Passport Rules Get Major Update

Passport regulations in India have received fresh changes, with new provisions affecting children and application fees.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) notified the Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026 on September 15.

The rules took effect immediately after their publication in the Official Gazette. They introduce revised validity terms for children’s passports and clarify applicable fee structures.

Under the amended Rule 12, a 36-page ordinary passport issued to a child below 15 will have limited validity. It will remain valid for five years from Rule 8 has also been amended.

It requires passport application fees to follow the revised rates listed in Schedule IV of the Passports Rules, issuance or until the child turns 18. The earlier of these two dates will determine its expiry.

Meanwhile, Rule 8 has also been amended. It requires passport application fees to follow the revised rates listed in Schedule IV of the Passports Rules, 1980. The changes build on amendments made to the rules in June 2026.

The government had already revised passport service fees from July 1. The higher charges cover fresh applications, renewals, Tatkaal services, replacement of lost or damaged passports, and Police Clearance Certificates.

For adults, a fresh or renewed 36-page passport now costs ₹2,500. The earlier fee was ₹1,500.

A 60-page booklet costs ₹3,500, compared to the 60-page version costs ₹6,000. These were earlier priced at ₹3,500 and ₹4,000, respectively. Re with ₹2,000 previously.

Tatkaal applications also carry higher charges. A 36-page adult passport now costs ₹5,000, while the 60-page version costs ₹6,000.

These were earlier priced at ₹3,500 and ₹4,000, respectively. Replacing a 60-page passport through Tatkaal now costs ₹8,500, up from ₹5,500.

For minors, the revised normal fee for a 36-page fresh or reissue passport is ₹1,750. The earlier charge stood at ₹1,000. Tatkaal processing for the same category now costs ₹3,000.

However, certain applicants continue to receive a concession.

Children below eight and senior citizens above 60 can get a 10% discount on fresh passport applications.

The benefit does not extend to reissue applications.

Image Credit: Tarun4u, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Image Reference: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Passport_front_cover.png