New Delhi: An ordinary passport with 36 pages issued to a child under 15 years of age will be valid for five years or until the child turns 18, whichever is earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed on Thursday.
The Passport Rules, 1980 were amended this year and the gazette notification was made recently.
Amendments to Rule 8 (1) mandate that fee structures across all application types strictly adhere to the updated rates specified in Schedule IV of the Passports Rules, 1980.
The MEA has also revised fees for all passport-related services, with the new rates coming into effect from July 1.
The hike will apply across categories, including fresh issuance, renewal, Tatkaal processing, replacement of lost or damaged passports, and Police Clearance Certificates (PCC).
The fee for a fresh or renewed passport for adults has been increased significantly. A 36-page booklet under the normal category will now cost Rs 2,500, up from Rs 1,500 earlier, while a 60-page booklet will cost Rs 3,500 against Rs 2,000 previously.
Charges have also been raised for Tatkaal services. An adult applying for a 36-page passport under Tatkaal will now have to pay Rs 5,000 instead of Rs 3,500, while the 60-page Tatkaal passport will cost Rs 6,000, up from Rs 4,000. Replacement of a 60-page passport under Tatkaal will now cost Rs 8,500, compared to Rs 5,500 earlier, as reported by timesnow.in.
For minors, a 36-page fresh or reissue passport under the normal category will now cost Rs 1,750, up from Rs 1,000, while Tatkaal for the same will cost Rs 3,000.
A 10% discount will continue for fresh applications by children below 8 years and senior citizens above 60 years, though the concession will not be applicable for reissue cases, the MEA has said.