Passports for Children Under 15 to Be Valid for Five Years Under New MEA Rules

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

New Delhi, Sept 17 (Mohd Ali Jaffri-PMI) The validity period of ordinary Indian passports issued to children below 15 years has been revised under the Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026, notified by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

According to the amended rules, 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 is earlier.

The amendment to Rule 12(1A) of the Passports Rules, 1980 was notified through the Gazette of India on September 17. The notification, dated September 15, also amended Rule 8, which deals with passport application fees. The applicable fees will be as specified in Schedule IV of the amended rules.

The new provisions came into effect from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.

Passport Fees Revised

The MEA had revised passport service charges with effect from July 1, covering fresh applications, renewals, Tatkaal services, replacement of lost or damaged passports, Police Clearance Certificates (PCCs) and other related services.

For adults, the fee for a normal 36-page fresh passport or renewal has increased from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,500, while the fee for a 60-page passport has risen from Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,500.

Under Tatkaal services, the fee for a 36-page adult passport has increased from Rs 3,500 to Rs 5,000, while the 60-page passport fee has gone up from Rs 4,000 to Rs 6,000. The fee for replacement of a 60-page adult passport under Tatkaal has increased from Rs 5,500 to Rs 8,500.

For minors below 18 years, the fee for a 36-page fresh or reissue passport under the normal category has increased from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,750. Under Tatkaal, the fee has increased from Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,250.

10% Discount Continues for Young Children

A 10% discount on fresh passport applications continues for children below eight years of age and senior citizens above 60 years. The discount, however, does not apply to passport reissue applications. (pressmediaofindia.com)