Passport gets costlier from 1 July: Centre raises fees after 14 years, check new rates
The Central government on Thursday hiked the passport fees for the first time in roughly 14 years, bringing the cost of a fresh passport to
The Central government on Thursday hiked the passport fees for the first time in roughly 14 years, bringing the cost of a fresh passport to ā¹2,500 under the normal scheme and ā¹5,000 under the Tatkaal scheme. The fee hike would come into effect from 1 July. The development comes a day after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) clarified that a passport is merely a travel document and not proof of citizenship. The official document read, āIn exercise of the powers conferred by section 24 of the Passports Act, 1967(15 of 1967), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules further to amend the Passports Rules, 1980.ā Here's the list of revised rates Quick answers to key questions ā¢ 5 QUESTIONS 1 What are the new passport fees effective from July 1? āµ The new fees for a fresh ordinary passport will be ā¹2,500, and ā¹5,000 for the Tatkaal scheme. For a 60-page passport, the fees are ā¹3,500 (normal) and ā¹6,000 (Tatkaal). 2 Why did the Indian government clarify that a passport is not proof of citizenship?
āµ The Ministry of External Affairs stated that a passport is primarily a travel document and that citizenship is governed by the Citizenship Act, 1955, not the Passports Act, 1967. 3 How can Indian citizenship be acquired if not through a passport? āµ Indian citizenship can be acquired through birth, descent, registration, naturalisation, or incorporation of territory, as outlined in the Citizenship Act, 1955. 4 Should Indian citizens rely on passports as proof of citizenship? āµ No, while a passport is strong evidence of Indian nationality in everyday situations, it is not considered conclusive legal proof of citizenship in disputes. 5 What other documents can serve as evidence of Indian citizenship? āµ Documents such as birth certificates, citizenship certificates, and government records related to parentage can help establish Indian citizenship. Under the new rates, a 36-page ordinary fresh passport or its reissue for applicants aged 18 years will now cost ā¹2,500 under the normal scheme, while the Tatkaal fee has been raised to ā¹3,500. At present, the ordinary passport fee/reissue fee is ā¹1,500, compared to ā¹3,500 under the Tatkaal scheme.
The fee for a 60-page passport will now be ā¹3,500 for the normal category and ā¹6,000 for Tatkaal. The current fee for a 60-page under the normal scheme is ā¹2,000, and ā¹4,000 for Tatkaal. The fee has also been increased to 60 pages for a lost or damaged passport. The normal fee is ā¹6,000, up from ā¹3,500 and ā¹8,500 under the Tatkaal category, up from ā¹5,500. Similarly, for a lost or damaged passport with 36 pages, the cost is ā¹5,000 under the normal scheme and ā¹7,500 under Tatkaal, up from ā¹3,000 and ā¹5,000, respectively. For applicants under 18, the revised passport fee for a fresh issue under the normal category is ā¹1,750, up from ā¹1,000, and for the Tatkaal category, it is ā¹4,250, up from ā¹2,000. The charge for reissuing a lost or damaged passport for minors is ā¹4,250 under the normal application process and ā¹6,750 under the Tatkaal scheme. Also Read | Here's what Passports Act 1967 says about proof of citizenship The government has also increased the fee for a police clearance certificate to ā¹750 from ā¹500.
The BriefWire