Govt extends validity of e-passports to 10 years

Despite having delayed the introduction of e-passport, the government has extended the validity of the passport from five years to 10 years. This was stated in a circular issued by the Security Service Division of the home ministry yesterday (Thursday). The government also fixed the fees for e-passports and finalised the application form for digital passports, according to the circular. The Director General (DG) of the Department of Immigration and Passport (DIP), Major General Md Shohail Hossain Khan, told The Independent that the 10-year validity was only for e-passports, not the existing machine readable passport (MRP).

“We are trying to introduce e-passport within August. It will depend on the availability of date of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Required tasks, like integration and migration of the data system for issuing e-passport and the setting up of two server rooms -- one in Dhaka and another in Jessore — to restore required data of the passport holders, are going on,” he said. He had earlier said that e-passports would be introduced in July.

The DG of DIP said they will complete all tasks at home and abroad within two years.

Three categories of e-passport — normal, emergency and very emergency — would be issued with a validity of five years to 10 years, according to the circular. Children below 18 years will get five-year validity passports. An adult will get a 10-year passport. At the same time, the Department of Immigration and Passport (DIP) will issue 48-page and 64-page passports with the validity of five years and 10 years as per the requirement of passport holders.

According to the circular, an applicant has to pay Tk. 3,500 for a normal passport with a five-year validity, and Tk. 5,500 for emergency and Tk. 7,500 for a very emergency passport with 48 pages. If any one seeks a 10-year 48-page passport, he or she has pay Tk. 5,000 for a normal passport, Tk. 7,000 for emergency and Tk. 9,000 for a very emergency passport.

An applicant wanting a 64-page five-year validity passport, has to pay Tk. 5,500 for a normal passport, Tk. 7,500 for emergency and Tk. 10,500 for a very emergency passport.

An applicant seeking a 10-year validity passport has to pay Tk. 7,000 for a normal passport, Tk. 9,000 for emergency and Tk. 12,000 for a very emergency passport, as per the circular.

An adult wanting a 48-page five-year validity passport from Bangladesh missions abroad has to pay USD 100 for a normal passport and USD 150 for an emergency one. An applicant staying abroad and wanting a 10-year validity passport has to pay USD 125 for a normal passport and USD 175 for an emergency one.

One staying abroad and wanting a 64-page, 10-year validity passport has to pay USD 175 for getting a normal passport and USD 225 for an emergency passport.

A Bangladeshi student or labourer living abroad has to pay USD 30 for getting a 48-page normal e-passport and USD 45 for an emergency passport with the validity of five years. A student or labourer living abroad and wanting a 48-page, 10-year validity passport, has to pay USD 50 for a normal e-passport and USD 75 for an emergency one.

For a 64-page e-passport with five-year validity, a student or labourer living abroad has to pay USD 150 for a normal passport and USD 200 for an emergency one. For a 64-page 10-year tenure e-passport, a student or labourer has to pay USD 175 and USD 225 for an emergency passport. The circular further said government employees, incumbent or retired, and their spouses will get the facility of e-passport without a police verification report. If one applies for a new passport through Bangladesh missions abroad, one has to provide the permanent address at homeland, the circular added.

According to the circular, an applicant attaching the police verification report will get the passport within 72 hours if it is a super express one, seven working days for an express passport, and 21 working days for a normal passport. Sources in DIP said the authorities are yet to complete integration and migration of the data system for issuing e-passport instead of the existing MRP. Not only that, the authorities are yet to complete the setting up of two server rooms — in Dhaka and Jessore — to restore required data of the passport holders.

The authorities are yet to integrate the banking system with five private banks to collect fees online for e-passport.  The Security Service Division issued a circular on July 30, saying that private commercial banks — Dhaka Bank, Trust Bank, One Bank, Premier Bank and Bank Asia — will receive passport fees online for the next two years until the starting of e-chalan by the state-owned Sonali Bank.

In the circular, the home ministry said the authorities concerned are yet to complete integration of the banking service for receiving fees online for e-passport. Sources said the German passport producing company, Veridos GmbH, is working to install software and establish data centres at the e-passport assembly plant in the city’s Uttara locality.

The authorities have so far set up three e-gates— two at the VVIP terminal and one at the VIP terminal — at the Shahjalal International Airport. Sources claimed that it is taking 21 seconds to complete the e-gate process. However, Saidur Rahman Khan said it is taking 15 seconds at the most to pass out a passenger by the e-gate. In July last year, DIP and the Veridos GmbH had signed an agreement to implement “Introduction of e-Passport and Automated Border Control Management in Bangladesh”. Then Director General of DIP, Maj. Gen. Md Masud Rezwan, and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Veridos GmbH Hans Wolfgang Kunz signed the agreement.

Under the mega project of Tk. 4,569 crore, DIP will start issuing e-passports instead of machine-readable passports (MRPs) with a 10-year validity. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed with the German company during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to that country in February, 2017.

Under the agreement, a passport booklet factory will be set up in Dhaka’s Uttara, where a six-storied printing building of DIP has been constructed. As part of the proposed project, three crore e-passports would be made and distributed among the existing MRP owners in the country. Under the project, the German company will set up the required equipment at all Bangladesh missions abroad and all passport offices in the country.

At the same time, they will set up 50 e-gates at many immigration points at all international airports, seaports and land ports in the country.

At least 118 countries, including India (only for diplomats and officials), China, Malaysia and the UAE, have already introduced e-passports.

Govt extends validity of e-passports to 10 years

Despite having delayed the introduction of e-passport, the government has extended the validity of the passport from five years to 10 years. This was stated in a circular issued by the Security Service Division of the home ministry yesterday (Thursday). The government also fixed the fees for e-passports and finalised the application form for digital passports, according to the circular. The Director General (DG) of the Department of Immigration and Passport (DIP), Major General Md Shohail Hossain Khan, told The Independent that the 10-year validity was only for e-passports, not the existing machine readable passport (MRP). We are trying to introduce e-passport within August. It will depend on the availability of date of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Required tasks, like integration and migration of the data system for issuing e-passport and the setting up of two server rooms -- one in Dhaka and another in Jessore to restore required data of the passport holders, are going on, he said. He had earlier said that e-passports would be introduced in July. The DG of DIP said they will complete all tasks at home and abroad within two years. Three categories of e-passport normal, emergency and very emergency would be issued with a validity of five years to 10 years, according to the circular. Children below 18 years will get five-year validity passports. An adult will get a 10-year passport. At the same time, the Department of Immigration and Passport (DIP) will issue 48-page and 64-page passports with the validity of five years and 10 years as per the requirement of passport holders. According to the circular, an applicant has to pay Tk. 3,500 for a normal passport with a five-year validity, and Tk. 5,500 for emergency and Tk. 7,500 for a very emergency passport with 48 pages. If any one seeks a 10-year 48-page passport, he or she has pay Tk. 5,000 for a normal passport, Tk. 7,000 for emergency and Tk. 9,000 for a very emergency passport. An applicant wanting a 64-page five-year validity passport, has to pay Tk. 5,500 for a normal passport, Tk. 7,500 for emergency and Tk. 10,500 for a very emergency passport. An applicant seeking a 10-year validity passport has to pay Tk. 7,000 for a normal passport, Tk. 9,000 for emergency and Tk. 12,000 for a very emergency passport, as per the circular. An adult wanting a 48-page five-year validity passport from Bangladesh missions abroad has to pay USD 100 for a normal passport and USD 150 for an emergency one. An applicant staying abroad and wanting a 10-year validity passport has to pay USD 125 for a normal passport and USD 175 for an emergency one. One staying abroad and wanting a 64-page, 10-year validity passport has to pay USD 175 for getting a normal passport and USD 225 for an emergency passport. A Bangladeshi student or labourer living abroad has to pay USD 30 for getting a 48-page normal e-passport and USD 45 for an emergency passport with the validity of five years. A student or labourer living abroad and wanting a 48-page, 10-year validity passport, has to pay USD 50 for a normal e-passport and USD 75 for an emergency one. For a 64-page e-passport with five-year validity, a student or labourer living abroad has to pay USD 150 for a normal passport and USD 200 for an emergency one. For a 64-page 10-year tenure e-passport, a student or labourer has to pay USD 175 and USD 225 for an emergency passport. The circular further said government employees, incumbent or retired, and their spouses will get the facility of e-passport without a police verification report. If one applies for a new passport through Bangladesh missions abroad, one has to provide the permanent address at homeland, the circular added. According to the circular, an applicant attaching the police verification report will get the passport within 72 hours if it is a super express one, seven working days for an express passport, and 21 working days for a normal passport. Sources in DIP said the authorities are yet to complete integration and migration of the data system for issuing e-passport instead of the existing MRP. Not only that, the authorities are yet to complete the setting up of two server rooms in Dhaka and Jessore to restore required data of the passport holders. The authorities are yet to integrate the banking system with five private banks to collect fees online for e-passport. The Security Service Division issued a circular on July 30, saying that private commercial banks Dhaka Bank, Trust Bank, One Bank, Premier Bank and Bank Asia will receive passport fees online for the next two years until the starting of e-chalan by the state-owned Sonali Bank. In the circular, the home ministry said the authorities concerned are yet to complete integration of the banking service for receiving fees online for e-passport. Sources said the German passport producing company, Veridos GmbH, is working to install software and establish data centres at the e-passport assembly plant in the citys Uttara locality. The authorities have so far set up three e-gates two at the VVIP terminal and one at the VIP terminal at the Shahjalal International Airport. Sources claimed that it is taking 21 seconds to complete the e-gate process. However, Saidur Rahman Khan said it is taking 15 seconds at the most to pass out a passenger by the e-gate. In July last year, DIP and the Veridos GmbH had signed an agreement to implement Introduction of e-Passport and Automated Border Control Management in Bangladesh. Then Director General of DIP, Maj. Gen. Md Masud Rezwan, and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Veridos GmbH Hans Wolfgang Kunz signed the agreement. Under the mega project of Tk. 4,569 crore, DIP will start issuing e-passports instead of machine-readable passports (MRPs) with a 10-year validity. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed with the German company during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas visit to that country in February, 2017. Under the agreement, a passport booklet factory will be set up in Dhakas Uttara, where a six-storied printing building of DIP has been constructed. As part of the proposed project, three crore e-passports would be made and distributed among the existing MRP owners in the country. Under the project, the German company will set up the required equipment at all Bangladesh missions abroad and all passport offices in the country. At the same time, they will set up 50 e-gates at many immigration points at all international airports, seaports and land ports in the country. At least 118 countries, including India (only for diplomats and officials), China, Malaysia and the UAE, have already introduced e-passports.