New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has announced a significant overhaul of the passport validity rules for children in India, sparking widespread attention among parents and travel planners across the country. The amended regulations, published in the Gazette of India on September 17, state that ordinary 36-page passports issued to children below the age of 15 will now remain valid for five years from the date of issue or until the child turns 18 years old, whichever deadline arrives first.
Under the previous system, any passport issued to a child — whether they were two years old or fourteen — carried a blanket validity of 15 years. This often meant a toddler could hold a passport that would not expire until the age of 17, requiring no renewal during the formative years. The new policy effectively ties the validity period to the child's actual age at the time of application, ensuring that passports reflect a shorter, more targeted duration of use.
If a child completes five years of age before turning 18, their passport will expire at the five-year mark. Conversely, if the child is already older when applying — for instance, a 14-year-old — the passport will be valid only until they reach 18, giving them just four years of validity rather than the full five. Once the passport expires, the individual must apply for a fresh adult passport.
The revision was formally notified as part of the Passport (Amendment) Rules, 2026. Officials at the MEA have indicated that the change aligns India's passport framework more closely with international norms, where many countries issue shorter-validity passports to minors to account for rapidly changing appearances during childhood and adolescence. Critics, however, have raised concerns about the increased frequency of renewals and the additional paperwork and costs it may impose on families who frequently travel abroad.
Passport Seva Kendras across the country are expected to implement the revised rules shortly after the notification took effect, and applicants planning to apply for their children's passports are advised to check the updated guidelines on the official portal before submitting their applications.
