Obtaining a passport has become more expensive from Wednesday after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) implemented a revised fee structure for passport-related services.
The charges have been increased for fresh applications, renewals, Tatkaal services, replacement of lost or damaged passports, Police Clearance Certificates (PCC) and several other passport-linked services. These will apply to passport applications submitted both in India and at Indian missions and consulates abroad.
For adults, the charges for a standard application for a fresh 36-page passport or renewal have been raised from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,500. For a 60-page passport (adult, normal), the fee has been increased from Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,500.
For a 36-page adult passport under the Tatkaal scheme, the fee has been raised from Rs 3,500 to Rs 5,000, while for a 60-page passport in the category, the fee has gone up from Rs 4,000 to Rs 6,000.
The higher charges will apply from July 1, 2026, for applications submitted in India or abroad under the revised fee structure.
Applicants seeking a replacement passport due to loss or damage will also have to pay higher charges of Rs 5,000 for a 36-page passport compared to Rs 3,000 earlier. In the case of a 60-page passport in this category, the fee has been hiked to Rs 6,000 from Rs 3,500 earlier.
For a 60-page adult passport replacement in the Tatkaal category, the fee has been raised from Rs 5,500 to Rs 8,500.
Passport services for children below 18 years will also become costlier. In the case of a 36-page fresh or reissue passport for minors (normal), the fee has been raised from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,750. In the case of a 36-page fresh or reissue passport for minors in the Tatkaal category, the fee has been increased from Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,250.
For the replacement of a lost or damaged passport for minors (normal), the new fee has been fixed at Rs 4,250, while in the Tatkaal category for minors, the new fee will be Rs 6,750.
For miscellaneous passport services, including police clearance certification (PCC) and other passport-related certificates, the fee has been increased from Rs 500 to Rs 750.
The revised structure also includes charges for services such as surrender certificates and other passport-linked documentation.
Indian citizens applying for passport services outside India will follow a separate fee structure. For example, the fee for a fresh 36-page passport application abroad (normal) has been fixed at $125. The fee for the same passport application in the Tatkaal category will be $250.
The revised overseas fee structure will apply to Indian citizens seeking passport services through missions and consulates abroad.
A 10 per cent discount on fresh passport applications will continue for children below eight years of age and senior citizens above 60 years. However, the discount will not apply to passport reissue applications.
--IANS
