If you have been planning to get a new passport or renew or retrieve a damaged or stolen one and even make one for your child, this affair is going to cost you significantly more now. New passport-making fees will come into effect from July 1, 2026, according to the Ministry of External Affairs, and this increase will impact all sorts of passport services in the country. So if you have the plans to make a passport for a cheaper price, the time is right now.
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Why is this a serious matter? India has been rolling out e-passports, and these passports use an embedded RFID chip that stores a user's data, like personal details and biometrics, which has global security standards-level encryption. Currently these are the cities in which the e-passport service is live: Nagpur, Bhubaneswar, Jammu, Panaji, Shimla, Raipur, Amritsar, Jaipur, Chennai, Hyderabad, Surat and Ranchi, and apart from that, a nationwide rollout is also anticipated. Now e-passports follow the same mandate for being issued, like the application process and fees. Like an ordinary physical passport, this hike in fees will also translate to e-passports as well.
Changes Taking Place From July 1
Passport fees have gone up across multiple categories. Adults, as well as applicants aged 15 to 18 applying under the adult category, will now have to pay Rs 2,500 for a fresh or reissued 36-page passport under the normal process and Rs 5,000 under Tatkal, compared to the earlier Rs 1,500 and Rs 3,500. The fee for a 60-page passport has also increased to Rs 3,500 for normal applications and Rs 6,000 for Tatkal, up from Rs 2,000 and Rs 4,000. Those applying for a replacement of a lost or damaged 36-page passport will now be charged Rs 5,000 under the normal process and Rs 7,500 under Tatkal, instead of Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,000.
For applicants below the age of 18 applying under the minor category, the fee for a fresh or reissued 36-page passport has been revised to Rs 1,750 for normal processing and Rs 4,250 for Tatkal, up from Rs 1,000 and Rs 3,000. Meanwhile, the fee for services such as a police clearance certificate, surrender certificate, or Global Entry Program verification has also been increased from Rs 500 to Rs 750.
The validity of passports will be unaffected by this change, and a standard passport will remain active or valid for the period of 10 years, and for minors the time period will be 5 years or till the holder becomes of age, that is, 18 years, whichever in this scenario happens first.
How To Apply Before July 1 Deadline
Now if you have been sitting on a plan to get your passport made, this might be the right time to get it made at a cheaper cost. Also, you must note that you will need to complete the application and fee deposition process before July 1, 2026.
- Start by visiting the Passport Seva Online Portal and create an account if you are a new user.
- Sign in to your account, select 'Apply for Fresh Passport/Re-issue of Passport', and choose 'Fresh Issuance' if you are applying for your first passport.
- Complete the application form by entering all the required details and submit it online.
- Once the application is submitted, head to View Saved/Submitted Applications, choose Pay and Schedule Appointment, and complete the online payment to book your visit to a Passport Seva Kendra, Post Office Passport Seva Kendra, or Regional Passport Office.
- After booking your slot, download or print the appointment receipt containing your Application Reference Number (ARN). You should also keep the SMS confirmation received on your phone.
- On the scheduled date, visit the selected Passport Seva Kendra or Regional Passport Office with your original documents for biometric capture and document verification.
All the people applying for passports now should also take immediate note of one important thing, and that is that at this time, due to a deadline in effect, there will be a much higher load on the online portals as people will be rushing in to get their passports made, so it would be wise to start as soon as possible.