Patna: The Bihar Police has met a 2026 deadline for speeding up passport police verification almost a year ahead of schedule, completing checks in an average of nine days in January, according to figures released by the Regional Passport Office Patna.
The regional office had set a target of completing police verification within 10 days by 2026. Data for December 2025 show that verification reports were dispatched to the passport office in an average of nine days, with 95% completed within 15 days.
Police verification is a mandatory step in the passport issuance process and has historically been a bottleneck in Bihar, where applicants often waited for months. Officials attribute the improvement to the rollout of the M-Passport Police app by the Ministry of External Affairs, which allows real-time transmission of verification reports and daily monitoring.
The faster turnaround has helped applicants receive passports more quickly, the regional passport officer said, crediting the special branch and district police units. Officials also pointed to regular training and interactive programmes held at district and police station levels to improve service delivery.
The progress has drawn national recognition. At a Passport Seva Project review meeting in New Delhi on June 24, Bihar Police was named among the best-performing state forces for passport verification and related services.
District-wise data show wide variation. Kaimur (Bhabua) led the state, completing checks in an average of four days, followed by Khagaria at five days and Sheohar at six. Begusarai averaged seven days. Several districts, including Kishanganj, Munger, Nalanda, Patna and Purnea, also recorded average completion times of seven days, while a group including West Champaran, Darbhanga and East Champaran averaged eight days. Siwan recorded the longest turnaround, at 13 days.
Overall, the state average stood at nine days. The regional passport officer said improved coordination between the police and passport authorities would further simplify and speed up services for citizens in the months ahead.
