Central government steeply hikes passport fees; new rates from July 1

NEW DELHI: The Central government has sharply increased passport fees for the first time in 14 years. According to the new fee structure, applicants above the age of 18 will have to pay Rs 2,500 for a new 36-page passport. The current fee is Rs 1,500. The fee for Tatkal applications has been increased from Rs 3,500 to Rs 5,000.

The Ministry of External Affairs has issued an order regarding the fee revision. The application fee for a 60-page passport under the normal category has been increased from Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,500, while the Tatkal fee has been raised from Rs 4,000 to Rs 6,000. The revised fee structure will come into effect from July 1, 2026.

For the renewal of lost or damaged passports, the fee for a 36-page passport will be Rs 5,000, while the Tatkal fee will be Rs 6,000. For a 60-page passport, the charges will be Rs 6,000 under the normal category and Rs 8,500 under the Tatkal category. The revised fee structure comes soon after the Ministry of External Affairs clarified that a passport is only a travel document and is not proof of Indian citizenship.