Passport Fees to Rise From July 1; 36-Page New Passport to Cost ₹2,500

If you’ve been procrastinating on renewing your passport, or finally applying for a brand new one, you may want to log onto the official portal before the end of the month. The cost of getting your travel documents is about to increase substantially from July 1.

The Ministry of External Affairs has issued a new notification to revise the fee structure under the Passports Rules, which are over a decade old. The cost of getting a passport will increase significantly for applicants, whether they are planning months in advance or scrambling for an emergency trip.

The new cost breakdown.
The price increase is for the normal and jumbo passport books and for the regular and expedited processing speeds.

Here’s precisely how the fees are changing:

Standard 36-Page Booklet: The old ₹1,500 for an ordinary application will go up to ₹2,500. If the ticket is urgently required under the Tatkal scheme, the price tag goes up from ₹3,500 to ₹5,000.

Jumbo 60-page booklet: The thick booklet will now cost Rs 3,500 for normal processing for frequent flyers, and the fast-tracked Tatkal jumbo passport will cost Rs 6,000.

Beats the Clock: The Deadline of July 1st

The government has not explained the reasons for the sudden price adjustment, but the nationwide rollout is absolute. Applications submitted on or after July 1 will be charged the higher rates.

You can still lock in the older, cheaper rates if you can get your application and payment in before the clock strikes midnight June 30. Families travelling together or frequent business travellers applying now could save thousands of rupees on processing fees.

Heading overseas? Or have a booklet about to expire? This week is your final opportunity to avoid the price hike – a smart financial decision.