Overview
- The Ministry of External Affairs notified the Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026 on September 15, 2026, formally amending the Passports Rules, 1980 and bringing the changes into effect on publication.
- Under amended Rule 12, an ordinary 36‑page passport issued to a child below 15 will be valid for five years from issue or until the child turns 18, whichever comes earlier.
- Rule 8 was revised so fees must be charged at the rates listed in Schedule IV, and the government’s wider fee revision took effect from July 1, 2026.
- The new fee schedule sets specific rates for different services: for example, a fresh or reissued 36‑page passport for those under 18 costs ₹1,750 and the corresponding tatkaal fee is ₹4,250, while adult 36‑page normal and tatkaal fees are ₹2,500 and ₹5,000 respectively.
- Practical effects for families include more frequent renewals or earlier reissuance for minors, a need to budget for higher fees in some cases, and administrative clarity as passport offices and Post Office Passport Seva Kendras must apply Schedule IV rates.