Passport fees raised across all categories; ordinary passport now Rs 2,500
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Thursday a significant increase in passport fees across all categories, with the new charges effective from July 1. The revision includes a 67% hike in the fee for issuance or reissue of an ordinary passport and a 250% increase under the Tatkal scheme.
An ordinary 36-page fresh passport for applicants aged 18 years and above will now cost Rs 2,500, up from the current Rs 1,500. For a 60-page passport, the fee has risen to Rs 3,500 from Rs 2,000. Under the Tatkal scheme, the fee for a 36-page passport has been raised to Rs 5,000 from Rs 2,000, and for a 60-page passport to Rs 7,000 from Rs 3,000.
The steepest increase is for the reissue of a 60-page passport in lieu of a lost or damaged document, with the fee jumping from Rs 2,000 to Rs 8,500 — a 325% rise. Similarly, reissue of a 36-page passport for lost or damaged documents will now cost Rs 6,000, up from Rs 2,000.
The MEA stated that the fee revision is aimed at improving services and infrastructure for passport issuance. The last revision in passport fees was made in 2016.
