Indian Passport Fees Rise From July 1, 2026. Here Is What It Means If You Plan to Study Abroad.

On June 20, 2026, the Ministry of External Affairs notified the Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026, revising passport fees for the first time in over a decade. The new rates take effect July 1, 2026, just six days from today. A passport is the first document every university application and every student visa depends on, and several documents students need alongside it, including the Police Clearance Certificate, are also getting pricier.

If you have not yet applied for a fresh passport, a renewal, or a PCC, doing it before June 30 saves you real money and protects your application timeline.

Currency note: 1 USD = Rs. 94.55 as of June 30, 2026. Always verify current rates before financial planning. 

What the New Fees Look Like

This is the first major revision to India's passport fee schedule since 2012. The increase applies to fresh passports, renewals, Tatkal services, lost or damaged replacements, and police clearance certificates, both for applications inside India and at Indian missions abroad.

Fresh and renewal passport fees (adults 18+):

Minors (under 18):

Lost or damaged passport replacement:

Police Clearance Certificate (PCC), Surrender Certificate, and miscellaneous certificates:

• New fee: Rs. 750 (up from Rs. 500).
• Outside India: USD 40 at Indian missions abroad.

Certificate of Identity: Rs. 1,000 in India, USD 50 abroad.

The one discount that remains: A 10% reduction on the normal fee continues for fresh passport applications (not renewals or reissues) for children up to age 8 and senior citizens above 60.

What does not change: Passport validity rules remain the same. Adult ordinary passports are still valid for 10 years.

Why This Matters If You Are Applying to Study Abroad

A passport is the very first document every student needs before anything else in the study abroad process can move forward. University applications, visa applications, and even some scholarship applications require a valid passport number before submission. For students who have not yet applied for their first passport or whose existing passport is close to expiry, this fee change has direct financial and timeline consequences.

The PCC cost matters more than most students realize: Many countries require a Police Clearance Certificate during the student visa process, particularly for longer-duration programs and for students who have lived abroad previously for six months or more after turning 16. The PCC fee rising from Rs. 500 to Rs. 750 is a 50% increase on a document most students need anyway. If you also need a foreign PCC from a country you previously lived in, factor that separately.

Renewals are not exempt: Some students assume a fee hike applies only to fresh applications. It does not. The revised rates apply equally to renewals, reissues, and Tatkal services, including the replacement of lost or damaged passports. If your passport expires within the next 12 to 18 months and you know you will be applying to study abroad programs, renewing now rather than later avoids the higher fee.

Tatkal costs are rising the most in percentage terms: The Tatkal fee for a 36-page passport rises from Rs. 3,500 to Rs. 5,000, a jump of nearly 43%. Students who delay their passport application and then need to rush it through Tatkal during peak admission season will pay significantly more than those who plan ahead.

The timing window matters: The fee you pay depends on the date your application is submitted and paid, not the date your passport is issued. Applications submitted and paid for before July 1, 2026, are processed under the old, lower fee structure. Applications submitted from July 1 onward pay the new rates, regardless of when the passport is eventually printed.

What to Do in the Next Six Days

If you do not yet have a passport: Apply now through the Passport Seva portal at passportseva.gov.in. Submitting and paying before July 1 locks in the lower fee of Rs. 1,500 instead of Rs. 2,500 for a standard 36-page passport.

If your passport expires within the next 12 to 18 months: Consider renewing now rather than waiting. The savings on a renewal (Rs. 1,000 on a 36-page passport) are meaningful, and renewing early avoids any risk of needing a rushed Tatkal application later during your actual application season.

If you need a Police Clearance Certificate: Apply now to save Rs. 250 on the standard fee. PCC processing can take one to three weeks depending on local police verification speed, so applying early also protects your visa application timeline regardless of the fee change.

If you are outside India and applying through an Indian mission abroad: Overseas applicants pay in USD; a 36-page passport costs USD 125 (normal) or USD 250 (Tatkal) at Indian missions abroad. Missions in the Gulf and other regions may take time to publish the equivalent in local currency. Confirm the exact fee with your specific mission before applying, since the local-currency amount depends on the rate each mission sets.

Use the official fee calculator: Before paying, confirm your exact amount using the Passport Seva official fee calculator to avoid any confusion about which category and page count applies to your situation.

The Bigger Picture: Budget This Into Your Study Abroad Plan

Most study abroad budgeting focuses on tuition, living costs, and visa fees in the destination country. Passport and PCC costs are easy to overlook because they feel like small, one-time expenses. But for a family managing a tight study abroad budget, an unplanned Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 4,000 increase across a fresh passport, a PCC, and a possible Tatkal fee is worth accounting for now rather than discovering it during an already stressful application period.

Officials have specifically advised applicants to complete passport-related processes early, particularly given that peak admission season for universities abroad typically overlaps with the months immediately following this fee change.

Book a free session with a Leap Scholar counselor to understand how the passport fee increase fits into your overall study abroad budget, what documents to prioritize before your application season begins, and how to plan your visa documentation timeline to avoid last-minute Tatkal costs.

Sources: News9Live, Passport Fees to Increase From July 1: What Students Planning to Study Abroad Need to Know | Business Standard, Passport Fees to Rise From July 1, June 29, 2026 | Storyboard18, New Passport Fee Structure From July 1 | Wego Travel Blog, India Raises Passport Fees From July 1, 2026 | Sunday Guardian Live, Government Revises Passport Fees From July 1 | Angel One, Passport Application Charges Revised Under New Rules | Indian Eagle TravelBeats, List of New Fees for Indian Passport From July 2026  | Ministry of External Affairs official notification | Gazette of India, Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026 | Official fee calculator | MEA's official overseas fee page