The Regional Passport Office in Hyderabad, which caters to 18 districts of Andhra Pradesh, plans to open passport seva kendras in Nizamabad, Tirupathi and Vijayawada by the end of next month, in a move that will further smoothen issue of passports.

“In addition to these, we are opening three more kendras in Hyderabad by the end of October this year,” Dr K Srikar Reddy, Regional Passport Officer, told media persons here on Friday. A mini passport office is also being set up in Karimnagar, as part of its plans to de-centralise issue of passports to the optimum extent.

Dr Reddy said an emergency counter was being readied in Hyderabad, which will cater to businessmen, people with medical emergency and students taking exams overseas.