New Delhi, Sep 18 : The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has updated India’s passport rules, introducing a revised validity framework for ordinary passports issued to children below 15 years of age.
Under the Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026, an ordinary 36-page passport issued to a child below 15 will remain valid for five years from the date of issue or until the child turns 18, whichever is earlier.
The new provisions were notified in the Gazette of India on September 17, following a notification dated September 15. The amendment modifies Rule 12(1A) of the Passports Rules, 1980, and came into force from the date of publication in the Official Gazette.
The notification has also amended Rule 8, which deals with passport application fees. Under the revised provision, fees for different categories of passport services will be governed by the rates specified in Schedule IV of the Passports Rules, 1980.
The changes follow the revision of passport service charges that came into effect from July 1, covering fresh applications, reissue, Tatkaal services, replacement of lost or damaged passports and Police Clearance Certificates.
For minors, 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 the Tatkaal category, the fee for a 36-page minor passport has risen from Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,250.
The MEA has retained a 10 per cent discount on fresh passport applications for children below eight years and senior citizens above 60 years. The concession, however, does not apply to passport reissue applications.
The revised rules provide greater clarity for families applying for passports for young children, while the updated fee framework brings different passport services under the latest rates prescribed in the rules.
The Passports Rules, 1980, which form the legal framework for passport issuance in India, have undergone several amendments over the years. The latest changes further update the provisions relating to passport validity for children and the applicable fee structure.