Passport Fees Rise 67% as Govt Cites Rising Service Costs

The Central Government has informed Parliament that the recent 67 per cent increase in passport application fees is the first revision in 14 years and was necessitated by rising operational costs and improvements in service delivery. The revised fee structure came into effect on July 1, 2026, following amendments to the Passports Rules, 1980. Under the new rules, the application fee for a fresh 36-page ordinary passport has been increased from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,500.

Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said passport fees are reviewed periodically after assessing the cost of providing passport and related services, operational requirements and improvements in service delivery. He stated that the increase in the cost of various inputs over the past 14 years since the previous revision in 2012 made it necessary to revise the fee structure. The government maintained that the revision was based on a comprehensive review of the overall cost of delivering passport services.

The Ministry of External Affairs was asked whether it had conducted any cost study, regulatory impact assessment or affordability assessment before notifying the Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026. In response, the government highlighted several initiatives undertaken in recent years to modernise passport services, including the implementation of Passport Seva Programme (PSP) Version 2.0 and the introduction of e-Passports. According to the ministry, these upgrades have enhanced the security, efficiency and quality of passport services while increasing the overall cost of service delivery.

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The government also pointed out that passport fees have historically been revised at intervals rather than annually. According to the data presented in Parliament, passport charges were increased by 67 per cent in 1971, 100 per cent in 1980, 500 per cent in 1993, 233 per cent in 2002 and 50 per cent in 2012. The latest revision in 2026 therefore marks the first increase after more than a decade, reflecting changes in operational expenses and technological advancements introduced into the passport issuance process.

The Ministry further clarified that the requirement for passport applications to be accompanied by the prescribed fee is provided under Section 5(1) of the Passports Act, 1967, and Rule 8 of the Passports Rules, 1980. These provisions empower the government to revise application charges through amendments to the rules whenever necessary. Officials said the latest revision aligns with the legal framework governing passport issuance and related services.

The revised fee structure forms part of the government's broader efforts to modernise passport services through digital technologies and improved security infrastructure. The rollout of e-Passports and the upgraded Passport Seva Programme is intended to enhance document security, streamline application processing and improve service delivery for citizens. According to the government, the fee revision reflects the additional investment required to sustain these improvements while maintaining the efficiency and reliability of India's passport system.

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