The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has notified new rules extending the validity of ordinary Indian passports issued to children below 15 years of age to five years from the date of issue, or until the child turns 18 — whichever comes earlier. The Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026, published in the Gazette of India on 17 September 2026, amend the original Passports Rules, 1980, and take effect from the date of their gazette notification.

What the Amendment Changes

Under the revised Rule 12(1A), a 36-page ordinary passport issued to a child under the age of 15 will now remain valid for five years from the date of issue, or until the holder reaches 18 years, whichever milestone arrives first. Previously, child passports carried shorter validity periods that often required families to renew documentation more frequently. The notification bears the date of 15 September 2026.

The amendment also revises Rule 8, which governs passport application fees, specifying that charges for each category of application will be as laid out in Schedule IV of the rules.

Revised Fee Structure from July 2026

The MEA had already raised charges for passport-related services with effect from 1 July 2026. The updated fee structure applies to fresh applications, renewals, Tatkaal (urgent) services, replacement of lost or damaged passports, Police Clearance Certificates (PCC), and other passport-linked services.

For adults, the fee for a normal fresh or renewal application for a 36-page passport has been raised from ₹1,500 to ₹2,500. A 60-page adult passport (normal) now costs ₹3,500, up from ₹2,000. Under the Tatkaal scheme, a 36-page adult passport costs ₹5,000 (previously ₹3,500), while a 60-page Tatkaal passport is now priced at ₹6,000, up from ₹4,000. A 60-page Tatkaal replacement passport for adults has jumped from ₹5,500 to ₹8,500.

Impact on Minor Passport Applicants

Passport services for applicants below 18 years have also become costlier. A fresh or reissued 36-page minor passport under the normal category now costs ₹1,750, up from ₹1,000. Under the Tatkaal scheme, the same category of minor passport will cost ₹4,250, compared to the earlier ₹3,000.

Notably, a 10% discount on fresh passport applications continues to be available for children below 8 years of age and senior citizens above 60 years. However, this concession will not apply to passport reissue applications.

Why This Matters for Families

The extension of child passport validity to five years — or age 18 — reduces the administrative burden on families who previously had to renew travel documents more frequently for young children. This is particularly significant for families with school-going children who travel regularly for education or family commitments abroad. The change aligns India's child passport norms more closely with international standards followed by several other countries.

With the revised rules now in force, applicants can expect the new validity norms and updated fee structure to apply at all Passport Seva Kendras and regional passport offices across the country going forward.