If you have been putting off renewing your passport, this is your signal to do it today. The Indian government has announced the first passport fee revision in 14 years, effective July 1, 2026.
The new fees mark a significant increase across all categories. While the exact revised amounts vary by passport type and urgency, the direction is clear: getting or renewing an Indian passport will cost more from next week onwards.
For NRIs, this matters in several ways. Passport renewal from abroad has always been more expensive and more complicated than domestic renewal. The new fee structure applies globally, which means Indian missions and consulates in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, London, and everywhere else will implement the revised rates simultaneously.
What to do right now: If your passport expires within the next two years, consider applying for renewal before July 1 to lock in the current fees. The Indian consulate in Dubai and the Embassy in Abu Dhabi both accept renewal applications. Processing times vary, but standard applications typically take 2-4 weeks from Gulf consulates.
For children’s passports: If your child’s passport needs renewal or you have a newborn who needs a first passport, apply now. Children’s passport fees are lower than adult fees but are still subject to the revision.
The Tatkal option: Emergency or Tatkal passport services will also see fee increases. If you anticipate needing urgent passport services in the coming months, the pre-July window is your most cost-effective option.
Fourteen years without a fee revision means the increase was overdue by any reasonable standard. But overdue does not make it painless, especially for families managing multiple passports across two countries.