Traveling abroad was once considered a difficult and lengthy process for Indians. It used to take months to get a passport, there was a long wait for police verification and appointment. But the picture has changed rapidly in the last few years. On the occasion of Passport Day, the latest figures of the Ministry of External Affairs have come out, according to which, in the year 2025, more than 1.5 crore passports and related services were given, while 1.39 crore new passports were issued. This is considered to be the biggest figure till date.
Not only has the number of passports increased, but the process of issuing them has also become much faster than before. The ministry claims that if the time of police verification is left aside, the target of issuing passports is being achieved in just 6 working days. At the same time, the average waiting time of applicants in Passport Seva Kendras and Post Office Passport Seva Kendras across the country has reduced to less than 45 minutes. This means that the process which was once a cause of trouble for people, has now become easier and faster than before.
A decade ago there were only 77 passport centers in the country. Many people had to go to other cities to get a passport made. Now 545 centers including Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) and Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK) are working across the country. Last year 10 new centers were opened and this year also there are preparations to start 10 new centres. The common people have directly benefited from the increase in the number of centres. For people of small cities and towns, getting a passport made has become much easier than before. This is the reason why the number of passport applications and documents issued is continuously increasing every year.
Passport is not just a document for going abroad, but it also shows the increasing reach of a country in the world. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, now 27 countries provide visa-free entry to Indian citizens. In the year 2019 this number was only 16. Apart from this, 47 countries provide Visa-on-Arrival facility to Indian citizens, while Indians can travel in 66 countries through e-Visa. This means that traveling abroad for Indians has become easier than before.
The Ministry of External Affairs does not want to be limited to just issuing passports. The ministry is working on Human Mobility Agreement with many European countries. The purpose of these agreements is to increase opportunities abroad for students, researchers, people taking training, travelers and professionals. Besides, a mechanism is also being developed to settle cases related to illegal migration and ensure return of people if needed.
In this direction, Human Resource Mobility Forum will be organized on 30th June. In this, industry and foreign companies will be brought on one platform. There will be special focus on countries like Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and Denmark. The Foreign Ministry has also made one important thing clear. According to the ministry, passport is primarily a travel document and not a certificate of citizenship. That is, a person having an Indian passport gives him the facility to travel, but other documents may also be required to prove citizenship.
