New Delhi, September 17 (Daily Kiran) : The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has announced new regulations regarding passports for children under the age of 15. According to these changes, ordinary Indian passports issued to minors will now remain valid for five years or until the child turns 18, whichever comes first.
This update is part of the Passport (Amendment) Rules, 2026, which were published in the official gazette on September 15. The amendment revises the Passport Rules of 1980, specifically under rule 12(1A), which governs the validity period of passports for children.
Additionally, the notification also amends rule 8, which pertains to passport application fees. The fees will now align with the specifications outlined in Schedule IV of the rules.
These revised regulations take effect immediately following their publication in the official gazette. Earlier this year, on July 1, the Ministry increased fees for various passport-related services, including new applications, renewals, and replacements for lost or damaged passports, as well as police clearance certificates.
A 10% discount on new passport applications will continue to be available for children under eight years old and senior citizens over 60. However, this discount does not apply to passport reissue applications.
For adults, the application fee for a 36-page new passport or renewal has risen from ₹1,500 to ₹2,500. The charge for a 60-page passport has increased from ₹2,000 to ₹3,500.
Under the expedited service, the fee for a 36-page adult passport has jumped from ₹3,500 to ₹5,000, while the cost for a 60-page passport has risen from ₹4,000 to ₹6,000. The replacement fee for a 60-page adult passport under the urgent category has also increased from ₹5,500 to ₹8,500.
For minors, the fees for new or reissued 36-page passports have risen from ₹1,000 to ₹1,750. In the expedited category, the fee for minors has increased from ₹3,000 to ₹4,250 for new or reissued passports.
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