Passport Rules Amended: Higher Fees, New Validity Terms for Children

The Ministry of External Affairs has notified the Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026, bringing changes to passport application fees and to the validity period of passports issued to children. The rules were signed by Joint Secretary and Chief Passport Officer BS Mubarak and took effect immediately on publication in the Official Gazette on September 15.

Under a newly substituted Sub-Rule (1A) of Rule 12, a 36-page ordinary passport issued to a child below 15 years of age will be valid for five years from the date of issue, or until the child turns 18, whichever is earlier.

Amendments to Rule 8 (1) require that fee structures for all application types conform strictly to the updated rates set out in Schedule IV of the Passports Rules, 1980. The changes amend the foundational 1980 rules, which were last updated in June 2026.

The fee revisions, announced earlier by the ministry, came into force on July 1 and apply across categories, including fresh issuance, renewal, Tatkaal processing, replacement of lost or damaged passports, and Police Clearance Certificates.

For adults, a 36-page booklet under the normal category now costs Rs 2,500, up from Rs 1,500, while a 60-page booklet is priced at Rs 3,500 against Rs 2,000 earlier. Under Tatkaal, an adult 36-page passport costs Rs 5,000 instead of Rs 3,500, and a 60-page Tatkaal passport costs Rs 6,000, up from Rs 4,000. Replacement of a 60-page passport under Tatkaal now costs Rs 8,500, compared with Rs 5,500 previously.

For minors, a 36-page fresh or reissue passport under the normal category now costs Rs 1,750, up from Rs 1,000, while the same under Tatkaal costs Rs 3,000.

A 10% discount will continue for fresh applications by children below eight years and senior citizens above 60 years. The concession will not apply to reissue cases.