New Passport Rules 2026: Child Validity Changed, Fees Hiked — Check What's New
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has introduced fresh amendments to India's passport rules, bringing changes to the validity of passports issued to children and formally incorporating the revised fee structure for passport-related services. The Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026 came into force after being published in the Official Gazette on September 15.
New validity rule for children
Under the amended rules, a 36-page ordinary passport issued to a child below 15 years of age will now remain valid for five years from the date of issue or until the child turns 18, whichever comes earlier.
The amendment provides a specific validity framework for younger applicants, while adult passports continue to have a validity of up to 10 years.
Passport fees increased
The revised passport fee structure came into effect from July 1, 2026, covering fresh applications, reissue, Tatkaal services, replacement of lost or damaged passports and other passport-related services.
For adults, a 36-page fresh or reissued passport under the normal category now costs Rs 2,500, compared with Rs 1,500 earlier. A 60-page passport costs Rs 3,500, up from Rs 2,000.
Tatkaal services have also become more expensive. A 36-page passport under Tatkaal now costs Rs 5,000, while the 60-page version costs Rs 6,000.
What minors will pay
For minors, a 36-page fresh or reissued passport under the normal category now costs Rs 1,750, compared with Rs 1,000 previously. The Tatkaal fee for the same passport is Rs 3,000.
The government will continue to provide a 10 per cent discount on fresh passport applications for children below eight years and senior citizens above 60. The concession does not apply to reissue applications.
Higher charges for replacement and other services
The revised fee structure also covers passports issued to replace lost or damaged documents, as well as services such as Police Clearance Certificates (PCC). The hike therefore affects a broad range of passport-related applications rather than only fresh passports.
The official Passport Seva website has also confirmed that passport application fees were revised with effect from July 1, 2026, and advises applicants to check the updated fee before making payment.
What the new rules mean
The latest amendments bring the revisedfee structure into thePassports Rules, 1980, while setting out a specific validity period for passports issued to children under 15. For applicants planning to apply for or renew a passport, the new rules mean checking both the applicable fee and the validity period before submitting an application.