• Dispatch: The passport comes by Speed Post. Track the status on the portal.

Do you need to replace your old passport?

No. MEA says non-electronic passports remain valid until expiry. Replacing a valid passport early costs you the fee and gives you no extra travel rights. The better rule is to renew when your passport is close to the end. Many countries want at least six months of validity on arrival, and some visas will not be issued for longer than your passport is valid. If you are planning a US, UK, Canada or Schengen application in the next year and your passport has under 18 months left, renew first. You will get the e-passport anyway.

Keep your old passport after re-issue. It is returned cancelled, and you may need it to show past visas and travel history in future applications.

How to tell if you have an e-passport

Check the front cover for a small gold chip symbol. Inside, the chip and antenna are laminated into the booklet, so you will not see them. Do not punch holes, bend the booklet sharply or keep it next to strong magnets. A damaged chip can cause extra checks at immigration, though the printed data page still works.

What the chip changes at immigration

The chip lets immigration systems read your details without contact and check the digital signature, which makes forgery and photo swaps much harder. MEA says this eases your interface with immigration authorities. In practice, though, a few things do not change.

• Visa rules stay the same. An e-passport does not give visa-free access anywhere new.
• Foreign e-gates are nationality-based. The UK, Schengen countries, Australia and others decide who may use their automated gates. A chip alone does not put Indians on those lists.
• India's FTI-TTP is separate. The Fast Track Immigration Trusted Traveller Programme at major Indian airports needs its own online registration and biometric enrolment. Having an e-passport does not enrol you.

Police Clearance Certificate (PCC)

Many work, long-stay, residence and some student visas ask for an Indian PCC. Apply for it on the same Passport Seva portal, pay ₹750, book a PSK or POPSK slot and carry your passport and proof of current address. The police verify your address before the certificate is issued. If you have moved recently, a PCC can take longer, so apply early if a visa deadline depends on it.

Passport Seva at post offices (POPSK)

Post Office Passport Seva Kendras are run jointly by MEA and the Department of Posts in many district towns. They offer the same passport services, fees and e-passport as a regular PSK. The 450th POPSK opened at Kushinagar in April 2025, and PIB said in June 2026 that India had 545 PSKs and POPSKs combined. If your nearest PSK has no early slots, check POPSKs in nearby towns when you book. Slots often open sooner.

Common mistakes

• Paying an agent for an appointment. Slots are booked only on the official portal or app.
• Using an address proof that does not match the address in the form.
• Choosing Tatkal without checking the Tatkal document list on the portal first.
• Applying for a visa before the new passport arrives and then having to update the visa application.

How Travlys helps

Travlys does not issue passports. That is done only through Passport Seva. Once your new e-passport arrives, we can file your visa: USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Schengen (via the Netherlands), Singapore, UAE, Thailand, New Zealand or Malaysia. We also plan holiday packages such as Bali and Sri Lanka with hotels and private transfers. We have filed 5,000+ visas with a 98% approval rate. WhatsApp us on +91 82009 18967.

Last checked: Fees, rollout dates and rules in this guide were checked on 25 October 2026 against the MEA notification, PIB releases and the news reports listed below. Check passportindia.gov.in before you apply, as appointment rules and fees can change.