Pune: Regular Passports Remain Valid; RPO Warns Against Fake Claims By Touts
Pune: Regular Passports Remain Valid; RPO Warns Against Fake Claims By Touts
Pune, July 24, 2025— Citizens holding valid regular passports need not reapply for e-passports unless their documents are expired, damaged, or pages are exhausted, clarified Regional Passport Officer (RPO) Dr Arjun Deore on Tuesday to Times Of India.
He said several touts and agents are spreading misinformation that only e-passports are now valid, misleading many into applying unnecessarily. “People are being wrongly told that their valid passports are no longer acceptable because passport offices are issuing e-passports. This is completely false,” Deore stated.
Since the first week of May 2025, the Pune RPO has started issuing only e-passports as part of the nationwide Passport Seva Programme 2.0. However, Deore stressed that this change does not invalidate passports issued earlier under the previous Passport Seva Programme 1.0.
“Unless your passport is physically damaged or invalid, you do not need a new one just because e-passports have started. Please do not fall prey to false claims,” Deore urged.
E-passports are physical booklets identical in appearance to regular ones, with the added feature of an embedded RFID (radio-frequency identification) chip. This chip securely stores passport data and enables automated identity verification at immigration counters, improving security.
Deore clarified that e-passports cannot be downloaded or stored digitally and remain tangible documents.
In a recent recognition, the Pune RPO was awarded first prize for its “innovative and citizen-centric initiatives.” Notably, it became the first RPO in India to install an 80kW rooftop solar plant under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, generating 25% of its monthly electricity and saving ₹1 lakh each month.
The Ministry of External Affairs has reiterated that all previously issued valid passports can continue to be used for international travel, in accordance with the provisions of the Passports Act, 1967.
