Child Passports to Be Valid for 5 Years or Until Age 18 Under New MEA Rules
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Ordinary Indian passports issued to children below 15 years of age will now remain valid for five years or until the child turns 18, whichever comes earlier, under new rules notified by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
The Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026, published in the Gazette of India on September 17, amend the Passports Rules, 1980.
Passport Validity for Children
Under amended Rule 12(1A), a 36-page ordinary passport issued to a child below 15 years will be valid for five years from the date of issue or until the child turns 18, whichever occurs first.
The notification, dated September 15, also revises Rule 8, which governs passport application fees. It states that fees payable for different categories of applications will be as specified in Schedule IV of the rules.
The amended rules came into effect from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
Passport Service Charges Increased
The MEA had increased charges for passport-related services from July 1. The revised fee structure applies to fresh passport applications, renewals, Tatkaal services, replacement of lost or damaged passports, police clearance certificates (PCCs) and other passport-related services.
A 10% discount on fresh passport applications continues to be available to children below eight years of age and senior citizens above 60. However, the discount does not apply to passport reissue applications.
For adults, the fee for a fresh or renewed 36-page passport under the normal category has increased from ₹1,500 to ₹2,500. For a 60-page passport, the fee has risen from ₹2,000 to ₹3,500.
Under the Tatkaal scheme, the fee for a 36-page adult passport has increased from ₹3,500 to ₹5,000, while the fee for a 60-page passport has risen from ₹4,000 to ₹6,000. The charge for replacing a 60-page adult passport under the Tatkaal category has increased from ₹5,500 to ₹8,500.
Higher Fees for Minor Passports
Passport services for children below 18 years have also become more expensive.
The fee for a 36-page fresh or reissued passport for minors under the normal category has increased from ₹1,000 to ₹1,750. Under the Tatkaal category, the fee for a 36-page fresh or reissued minor passport has risen from ₹3,000 to ₹4,250.
