India Changes Passport Rules for Children

India has amended its passport rules, introducing an important change to the validity of ordinary passports issued to children below 15 years of age.

Under the Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026, a 36-page ordinary passport issued to a child below 15 will now be valid for five years from the date of issue or until the child turns 18, whichever is earlier.

The amended rules were published in the Gazette of India on September 17, 2026.

What Has Changed for Children’s Passports?

Previously, an ordinary passport issued to a child below 15 was valid for five years or until the child reached the age of 15, whichever came first.

Under the new rule, the age limit has been extended from 15 to 18 years.

This means a child’s passport will now be valid for:

• Five years from the date of issue, or
• Until the child turns 18

whichever comes first.

How Does the New Passport Rule Work?

The actual validity of the passport will depend on the child’s age when it is issued.

For example, if a child receives a passport at the age of 14, a five-year validity period would normally extend until the age of 19. However, under the new rules, the passport will expire when the child turns 18.

For younger children, the five-year validity limit will continue to apply.

What About Children Aged 15 to 18?

Applicants aged 15 to 18 continue to have the option of applying for an adult-category passport with 10-year validity, subject to the applicable conditions.

This is separate from the new amendment, which specifically changes the validity rules for ordinary 36-page passports issued to children below 15 years of age.

What Parents Need to Know

The key change for parents is that a passport issued to a child below 15 will no longer automatically cease to be valid when the child reaches 15.

Instead, it can remain valid until the child turns 18, provided the passport has not already completed its maximum five-year validity period.

Parents applying for or renewing a child’s passport should check the applicable validity based on the child’s age at the time of issue and use the official Passport Seva portal for passport-related services.