MEA amends Passports Rules; child passports issued under 15 years to be valid for five years or till they turn 18

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https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/latest-updates/mea-amends-passports-rules-child-passports-issued-under-15-years-to-be-valid-for-five-years-or-till-they-turn-18/articleshow/134315151.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/latest-updates/mea-amends-passports-rules-child-passports-issued-under-15-years-to-be-valid-for-five-years-or-till-they-turn-18/articleshow/134315151.cms

Synopsis

New regulations allow children under the age of fifteen to obtain passports that will be valid for a period of five years, expiring on their eighteenth birthday. The Ministry of External Affairs has announced these updates, along with revised application fees for passports. These changes are effective from the announcement date in the official gazette.

Ordinary passports issued to children below 15 years of age will now be valid for five years or until the child turns 18, whichever is earlier, under new rules notified by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

The Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026, published in the Gazette of India on September 17, amend the Passports Rules, 1980.

Under the amended rule 12(1A), a 36-page ordinary passport issued to a child under 15 will remain in force for a period of five years from the date of issue, or until the child attains the age of 18, whichever comes first.

Also read: India slips to 125th in Global Passport Index 2026, offers visa-free access to 26 destinations

The notification, dated September 15, 2026, also revised rule 8 governing passport application fees, stating that the fee payable for each category of application will be as specified in Schedule IV of the rules.

The amended rules come into force from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.

The notification noted that the Passports Rules, 1980 were originally published via notification G.S.R. 691(E) dated December 11, 1980, and were last amended via notification G.S.R. 156(E) dated June 20, 2026.

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