India amends passport rules: New fees and child validity explained
India has amended its passport rules, changing the validity period of ordinary passports issued to children below 15 years of age. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) notified the Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026, amending the Passports Rules, 1980. The rules were published in the Gazette of India on September 17, 2026. According to a PTI report, under the latest amendment, a 36-page ordinary…
India has updated its passport rules, altering both the validity period for children's passports and the associated fees. The Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026, which came into effect on September 17, 2026, detail these changes. For children under 15, a 36-page ordinary passport will now be valid for five years or until the child turns 18, whichever comes first.
This represents a shift from previous rules, where the validity was five years or until the child reached 15. The government has also revised passport application fees, effective July 1, 2026. For adults aged 18 and above, a 36-page passport costs ₹2,500 for Normal service or ₹5,000 for Tatkaal service. A 60-page passport is priced at ₹3,500 for Normal service or ₹6,000 for Tatkaal.
Minors under 18 pay ₹1,750 for a fresh or reissued 36-page passport under Normal service, with a Tatkaal fee of ₹4,250. Replacement fees are ₹5,000 for adults under Normal service and ₹7,500 for Tatkaal, while minors pay ₹4,250 for Normal service or ₹6,750 for Tatkaal. A 10% discount applies to fresh applications for children under 8 and senior citizens over 60, but only for the initial application, not reissues.
Applicants are advised to use the official Passport Seva portal for all passport-related transactions, avoiding fraudulent websites or intermediaries.
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