The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has introduced the Passport Amendment Rules, 2026, bringing changes to passport validity for children and increasing fees across several categories. The new rules have been notified in the official gazette.
New validity rules for children’s passports
Under the new rules, 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.
This means the passport will automatically expire when the child turns 18 if that happens before the five-year validity period ends.
Adult passport fees increased
The fee for a 36-page ordinary passport for adults has been increased from ₹1,500 to ₹2,500.
For a 60-page passport, the fee has been raised from ₹2,000 to ₹3,500.
Tatkal passport fees also hiked
Tatkal passport services have also become more expensive. The fee for a 36-page Tatkal passport has increased from ₹3,500 to ₹5,000, while the fee for a 60-page Tatkal passport has gone up from ₹4,000 to ₹6,000.
For a lost or damaged 60-page passport being replaced under the Tatkal scheme, applicants will now have to pay ₹8,500, compared with ₹5,500 earlier.
New fees for minors
The fee for issuing or re-issuing a 36-page ordinary passport for minors has been increased from ₹1,000 to ₹1,750. The Tatkal fee for the same passport will be ₹3,000.
However, the 10% concession for a new passport application for children below eight years and senior citizens above 60 years has been retained. The concession will not apply to passport re-issue applications.