Patna: Applicants in Bihar may soon see faster passport processing, with police verification timelines set to be reduced from 12 days to 10 under a series of reforms announced by the Regional Passport Office (RPO).
To achieve the tighter deadline, the RPO has begun specialised training programmes for district police personnel involved in verification. Officials say the move is aimed at standardising procedures and eliminating delays that often hold up the final issuance of passports.
The changes form part of a wider push to expand access and capacity as demand continues to rise. From the new year, passport applications will also be accepted at Post Office Passport Seva Kendras on one Saturday every month. In districts where securing an early appointment remains difficult, mobile van camps will be deployed to collect applications closer to applicants’ homes.
Bihar already has one of the widest passport service networks in the country. Of the state’s 40 Lok Sabha constituencies, 37 host Post Office Passport Seva Kendras, while two have full-fledged Passport Seva Kendras, significantly reducing the need for long-distance travel by applicants. Mobile van camps are periodically organised in high-demand districts to further ease access.
The scale of operations has expanded steadily. In 2025, the RPO received 4,52,252 passport applications and issued passports to 4,20,210 applicants. This marked an increase of 46,581 applications compared with 2024, when 4,05,721 applications were submitted.
Regional Passport Officer Swadha Rizvi said the system’s capacity was being strengthened continuously. “Facilities are being upgraded so that passports can be issued within a few days of application,” she said. The office currently offers around 6,000 appointments every month, and the number of appointments released at a time has been increased from 2,080 to 2,225.
The RPO has also expanded its grievance redressal mechanism, creating a dedicated division to handle complaints received via email, post and social media. In 2025 alone, around 36,000 grievances were resolved. A helpline counter has also been set up at the Patna RPO to assist applicants directly.
Officials say the combined measures are intended to reduce waiting times, improve transparency and ensure that growing demand for passports does not translate into longer delays for applicants.
