The central government has decided to increase the passport fee for the first time in almost 14 years. Effective July 1, 2013, the fee will be Rs 2,500 for ordinary passports and Rs 5,0 for instant passports. The new charges come a day after the Ministry of External Affairs clarified that passports are travel documents only and not proof of Indian citizenship.
As per the new tariff, a new 36-page passport or its renewal for applicants aged 18 and above will cost Rs 2,500 in the general category, up from Rs 1,500 at present. The instant fee has been increased from Rs 3,500 to Rs 5.0 Similarly, the fee for a 60-page passport has been increased from Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,500 in the general category and from Rs 4,000 to Rs 6,000 in the instant category. The new fee structure, released by the Ministry of External Affairs, is the first major change since 2012.
Applicants now have to pay higher fees to replace lost or damaged passports. In the general category, the 36-page passport will be replaced by an immediate payment of Rs 5,000 and Rs 7,500 for a new passport. The 60-page passport costs Rs 6,000 and Rs 8,500 respectively. Also, a 36-page new or renewed passport for applicants below 18 years has been fixed at Rs 1,750 in general category and Rs 4,250 in immediate category. For lost or damaged passports of minors, Rs. 4,250 is generally payable and Rs. 6,750 payable immediately.
The new fee will apply to all passport applications filed on or after July 1, the Ministry of External Affairs said. Emergency certificates will be issued free within India but applicants abroad will have to pay US$15 for the same. The identity card will cost Rs. 1,000 in India and $50 abroad. Fees for police clearance certificate, surrender certificate and other passport-related certificates are fixed at Rs 750 in India and $40 abroad. Earlier, the passport fee was last revised in 2012 and the normal passport fee was increased from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1.5.