From 1 July the Ministry of External Affairs implemented a revised fee schedule for Indian passports—the first inflationary adjustment since 2015. As recapped in India Today’s 18 July travel column, a standard 36-page passport now costs ₹ 2,500 (up from ₹ 1,500), while the 60-page ‘jumbo’ booklet is priced at ₹ 3,500. Tatkaal (expedited) services rise to ₹ 5,000 and ₹ 6,000 respectively. MEA officials say the increase reflects rising biometric chip costs and the roll-out of next-generation e-passports, which embed ICAO-compliant security features and support automated border-gate readers. Corporate mobility budgets will need recalibration: for a family of four on a fast-track international posting, documentation costs can rise by over ₹ 10,000. Employers that reimburse ‘actuals’ should update policy caps accordingly, and relocation vendors should revise cost-of-living worksheets for assignees inbound to India. To soften the blow, the Ministry has shortened Tatkaal processing to two working days in 29 Passport Seva Kendras and has enabled online payments through UPI for the first time. Frequent flyers renewing early for the e-passport can also take advantage of a free domestic lounge pass from airline partner Vistara under a limited-period promotion. Officials said further hikes are unlikely before 2030, once the e-passport ecosystem stabilises.
Source: India Today
