Ordinary Indian passports for children under 15 will now be valid for five years or until the child turns 18, according to new regulations from the Ministry of External Affairs.
NEW DELHI – The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has announced that ordinary Indian passports issued to children under the age of 15 will now be valid for five years or until the child turns 18, whichever comes first. This change is part of the newly notified Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026.
Published in the Gazette of India on September 17, these amendments modify the Passports Rules established in 1980. Specifically, amended Rule 12(1A) states that a 36-page ordinary passport issued to a child below 15 will remain valid for five years from the date of issuance or until the child reaches the age of 18.
The official notification is dated September 15, and the amended rules took effect from their publication date in the Official Gazette.
In addition to the changes regarding passport validity, the notification also revises Rule 8, which governs passport application fees. The updated fee structure specifies the charges for each category of application as outlined in Schedule IV of the rules.
These changes follow an increase in passport-related service charges implemented on July 1. The revised fees apply to new passport applications, renewals, Tatkaal services, replacements for lost or damaged passports, police clearance certificates (PCC), and other passport-related services.
Despite the fee increases, a 10 percent discount on fresh passport applications remains available for children under eight years of age and senior citizens over 60. However, this discount does not apply to applications for passport reissues.
Passport services for minors under 18 have also seen a rise in costs. For a 36-page fresh or reissued passport in the normal category, the fee has increased from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,750. In the Tatkaal category, the fee for a 36-page fresh or reissued passport has risen from Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,250.
For adults, the fees for a normal fresh 36-page passport or renewal have increased from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,500. The cost for a 60-page passport in the normal category has gone up from Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,500.
Under the Tatkaal scheme, the fee for a 36-page adult passport has risen from Rs 3,500 to Rs 5,000, while the fee for a 60-page passport in this category has increased from Rs 4,000 to Rs 6,000. Additionally, the fee for replacing a 60-page adult passport under the Tatkaal category has risen from Rs 5,500 to Rs 8,500.
These amendments and fee adjustments reflect the government’s ongoing efforts to streamline passport services and enhance the efficiency of the application process, according to IANS.