Intro
The Ministry of External Affairs has amended passport rules, changing validity provisions for children below 15 years.
NEW DELHI
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has notified the Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026, amending the Passports Rules, 1980. Under the new provision, an ordinary 36-page passport issued to a child below 15 years will remain valid for five years from the date of issue or until the child turns 18, whichever is earlier.
The amended Rule 12 states that an ordinary passport for a child below 15 years, containing 36 pages, will be valid for five years or until the child attains 18 years, whichever is earlier.
The MEA has also amended Rule 8 concerning fees payable for different passport applications. The revised provisions link the applicable fees to the corresponding entries in Schedule IV of the rules.
For children below 18 years, the fee for a fresh or reissued 36-page passport is ₹1,750. Such passports will have a validity of five years or until the holder turns 18, whichever is earlier.
Passport fees
The government had earlier revised passport fees with effect from July 1. The fee for an ordinary fresh 36-page passport for adults was increased from ₹1,500 to ₹2,500. The same ₹2,500 fee applies to reissue of a 36-page passport.
For Tatkal applications, the fee for a fresh or reissued 36-page passport is ₹5,000.
The fee for an ordinary fresh or reissued 60-page passport was increased from ₹2,000 to ₹3,500. The revised Tatkal fee for a 60-page passport is ₹6,000, compared with ₹4,000 earlier. The amendment clarifies the validity applicable to younger passport holders while retaining the existing fee structure for children below 18 years