From 1 July 2026, Indian citizens applying for a passport will pay substantially more after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) notified amended Passports Rules. A fresh 36-page booklet now costs ₹2,500 (up from ₹1,500) and a 60-page booklet costs ₹3,500. ‘Tatkal’ applications rise to ₹5,000 and ₹6,000 respectively, while replacement of damaged or lost booklets now attracts fees of up to ₹8,500. The MEA said the hike reflects higher printing, security-feature and service-partner costs under the nationwide Passport Seva Project. Since 2012, the passport network has expanded from 77 to 545 Passport Seva Kendras and Post-Office centres, processing a record 15 million applications in 2025. Officials argue that larger volumes and the ongoing roll-out of chip-enabled e-passports require recurrent investments in blank booklets, biometric kits and cybersecurity.
![India Raises Passport Fees for First Time in 14 Years, Effective Today]()
For travellers who want to stay ahead of both rising passport fees and evolving visa rules, VisaHQ offers an all-in-one online platform that tracks document validity, sends renewal alerts and streamlines applications for visas to more than 200 countries—helping Indian applicants avoid costly Tatkal surcharges and last-minute headaches. Explore the service at https://www.visahq.com/india/
Business-travel consultants warn that companies budgeting for assignee documentation will need to absorb the 40-75 per cent increase. A family of four applying for new passports will now spend ₹10,000 instead of ₹6,000—before police-verification and courier charges. Employers should update assignment cost projections and consider bulk scheduling passport renewals well ahead of their employees’ expiry dates. For global mobility managers, the steeper ‘Tatkal’ surcharge narrows the gap between regular and expedited processing times (now six and three working days respectively in metro locations). Travel-risk teams should remind staff that most foreign missions will not accept visa applications on an expiring passport with less than six months’ validity, making timely renewal critical.
For travellers who want to stay ahead of both rising passport fees and evolving visa rules, VisaHQ offers an all-in-one online platform that tracks document validity, sends renewal alerts and streamlines applications for visas to more than 200 countries—helping Indian applicants avoid costly Tatkal surcharges and last-minute headaches. Explore the service at https://www.visahq.com/india/
Business-travel consultants warn that companies budgeting for assignee documentation will need to absorb the 40-75 per cent increase. A family of four applying for new passports will now spend ₹10,000 instead of ₹6,000—before police-verification and courier charges. Employers should update assignment cost projections and consider bulk scheduling passport renewals well ahead of their employees’ expiry dates. For global mobility managers, the steeper ‘Tatkal’ surcharge narrows the gap between regular and expedited processing times (now six and three working days respectively in metro locations). Travel-risk teams should remind staff that most foreign missions will not accept visa applications on an expiring passport with less than six months’ validity, making timely renewal critical.
