New Passport Rules 2026: Child Passport Fees and Validity

The new passport rules 2026 change the validity of ordinary 36-page passports issued to children below 15 years. They will remain valid for five years from issue or until the child turns 18, whichever comes first. Passport fees were also revised from 1 July 2026, with separate charges for adults, minors, Tatkaal services and lost or damaged passports.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has amended the Passports Rules, 1980 through the Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026. The latest amendment, notified on 15 September 2026 and published in the Official Gazette on 17 September 2026, specifically changes the validity rule for ordinary 36-page passports issued to children below 15 years.

There is another change parents need to know. Passport fees were already revised from 1 July 2026. The revised schedule separates adult applicants, minors, applicants aged 15 to 18 who choose the adult category, and lost or damaged passports.

If you are applying for a child’s passport, the child’s exact age and the category selected in the application now matter more than simply choosing a 36-page booklet.

What are the new passport rules for children below 15?

Under the amended Rule 12(1A), an ordinary 36-page passport issued to a child below 15 years will be valid for:

• Five years from the date of issue, or
• Until the child turns 18 years old,

whichever happens earlier.

The rule applies specifically to an ordinary 36-page passport for a child below 15 years.

This means a child does not automatically receive a passport valid for five full years in every case.

For example, a passport issued to a 10-year-old can generally run for five years. A passport issued shortly before the child turns 15 may have a shorter remaining validity because the passport cannot remain valid beyond the child’s 18th birthday.

What happens if a passport is issued when the child is 10?

Suppose a child is exactly 10 years old when the passport is issued. The five-year period would end when the child reaches 15. Since that happens before the child turns 18, the passport can remain valid for the full five-year period.

Example:

Child’s age at issue: 10 years

Maximum five-year period: 15 years of age

Passport validity: Five years

What happens if a passport is issued when the child is 14?

Now consider a child who is 14 when the passport is issued. The five-year period would extend beyond the child’s 18th birthday. The age limit therefore becomes the earlier date.

Example:

Child’s age at issue: 14 years

Five-year period: Until age 19

Age limit under the rule: 18 years

Passport validity: Until the child turns 18

Parents should therefore check the child’s date of birth before assuming that a minor passport will remain valid for five years.

When did the new child passport validity rule come into force?

The Ministry of External Affairs issued G.S.R. 820(E) dated 15 September 2026. The notification states that the Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026 would come into force on the date of publication in the Official Gazette. The notification was published in the Gazette on 17 September 2026.

So there are two dates to distinguish:

Event	Date
Notification dated	15 September 2026
Gazette publication	17 September 2026
Effective date under the notification	Date of Gazette publication

This distinction matters because saying only “the rule was issued on 15 September” does not tell the reader when the amendment legally came into force.

What are the new passport fees from 1 July 2026?

The government revised the passport fee schedule with effect from 1 July 2026.

For applicants aged 18 and above, the revised normal fee is:

• ₹2,500 for a 36-page passport
• ₹3,500 for a 60-page passport

The Tatkaal fees are:

• ₹5,000 for a 36-page passport
• ₹6,000 for a 60-page passport

These Tatkaal amounts are the total fees, including the normal passport fee.

How much has the adult passport fee increased?

Passport service	Earlier fee	Revised fee from 1 July 2026
36-page normal passport	₹1,500	₹2,500
60-page normal passport	₹2,000	₹3,500
36-page Tatkaal passport	₹3,500	₹5,000
60-page Tatkaal passport	₹4,000	₹6,000

The revised Schedule IV covers fresh and reissue applications in this category.

What are the new passport fees for minors?

Minor applicants below 18 years have a separate fee category. For a 36-page ordinary fresh passport or reissue, the revised fee is:

Normal: ₹1,750

Tatkaal: ₹4,250 total

The Tatkaal amount includes the normal fee and the applicable Tatkaal component.

For parents, this distinction is useful because the minor fee is different from the adult-category fee even though both applications involve a 36-page passport.

What if a minor’s passport is lost or damaged?

This is one area where the video transcript needs an important correction. For a minor applicant below 18 years, the revised fee for an ordinary 36-page passport issued in place of a lost or damaged passport is:

• Normal: ₹4,250
• Tatkaal: ₹6,750

The ₹5,000 normal and ₹7,500 Tatkaal figures apply to the adult category, which also covers minors aged 15 to 18 if they apply under that category.

The distinction is important. Parents should not assume that every minor replacement application costs ₹5,000.

What are the revised passport fees for lost or damaged passports?

For applicants in the adult category, including minors aged 15 to 18 who apply under the adult category, the revised charges are:

Lost or damaged passport	Normal fee	Tatkaal fee
36 pages	₹5,000	₹7,500
60 pages	₹6,000	₹8,500

For minor applicants below 18 years under the minor category:

Minor replacement service	Normal fee	Tatkaal fee
36-page lost/damaged passport	₹4,250	₹6,750

This category-based fee structure is one of the easiest parts of the revised schedule to misunderstand.

Can a minor aged 15 to 18 get a passport with 10-year validity?

Yes. The revised fee schedule specifically allows minors aged 15 to 18 years to apply under the adult category.

If the minor applies under that category, the applicable 36-page fees are:

• Normal: ₹2,500
• Tatkaal: ₹5,000

The passport issued under this category can have validity of up to 10 years, subject to the applicable rules.

This gives families an option to consider when a teenager is close to adulthood and expects to travel regularly.

For example, a 17-year-old who needs a passport for higher education or frequent international travel may fall into the 15 to 18 adult-category option. The application category should be selected carefully because it affects both the fee and the validity period.

What is the difference between a minor passport and the 15 to 18 adult-category passport?

The two categories should not be treated as identical.

Point	Minor category	15 to 18 adult category
Applicant	Below 18 years	15 to 18 years
Passport booklet	36 pages	36 or 60 pages under adult category
Normal 36-page fee	₹1,750	₹2,500
Tatkaal 36-page fee	₹4,250	₹5,000
Standard validity	Five years or until age 18, whichever is earlier	Up to 10 years
Lost/damaged 36-page fee	₹4,250 normal / ₹6,750 Tatkaal	₹5,000 normal / ₹7,500 Tatkaal

The practical point is simple: age alone does not determine the fee. The category selected for a 15 to 18-year-old applicant also matters.

Is there still a 10% passport fee discount for children?

Yes. Passport Seva continues to provide a 10% discount on the passport fee for fresh applications for:

• Minors up to the age of 8 years
• Senior citizens above 60 years

The discount does not apply to reissue applications.

Parents should therefore distinguish between a child’s first passport and a reissue. A child who qualifies by age for the rebate does not automatically receive the discount on every passport service.

What does the 10% discount mean in practice?

For a minor in the eligible age group applying for a fresh passport, the discount is applied to the applicable passport fee.

The safest approach is to use the Passport Seva fee calculator before payment because the amount depends on the service and category selected.

How should parents choose the correct passport category?

Before submitting an application, check these five points:

1. Child’s exact age
   • Check the date of birth, not just the year of birth.
2. Passport booklet
   • Confirm whether the application is for 36 or 60 pages where the category permits a choice.
3. Minor or adult category
   • A 15 to 18-year-old minor may have the option to apply under the adult category.
4. Normal or Tatkaal service
   • Tatkaal fees are higher and are shown as total fees in the revised Schedule IV.
5. Fresh, reissue or replacement
   • A lost or damaged passport has a different fee from a normal fresh or reissue application.

A common mistake is to search only for “minor passport fee” and pay based on a generic figure. The revised schedule contains separate entries, so the exact application type matters.

What should you check before applying for a child’s passport?

Use this quick checklist:

• Child’s date of birth is correct
• Child’s current age is checked
• 36-page passport category is applicable
• 15 to 18 category is considered where relevant
• Normal or Tatkaal service is selected correctly
• Fresh or reissue application type is correct
• Lost/damaged replacement category is selected if applicable
• Current Passport Seva fee is checked before payment
• Eligible fresh-application discount is considered
• Supporting documents are ready before the appointment

This is especially useful for families planning international travel. A passport that expires earlier than expected can create problems when applying for visas or planning travel.

How can you avoid paying the wrong passport fee?

The simplest method is to verify the fee immediately before payment on the official Passport Seva portal.

The Passport Seva website currently displays an advisory that passport application fees were revised from 1 July 2026 and tells applicants to check the revised fee before making payment.

You should verify:

Applicant age → application type → passport category → booklet size → normal/Tatkaal → final fee

Do not rely on an old fee chart saved on your phone or a social media post. Passport charges changed in 2026, and old ₹1,500 and ₹2,000 figures still appear in older online content.

How do the new passport rules affect a family planning overseas travel?

The validity change can matter when a child needs a passport for a longer overseas trip, school programme, family relocation or visa application.

Suppose a child is 14 years and 6 months old when the passport is issued. The family should not plan on a five-year passport. The passport will run only until the child reaches 18.

That matters because some countries, airlines and visa authorities apply their own passport-validity requirements. A passport may technically remain valid while still having too little remaining validity for a particular visa or journey.

Families should therefore check the destination country’s passport-validity requirement separately from the Indian passport’s expiry date.

For readers dealing with overseas employment rather than family travel, Legal Babu’s guides on Emigration Clearance and safe and legal migration can also help explain the separate compliance requirements involved in travelling abroad for work.

What documents and information should you verify before a minor passport application?

The exact document list depends on the applicant’s circumstances and the service selected. Before visiting the Passport Seva Kendra, check the official document requirements for your application.

Pay particular attention to:

• Child’s name
• Date of birth
• Parents’ names
• Address
• Existing passport details, if applying for reissue
• Reason for reissue
• Supporting documents for any change in personal particulars

A mismatch between the passport application and supporting records can create avoidable delays.

If the passport is being used for overseas employment or emigration-related procedures, keeping the passport number and personal details consistent across employment, visa and emigration documents is also important.

What are the biggest mistakes to avoid under the new passport rules?

Assuming every child gets five years

A child below 15 gets a 36-page ordinary passport for five years or until age 18, whichever is earlier.

Using the adult replacement fee for every minor

The ₹5,000 normal and ₹7,500 Tatkaal replacement fees are for the adult category. Minor applicants have a separate ₹4,250 and ₹6,750 structure.

Treating Tatkaal as only an extra charge

The Schedule IV lists Tatkaal as a fee inclusive of the normal fee. For example, a minor’s 36-page Tatkaal fee is ₹4,250 in total.

Applying the 10% discount to reissue

The 10% rebate applies to eligible fresh applications, not reissue applications.

Ignoring the 15 to 18 category

A minor aged 15 to 18 can apply under the adult category. This can affect both the fee and the possible passport validity.

What should you check if your child’s passport is about to expire?

Start by checking the exact expiry date printed on the passport.

Then determine:

1. The child’s current age.
2. Whether the passport is still valid.
3. Whether the application will be treated as fresh or reissue.
4. Whether the child falls into the 15 to 18 adult-category option.
5. Whether normal or Tatkaal service is required.
6. The current fee on Passport Seva.

If international travel is planned, also check the destination country’s passport-validity requirements before booking travel or applying for a visa.

What are the key dates in the 2026 passport fee and validity changes?

There are two separate 2026 developments.

1 July 2026: The revised passport fee schedule became effective.

15 September 2026: The MEA issued G.S.R. 820(E), amending the child passport validity rule.

17 September 2026: The September amendment was published in the Official Gazette and came into force according to its own commencement clause.

Keeping these dates separate avoids confusion between the fee revision and the later validity-rule amendment.

FAQs About the New Passport Rules 2026