As of 31 December 2023, 6.5 per cent of Indian citizens possessed a valid passport, with Kerala having the highest number of passport holders of all Indian states. The Ministry of External Affairs has been issuing biometric passports exclusively since October 2025, following successive delays in its rollout to ordinary citizens.
Passport ownership in India has historically been relatively limited, though it has increased in recent decades alongside the expansion of issuance centres and improvements in administrative processes.
British Indian passports were issued to British subjects of the British Indian Empire, as well as to British subjects from other parts of the British Empire, and subjects of the British protected states in India (i.e. British protected persons of the 'princely states'). These passports were introduced in British India after the First World War. The Indian Passport Act of 1920 required the use of passports, established controls on the foreign travel of Indians, and foreigners travelling to and within India. The passport was based on the format agreed upon by the 1920 League of Nations International Conference on Passports. However, the British Indian passport had very limited usage, being valid for travel only within the British Empire, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Germany, France, Spain, Norway, Sweden and Holland.
Passport laws were made strict in both the countries in 1952. Initially, Indian passports were granted only to "respectable" people. A literacy test was required, and passports were denied to Communist Party of India members. Only in 1967 did the Supreme Court rule that every citizen had the right to a passport.
Contemporary
Following the end of British rule, the Government of India began issuing national passports to its citizens, replacing British Indian travel documents. Early post-independence passports were simple paper booklets, often handwritten or typewritten, bearing the State Emblem of India and inscriptions in Hindi and English.
A statutory framework for passport issuance was established with the enactment of the Passports Act, 1967, which consolidated the central government's authority over the issuance, refusal, impounding, and revocation of passports. The Act remains the primary legislation governing passports in India. During the 1970s and 1980s, Indian passports were gradually standardized in format and printing. Security features such as lamination of the biographical data page were introduced to reduce tampering and forgery.
In the 1990s, India adopted Machine Readable Passports (MRPs) in accordance with standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). These passports incorporated a machine-readable zone (MRZ) on the identity page, enabling automated scanning at immigration checkpoints and improving border control efficiency. The introduction of MRPs aligned India with global civil aviation norms and facilitated international travel for Indian citizens.
Select passport offices in India, as well as overseas missions, were authorised to issue regular India-Bangladesh Passport to Indian nationals resident in West Bengal and the North-Eastern States; India-Sri Lanka Passport to Indian nationals resident in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry; and the India-Pakistan Passport to Indian nationals whose ancestral homes lay on the other side of the Radcliffe Line. These three passports respectively permitted travel to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan only and were not valid for travel to other foreign countries. Both India and Bangladesh stopped issuing the India-Bangladesh Passport in 2013 due to changes in ICAO regulations.
Previously, passports were not popular among the masses owing to an elongated and complicated process and limited access to the passport facilitation centres, which were located only in major cities. With the expansion of centres and technological improvements, accompanied by increased outsourcing of professionals and an expanding aspirational middle-class, the percentage is expected to go up.
During the 2010s and early 2020s, additional security features were incorporated into Indian passports, including holographic images, ultraviolet-visible elements, microprinting, and improved security paper.
Biometric passport and rollout delay
The earliest public indication of top functionaries conferring over the implementation of biometric passports emerged in September 2016, when the then Union Minister of State for External Affairs, V. K. Singh, declared that the Union Government was poised to begin rolling out such passports by the following year, 2017. He also stated that digital passports would be launched in phases. In 2017, the BJP-led Union Government reiterated their commitment to launching biometric passports that year itself.
In the period following the aforesaid declaration and commitment, the implementation of biometric passports all but vanished from official government discourse, with the deadline repeatedly articulated by the Union Government passing unmet. Thereafter, the matter remained largely dormant until January 2019, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking on the sidelines of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, briefly revived the subject by indicating that the biometric passport project was underway.
In June 2019, the Minister of External Affairs, S. Jaishankar, stated that his ministry had proposed the manufacture of biometric passports on an expedited basis, marking one of the first substantive developments on the matter since it had largely receded from public discourse. His statement, however, did not furnish a definitive timeline for rollout, underscoring the continuing indeterminacy surrounding the project and signalling chronic delays marring it.
During the 2022 Budget speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the rollout of biometric passports was expected to take place in 2022–2023.
The implementation timeline envisaged for 2022–2023, however, met the same fate as its predecessors and remained unfulfilled. The issue resurfaced in parliamentary proceedings when Ramasamy Dharmar, a Member of Parliament from Tamil Nadu, sought details regarding the status of the project in August 2024. In his response, Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar stated that pilot testing for the issuance of biometric passports was underway at the Regional Passport Offices (RPO) located in Nagpur and Bhubaneswar. By late May 2025, all passport offices across India had finally been equipped with the requisite infrastructure for issuing biometric passports. Consulates and embassies overseas became members of the biometric program in late-October 2025.
As of January 22, 2026, over ten million biometric passports have been issued. The Ministry of External Affairs has further stated that all existing valid non-biometric passports will be phased out and replaced with biometric passports by 2035.
New Rule for Minor
In September 2026, the Ministry of External Affairs amended the Passports Rules, 1980, through the Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026. Under the amended Rule 12(1A), an ordinary passport containing 36 pages issued to a child below 15 years of age is valid for five years from the date of issue or until the passport holder attains the age of 18 years, whichever occurs earlier. The amendment came into force on 17 September 2026, when it was published in the Gazette of India.[1][2] Global Computers Passport Service
Types
Type
Image
Description
Ordinary passport (Navy Blue cover)
Issued to ordinary citizens for private travel, such as for vacation, study and business trips (36 or 60 pages). It is a "Type PP" passport, where P stands for Personal. Since 2025, all Ordinary Passports issued have been ePassports, with an embedded electronic microprocessor chip into the passport from all Regional Passport Offices of India as well at Indian Embassies and Consulate worldwide.
Official passport (White cover)
Issued to individuals representing the Government of India on official business, including members of the Indian Armed Forces stationed abroad. It is a "Type S" passport, S stands for Service. Since 2021, all Official Passports issued have been ePassports, with a data chip embedded into the document.
Diplomatic passport (Maroon cover)
Issued to Indian diplomats, Members of Parliament, members of the Union Council of Ministers, certain high-ranking government officials and diplomatic couriers, as well as their dependants. Upon request, it may also be issued to high-ranking state-level officials travelling on official business. It is a "Type D" passport, with D standing for Diplomatic. Since 2008, all Diplomatic Passports have been ePassports, with a data chip embedded into the document. Visa requirements normally applied to Indian citizens are waived for Diplomatic Passport holders.
Tatkaal and SVP
Tatkaal Passports (for urgent needs), and Short Validity Passport (SVP) are also available and these are likely considered Ordinary Passports once issued.
Physical appearance
Early passports dating back to the British Empire were handwritten; in addition, more than a hundred thousand handwritten passports were issued between 1997 and 2000 with 20-year validity dates. These passports have been ruled invalid by the Indian government and holders must replace them with machine-readable versions with validity for 10 years due to ICAO regulations.
Versions prior to 2021 had deep bluish cover with golden coloured printing. The Emblem of India emblazoned in the centre of the front cover. The words भारत गणराज्य in Devanagari and REPUBLIC OF INDIA were inscribed below the Emblem whereas पासपोर्ट in Devanagari and PASSPORT in English were inscribed above the emblem.
The latest version of 2021 has the official name of the country and "Passport" engravings' positions changed mutually. The passport has the passport number perforated. The pages have been re-designed.
The standard passport contains 36 pages, but frequent travellers can opt for a passport containing 60 pages.
Biographic Page of Indian Passport
Identity Information Page
The Bio data page contains the following information:
Type: P- Stands for "Personal", if it's a Diplomatic or Service passport then it listed as "D" or "S"
All passports contain a note in Hindi and English, nominally from the President of India, addressing the authorities of all countries and territories:
इसके द्वारा, भारत गणराज्य के राष्ट्रपति के नाम पर, उन सब से जिनका इस बात से सरोकार हो, यह प्रार्थना एवं अपेक्षा की जाती है कि वे वाहक को बिना रोक-टोक, स्वतंत्रतापूर्वक आने-जाने दें, और उसे हर प्रकार की ऐसी सहायता और सुरक्षा प्रदान करें जिसकी उसे आवश्यकता हो ।
भारत गणराज्य के राष्ट्रपति के आदेश से
These are to request and require in the Name of the President of the Republic of India all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance, and to afford him or her, every assistance and protection of which he or she may stand in need.
By order of the President of the Republic of India
The note bearing page is typically stamped and signed by the issuing authority (Passport Office) in the name of the President of India.
Languages
The text of Indian Passport is printed in Hindi and English, the two official languages of India. (As per article 343 of the Indian Constitution).
Emigration check
A page in the Indian passport (issued before 2007) with Emigration check note. In passports issued after 2007, a blank first page means Emigration Check Not Required status.
Holders of Emigration Check Required (ECR) type passports need a clearance called an Emigration Check from the Government of India's Protector of Emigrants when going to selected countries on a work visa. This is to prevent the exploitation of Indian workers (especially the unskilled and less-educated) when going abroad, particularly to Middle Eastern countries. ECR type passport holders travelling on a tourist visa do not need a clearance; this is known as an Emigration Check Suspension.
Emigration Check Not Required (ECNR) status passports are granted to:
Passed their final examination on a three-year BSc Nautical Sciences Course at TS Chanakya, Mumbai; and
Undergone three months' pre-sea training at any of the government-approved training institutes such as TS Chanakya, TS Jawahar, TS Rehman, Maritime Training Institute (SCI), or National Institute of Personnel Management, Chennai, after production of identity cards issued by the Shipping Master at Mumbai, Kolkata, or Chennai;
Persons holding a Permanent Immigration Visa, such as visas issued by the UK, USA, or Australia;
Persons possessing a two years' diploma from any institute recognized by the National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT) or the State Council of Vocational Training (SCVT), or persons holding a three years' diploma or equivalent degree from an institution such as a polytechnic recognized by the union or a state government;
All persons who have been staying abroad for more than three years (whether in one continuous period or in aggregate), as well as their spouses;
All children up to the age of 18 years.
In accordance with a ruling by the Ministry of External Affairs, passports issued from 2007 onwards do not have the ECNR stamp affixed; instead, a blank page 2 of the passport is deemed to have been ECNR endorsed. As a result, only ECR stamps are now affixed to Indian passports. For passports issued before January 2007, no notation in the passport means ECR. For passports issued in or after January 2007, no notation in the passport means ECNR. If Emigration Check is Required, there will be an endorsement in the passport regarding ECR.
Features
Since 25 November 2015, Indian passports that are handwritten or with an original date of expiry extending to 20 years have not been valid under ICAO travel regulations. With more recent Indian passports the personal particulars of the passport holder, that were hitherto printed on the inner cover page, are printed on the second page of the document. Another added security feature in the newer non-handwritten passports is a ghost picture of the holder found on the right side of the second page. Apart from stymieing criminals from printing fake passports, recent changes also help prevent smudging of the document because of inkjet printers.
Fees
The price for a standard passport in India:
₹2500 – Fresh issuance or reissue of passport (36 pages, standard size) with 10-year validity.
₹3500 – Fresh issuance or reissue of passport (60 pages) with 10-year validity.
₹5000 – First time applicant or renewal with expedited ('tatkaal') service (36 pages) with 10-year validity.
₹6000 – First time applicant or renewal with expedited ('tatkaal') service (60 pages) with 10-year validity.
₹1750 – Fresh passport issuance for minors (below 18 years of Age) with 5-year validity or till the minor attains the age of 18, whichever is earlier.
₹5000 – Duplicate passport (36 pages) in lieu of lost, damaged or stolen passport. ₹7500 under expedited ('tatkaal') service.
₹6000 – Duplicate passport (60 pages) in lieu of lost, damaged or stolen passport. ₹8500 under expedited ('tatkaal') service.
Indian passports can also be issued outside India, for which fees vary by country.
Senior citizens and children below the age of 8 years get a 10% discount according to the official fee structure.
In September 2007, the Indian Union Council of Ministers approved a new passport issuance system under the Passport Seva Project. Per the project, front-end activities of passport issuance, dispatch of passports, online linking with police, and Central Printing Unit for centralised printing of passports was place. The new system endeavoured to be 'timely, transparent, more accessible and reliable manner' for passport issuance. The applicant has to apply for fresh/reissue of passport through the Passport Seva system at one of the 77 Passport offices known as "Passport Seva Kendra"s operating throughout the country.
Passport Seva Programme (PSP) Version 2.0
During the 13th Passport Seva Divas, held in June 2025, External Affairs MinisterS. Jaishankar announced the nationwide implementation of e-passports, marking a significant advancement in the Indian passport infrastructure. He also unveiled updates under the Passport Seva Programme (PSP) Version 2.0, which introduces the use of advanced and emerging technologies aimed at improving efficiency, security, and transparency in the issuance and management of passports.
Visa requirements
Visa requirements for Indian citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of India.
As of 2025, The Passport Index currently ranks the Indian passport at 66th place out of 199 passports on global ranking with a mobility score of 74 (based on visa-free, visa on arrival and ETA access to nations or territories).
As of 2025 Indian citizens have visa-free entry to 71 countries, 56 visa on arrival facility to countries and e-visa or ETA to 64 countries with a UK/US/CA/EU tourist and business visa or residency and permanent residency.
↑"Passports of 193 United Nations member countries and 6 territories (ROC Taiwan, Macao (SAR China), Hong Kong (SAR China), Kosovo, Palestinian Territory and the Vatican) for a total of 199 are considered."
↑Total number includes tourists, business travelers, students, exchange visitors, temporary workers and families, diplomats and other representatives and all other classes of nonimmigrant admissions (I-94).
British Indian passport issued during the colonial days
Indian passport, valid only for India-Pakistan travel, issued to migrants to enable them to visit family, friends and ancestral homes located on the other side of the Radcliffe line
↑Vazira Fazila-Yacoobali Zamindar (2007). The Long Partition and the Making of Modern South Asia. Columbia University Press. p.162. ISBN978-0-231-13846-8.
↑Tatkaal passports. "Tatkaal passports". www.passportindia.gov.in. CPV, Government of India. Archived from the original on 22 April 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
↑"Myanmar Tourism Statistics 2015"(PDF). Central Statistical Organization. Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development. Archived from the original(PDF) on 29 December 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
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