New Passport Rule for Children

The Ministry of External Affairs has changed the rules governing passports issued to children below 15 years of age. Under the new regulations, an ordinary 36-page passport issued to a child under 15 will be valid for five years from the date of issue or until the child turns 18, whichever comes earlier.

The changes were notified through the Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026, and came into effect immediately after being published in the Official Gazette on September 15.

The amendment modifies Rule 12 of the Passports Rules, 1980, which deals with the validity of passports issued to minors. Previously, a passport issued to a child below 15 years was valid for five years or until the child reached the age of 15, whichever came earlier.

Under the revised rule, the upper age limit has been extended to 18 years. However, the passport will not automatically remain valid for the full five years if the child turns 18 earlier.

For example, if a passport is issued when a child is 14, it would normally have a five-year validity. However, since the child will turn 18 after four years, the passport will expire on the 18th birthday.

The government has also amended rules related to passport application fees. Rule 8 has been updated to specify that fees for different passport applications will be charged according to the rates listed in Schedule IV of the Passports Rules, 1980.

The latest changes follow a broader revision of passport-related fees that came into effect on July 1, 2026. Under the revised fee structure, the cost of a fresh or reissued 36-page passport for adults increased from ₹1,500 to ₹2,500, while the fee for a 60-page passport increased from ₹2,000 to ₹3,500.

Tatkaal passport fees have also been revised. A 36-page passport under the Tatkaal scheme now costs ₹5,000, compared with ₹3,500 earlier. For a 60-page passport, the Tatkaal fee has increased to ₹6,000 from ₹4,000.

The new rules are part of the government's continuing updates to the passport framework. The Passports Rules, 1980, were also amended earlier in June this year.

For parents applying for passports for children, the key change is the new validity condition: the passport remains valid for five years or until the child turns 18, whichever comes first.