Passport Fee Hike: Major news for everyone. The Passport Rules, 1980 have been revised by the government, leading to changes in passport fees. The fee for a new 36-page standard passport has been increased from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,500. These new regulations will come into effect on July 1, 2026.
As per the notification released by the Ministry of External Affairs on June 20, the Tatkal service fee for a new 36-page passport or passport re-issue will be Rs 5,000. The fee increase for the Tatkal service in this category is currently Rs 3,500. The application fee for a new 60-page standard passport or passport re-issue has been raised from Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,500. The new Tatkal service fee for this category will be Rs 6,000, up from Rs 4,000.
The Ministry of External Affairs is actively working to enhance passport services, with the passport network expanding significantly over the past decade to over 500 centers nationwide. In 2025, a total of 15 million passports and related services were issued, with 13.9 million being passports alone. It is important to note that a passport primarily serves as a travel document and not as proof of citizenship.
– There are now 545 passport centers across the country.
– On average, passport issuance takes about six working days excluding police verification.
– Applicants spend less than 45 minutes at Passport Seva Kendras and Post Office Passport Seva Kendras.
Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar commended the efficient and citizen-focused passport services, highlighting the Ministry’s dedication to public service and referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governance principle of “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance.” There has been recent controversy surrounding the assertion that a passport does not serve as proof of citizenship, leading to a debate on the need for the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
A passport is not considered proof of citizenship according to the government. The issuance of passports to Tibetans in exile residing in India has been allowed as per Section 20 of the Passport Act of 1967. Former Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao mentioned that while a passport holder is generally considered a citizen of that country abroad, the Citizenship Act, 1955, takes precedence in cases of fraud or issues related to parentage.