Child passport to be valid for 5 years as new MEA rules kicks in

New Delhi, Sep 17 (IANS) Ordinary Indian passports issued to children below 15 years of age will now be valid for five years or until the child turns 18, whichever is earlier, under the 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.

Under the amended Rule 12(1A), a 36-page ordinary passport issued to a child under 15 will remain in force for a period of five years from the date of issue, or until the child attains the age of 18, whichever comes first.

The notification, dated September 15, also revised Rule 8 governing passport application fees, stating that the fee payable for each category of application will be as specified in Schedule IV of the rules.

The amended rules come into force from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.

The Ministry of External Affairs had raised charges for passport-related services with effect from July 1.

The increased fee structure is applicable for fresh passport applications, renewals, Tatkaal services, replacement of lost or damaged passports, police clearance certificates (PCC), and other passport-linked services.

A 10 per cent discount on fresh passport applications continues for children below eight years of age and senior citizens above 60 years. However, the discount will not apply to passport reissue applications.

In the case of adults, the charges on a normal application for a fresh 36-page passport or renewal have been raised from the existing fee of Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,500. For a 60-page passport (adult, normal), the fee has been increased from Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,500.

For a 36-page adult passport under the Tatkaal scheme, the fee has been raised from Rs 3,500 to Rs 5,000, while for a 60-page passport in the category, the fee has gone up from Rs 4,000 to Rs 6,000.

For a 60-page adult passport replacement in the Tatkaal category, the fee has been raised from Rs 5,500 to Rs 8,500.

Passport services for children below 18 years have also become costlier. In the case of a 36-page fresh or reissue passport for minors (normal), the fee has been raised from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,750. In the case of a 36-page fresh or reissue passport for minors in the Tatkaal category, the fee has been increased from Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,250.

–IANS

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