Validity Capped at 5 Years for Children Under 15, Tatkal and Normal Fees Hiked
_438131885.jpg)
In a comprehensive overhaul of statutory travel documentation norms, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has officially amended the Passport Act, introducing revised validity caps for minors alongside substantial fee hikes for both general and expedited consular services. Under the newly enacted Rule 12(1A) of the Passport (Amendment) Rules, 2026, standard 36-page ordinary passports issued to children under the age of 15 will now carry a restricted maximum validity of five years from the date of issuance or until the child reaches 18 years of age, whichever occurs earlier. Enforced with immediate effect across all Regional Passport Offices (RPOs) and Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs), this policy ensures facial and biometric features remain regularly updated as children mature.
Revised Passport Fee Structure for Adult Fresh Applications and Tatkal Services
Simultaneously, the September 15 notification amended Rule 8 governing the passport fee schedule under the Fourth Schedule, ratifying sharp revisions applicable to fresh issuances, standard reissues, Tatkal services, replacement of damaged or misplaced booklets, and Police Clearance Certificates (PCC). Under the revised tariff matrix, the standard fee for a fresh application or renewal of a regular 36-page adult passport has increased from ₹1,500 to ₹2,500, while the 60-page jumbo booklet has climbed from ₹2,000 to ₹3,500. For expedited Tatkal processing, the cost of a 36-page adult passport has risen from ₹3,500 to ₹5,000, and a 60-page Tatkal passport has jumped from ₹4,000 to ₹6,000. Replacing a damaged or lost 60-page passport under the Tatkal category now incurs a top-tier fee of ₹8,500, up from the earlier ₹5,500 rate.
Minors Face Higher Consular Charges Along With Specific Concession Clauses
The fee revision also affects minor applicants under 18 years of age. A normal fresh issuance or reissue of a 36-page passport for minors has gone up from ₹1,000 to ₹1,750, while processing the same 36-page minor booklet under the expedited Tatkal quota now costs ₹4,250, compared to the previous ₹3,000. Despite these widespread tariff increases, the Ministry of External Affairs has retained the statutory 10 percent concession exclusively for fresh passport applications filed by children under eight years of age and senior citizens aged 60 and above, with the clarification that this discount does not apply to passport reissue or booklet replacement requests.
_1607227706_351x234.jpg)
_572817409_351x234.jpg)
_983030311_351x234.jpg)
_1011154195_351x234.jpg)
_170322099_351x234.jpg)