The Centre has revised passport application fees across categories, increasing charges for both regular and Tatkal services. The revised rates will come into effect from July 1 following amendments to the Passports Rules, 1980.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) notified the changes through the Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026.
Passport fees revised from July 1
Under the new structure, the fee for a fresh passport or reissue of a 36-page passport has been increased from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,500. Applicants opting for the Tatkal service for the same category will now have to pay Rs 5,000 instead of Rs 3,500.
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For a 60-page passport, the application fee has been raised from Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,500. The Tatkal fee for this category has also gone up from Rs 4,000 to Rs 6,000.
"In exercise of the powers conferred by section 24 of the Passports Act, 1967 (15 of 1967), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules further to amend the Passports Rules, 1980, namely -- 1. (1) These rules may be called the Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026. (2) They shall come into force with effect from the 1st day of July, 2026," the Ministry of External Affairs' notification reads.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) notified the changes through the Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026. MEA Validity rules remain unchanged
The MEA also clarified the validity period of passports issued to different categories of applicants.
"The validity of passports issued under serial number I(a) shall not exceed ten years, and the validity of passports issued under serial number I(b) shall be for five years or until the applicant attains the age of 18 years, whichever is earlier," the MEA said.
The ministry further announced a fee concession for certain applicants.
"There shall be a discount of ten per cent in passport fee for fresh applications (and not for re-issue) in respect of minors up to the age of 8 years and senior citizens (persons above the age of 60 years)," it added.
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Earlier this week, the MEA also clarified that an Indian passport is primarily a travel document and cannot be treated as conclusive proof of citizenship.
FAQs:
When will the new passport fees come into effect?
The revised passport fees will come into effect from July 1, 2026.
What is the new Tatkal passport fee?
The Tatkal fee has been increased to Rs 5,000 for 36-page passports and Rs 6,000 for 60-page passports.
