The Ministry of External Affairs has notified the Passports (Amendment) Rules 2026, increasing standard 36-page passport fees from ₹1,500 to ₹2,500 and Tatkal charges from ₹3,500 to ₹5,000 with effect from 1 July 2026. Fees for 60-page booklets, replacements, Police Clearance Certificates and other miscellaneous services have also been revised. Officials say the hike will fund expanded Passport Seva Kendras, biometric upgrades and the nationwide roll-out of e-Passports with embedded chips. Demand for passports has risen by double digits for six consecutive years as Indians travel abroad for study, work and leisure, straining appointment slots in major cities.
![Passport fees to rise on 1 July after first overhaul in 14 years]()
For travellers trying to beat the deadline or coordinate subsequent visa filings, VisaHQ can simplify the process: its India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) aggregates the latest fee tables, appointment availability and end-to-end application support for more than 200 foreign missions, helping applicants avoid surprises and stay compliant.
Travel agencies caution families and students with imminent plans to apply before midnight 30 June to avoid higher costs, noting that many visa files now require at least eight months’ passport validity at submission. Corporates running group Tatkal drives for outbound assignees should adjust cost projections: a five-member project team will now incur an additional ₹7,500 in expedited-service fees. Despite the steep jump, the MEA argues that, amortised over a passport’s 10-year validity, the extra expense is modest. Analysts agree that improved security features such as polycarbonate data pages and contactless chips could eventually shorten immigration queues and reduce global visa fraud involving Indian documents.
For travellers trying to beat the deadline or coordinate subsequent visa filings, VisaHQ can simplify the process: its India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) aggregates the latest fee tables, appointment availability and end-to-end application support for more than 200 foreign missions, helping applicants avoid surprises and stay compliant.
Travel agencies caution families and students with imminent plans to apply before midnight 30 June to avoid higher costs, noting that many visa files now require at least eight months’ passport validity at submission. Corporates running group Tatkal drives for outbound assignees should adjust cost projections: a five-member project team will now incur an additional ₹7,500 in expedited-service fees. Despite the steep jump, the MEA argues that, amortised over a passport’s 10-year validity, the extra expense is modest. Analysts agree that improved security features such as polycarbonate data pages and contactless chips could eventually shorten immigration queues and reduce global visa fraud involving Indian documents.
