Govt hikes passport fees from July 1, new one to cost Rs 2,500, Tatkaal Rs 5,000
NEW DELHI,JUNE 25 : The government on Thursday increased passport fees for the first time in nearly 14 years, raising the cost of a fresh passport to Rs 2,500 under the normal scheme and Rs 5,000 under the Tatkaal scheme with effect from July 1. The revised fee schedule was announced a day after the government clarified that a passport is primarily a travel document and not a proof of Indian citizenship.
Under the new rates, a fresh 36-page passport or its reissue for applicants aged 18 years and above will cost Rs 2,500 under the normal scheme, up from Rs 1,500 at present, while the Tatkaal fee has been raised to Rs 5,000 from Rs 3,500.
Similarly, the fee for a 60-page passport has been increased to Rs 3,500 under the normal category from Rs 2,000 and to Rs 6,000 under Tatkaal from Rs 4,000.
The revised fee structure, notified by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) through the Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026, marks the first major revision since 2012, when passport charges were last increased.
NEW PASSPORT FEES IN DIFFERENT CATEGORIES
Applicants seeking replacement of lost or damaged passports will also have to pay significantly more. A replacement 36-page passport will now cost Rs 5,000 under the normal scheme and Rs 7,500 under Tatkaal, while a 60-page replacement passport will cost Rs 6,000 and Rs 8,500, respectively.
For applicants below 18 years of age, a fresh or reissued 36-page passport will cost Rs 1,750 under the normal scheme and Rs 4,250 under Tatkaal. The fee for replacing a lost or damaged passport for minors has been fixed at Rs 4,250 under the normal category and Rs 6,750 under Tatkaal.
The MEA said the revised fee structure will apply to all passport applications submitted on or after July 1. The notification, issued on June 20 under Section 24 of the Passports Act, 1967, also revises charges for several travel documents and passport-related services.
While Emergency Certificates will continue to be issued free of cost within India, applicants abroad will be charged USD 15. A Certificate of Identity will cost Rs 1,000 in India and USD 50 abroad.
The fee for Police Clearance Certificates (PCC), Surrender Certificates, Global Entry Program verification and other passport-related certificates has been fixed at Rs 750 in India and USD 40 abroad.
The last revision in passport fees was carried out in 2012, when the government increased the fee for a standard 36-page passport from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 and the Tatkaal fee from Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,500.
-PTI
