Fees Rise Sharply Across All Categories

India's passport fees will increase significantly from next Tuesday, July 1, after the Ministry of External Affairs published the Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026 through an official gazette notification dated June 20.

Under the revised structure, a standard fresh or reissued 36-page passport for applicants aged 18 and above will cost ₹2,500, up from the current ₹1,500 an increase of 67 percent. The Tatkal fee for the same category, which prioritises faster processing, has been revised to ₹5,000, inclusive of the normal fee.

A 60-page passport, generally preferred by frequent international travellers, will rise from ₹2,000 to ₹3,500 under the standard scheme and to ₹6,000 under Tatkal.

Minors and Lost Passport Replacements Also Affected

For applicants below 18 years of age, the fee for a fresh 36-page passport has been raised from ₹1,000 to ₹1,750. The Tatkal fee for minors under the same category will be ₹4,250.

Replacement passports for adults in cases of loss or damage will see some of the steepest increases. A lost or damaged 36-page passport will now cost ₹5,000 under the normal scheme, up from ₹3,000, and ₹7,500 under Tatkal, up from ₹5,000.

A 10 percent fee concession that currently applies to fresh applications for children up to eight years of age and senior citizens above 60 has been retained.

Other Service Charges Revised

The notification also revised fees for ancillary services. A Police Clearance Certificate, Surrender Certificate, or any other miscellaneous document based on a passport has been repriced at ₹750. A Certificate of Identity will cost ₹1,000. Emergency Certificates will continue to be issued without a standard fee within India.

No Change to Validity Periods

Passport validity periods remain unchanged. Adult passports will remain valid for up to 10 years; passports for minors will be valid for five years or until the holder turns 18, whichever is earlier.

The revision comes as India continues rolling out e-passports embedded with RFID chips, currently available in select cities including Nagpur, Jaipur, Chennai, Hyderabad, Surat, and others, with a nationwide rollout expected to follow.

What to Watch

The last major revision to Indian passport fees took place several years ago. Applicants who have been holding off on renewals or fresh applications may wish to submit and complete payment before July 1 to lock in the current lower fees. The Ministry has not indicated any exemptions for applicants already partway through the system, meaning the date of payment is the critical factor.