What Is the New Passport Rule for Children Under 15? Check Validity and Key Changes

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has notified the Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026, bringing changes to the Passports Rules, 1980, including provisions governing the validity of passports issued to children. Under the updated framework, an ordinary 36-page passport issued to a child below 15 years of age will remain valid for five years or until the child turns 18, whichever is earlier.

The amendment comes as part of the government's broader revision of passport-related rules and fees. The revised fee structure, notified in June, came into effect from July 1, 2026. How To Apply for Passport Online in 2026: Step-by-Step Guide To Apply for Indian Passport at passportindia.gov.in.

Passport Validity for Children Under 15

The revised rules retain the provision of a shorter validity period for younger passport holders. A child below 15 years will receive an ordinary 36-page passport valid for five years, unless the child turns 18 before that period expires. In such a case, the passport will cease to be valid when the holder reaches 18 years of age. The provision takes into account the changing physical appearance of children, which can make identification more difficult over longer passport validity periods. Indian diplomatic missions currently list the same five-year-or-until-18 rule for minor children below 15.

What Happens After a Child Turns 15?

The passport framework distinguishes between younger children and applicants in the older minor category. Current revised rules provide for passports issued to applicants below 18 years to have a validity of five years or until the applicant turns 18, whichever is earlier. For applicants aged 15 years and above applying under the adult category, the revised fee schedule provides for a 36-page passport with the adult validity period, subject to the applicable rules.

Passport Fee Changes From July 2026

The 2026 amendment also revised passport fees across several categories. For adults and applicants aged 15 years and above applying under the adult category, a fresh or reissued 36-page passport now costs ₹2,500 under the normal category, while the Tatkaal fee is ₹5,000. A 60-page passport costs ₹3,500 under the normal category and ₹6,000 under Tatkaal. For applicants below 18 years, the normal fee for a fresh or reissued 36-page passport is ₹1,750, while the Tatkaal fee is ₹4,250. The revised schedule also sets separate charges for replacement of lost or damaged passports. How To Apply for a Passport Online: Step-by-Step Guide Ahead of July 1 Fee Hike.

MEA Revises Passport Rules 2026

The Ministry of External Affairs has notified the Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026, amending the Passports Rules, 1980. The amendment provides that 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… pic.twitter.com/Y9I9qBii1w

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 17, 2026

10% Fee Concession for Young Children

The revised rules also provide a 10% concession on fresh passport applications for children up to eight years of age. The concession applies to fresh applications and not to reissues. Senior citizens above 60 years are also eligible for the concession on fresh applications.

Broader Changes to Passport Services

The Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026 also revise charges for several other passport-related services, including Police Clearance Certificates, surrender certificates, Global Entry Programme verification and certain miscellaneous certificates. The revised fee schedule replaced the earlier Schedule IV of the Passports Rules, 1980. The changes were introduced under the powers granted by Section 24 of the Passports Act, 1967.

The MEA continues to provide passport and consular services through its Passport Seva network and Indian missions abroad. The ministry's latest website data shows that more than 14.5 crore passports had been issued during the period from 2014 to May 2026.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 17, 2026 08:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).