The Ministry of External Affairs Notifies Revised Fee Structures for Passport Services Effective July 2026.
外交部通知護照服務費用調整，將於 2026 年 7 月生效
Introduction
The Indian government has announced amendments to the Passports Rules, 1980, introducing a revised schedule of fees for travel documents and related services.
印度政府已宣布修訂 1980 年《護照規則》，為旅行證件及相關服務引入一份修訂後的收費表。
Main Body
The Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026, promulgated under the authority of Section 24 of the Passports Act, 1967, effectuate the replacement of Schedule IV of the 1980 regulatory framework. This administrative adjustment follows a previous amendment dated February 24, 2025, reflecting a pattern of periodic revisions intended to align service costs with contemporary economic and administrative exigencies.
根據 1967 年《護照法》第 24 條授權頒布的 2026 年《護照（修訂）規則》，將取代 1980 年監管框架的附表 IV。此次行政調整繼 2025 年 2 月 24 日之前的修訂之後，反映出定期修訂的模式，旨在使服務成本與當代的經濟及行政需求保持一致。
Financial adjustments for adult applicants (including minors aged 15-18) demonstrate a significant upward trajectory. For a standard 36-page document, domestic fees have ascended from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,500 under the normal category, and from Rs 3,500 to Rs 5,000 under the Tatkal expedited service. A similar escalation is observed for 60-page documents, with normal fees rising by 75% to Rs 3,500 and Tatkal fees increasing by 50% to Rs 6,000. Corresponding tariffs for overseas applicants are established at USD 125 and USD 250 for 36-page documents, and USD 175 and USD 300 for 60-page documents.
成年申請人（包括 15 至 18 歲之未成年人）的費用呈現顯著上升趨勢。對於標準 36 頁證件，國內費用在普通類別中已從 1,500 盧比增加至 2,500 盧比，而 Tatkal 加急服務則從 3,500 盧比增加至 5,000 盧比。60 頁證件亦觀察到類似漲幅，普通費用上升 75% 至 3,500 盧比，Tatkal 費用增加 50% 至 6,000 盧比。海外申請人的相應費率則定為 36 頁證件 125 美元與 250 美元，60 頁證件 175 美元與 300 美元。
Provisions for the replacement of lost or damaged documentation also reflect increased costs. Domestic fees for 36-page replacements are now Rs 5,000 (normal) and Rs 7,500 (Tatkal), while 60-page replacements are priced at Rs 6,000 (normal) and Rs 8,500 (Tatkal). For minors under 18, a fresh 36-page passport is priced at Rs 1,750 (normal) and Rs 4,250 (Tatkal), with replacement costs reaching Rs 4,250 and Rs 6,750 respectively.
補發遺失或損毀證件的條款亦反映出成本增加。36 頁補發的國內費用現為 5,000 盧比（普通）與 7,500 盧比（Tatkal），而 60 頁補發價格為 6,000 盧比（普通）與 8,500 盧比（Tatkal）。對於 18 歲以下未成年人，新申請 36 頁護照價格為 1,750 盧比（普通）與 4,250 盧比（Tatkal），補發成本則分別達到 4,250 盧比與 6,750 盧比。
To mitigate the financial burden on specific demographics, a 10% fee concession is available for fresh domestic applications submitted by children up to age eight and senior citizens aged 60 and above. Furthermore, the framework defines fixed costs for ancillary services: Emergency Certificates for overseas applicants are USD 15, Certificates of Identity are Rs 1,000 (domestic) or USD 50 (overseas), and miscellaneous certifications, such as police clearance, are standardized at Rs 750 (domestic) or USD 40 (overseas).
為了減輕特定族群的財務負擔，八歲以下兒童及 60 歲及以上年長者提交的國內新申請可享有 10% 的費用減免。此外，該框架定義了附加服務的固定成本：海外申請人的緊急證明書為 15 美元，身分證明書為 1,000 盧比（國內）或 50 美元（海外），而雜項證明（如警察清單證明）則統一為 750 盧比（國內）或 40 美元（海外）。
Conclusion
The revised fee structure and validity periods—ten years for adults and five years or until age 18 for minors—will be implemented on July 1, 2026.
修訂後的收費結構與有效期（成年人十年，未成年人五年或至 18 歲）將於 2026 年 7 月 1 日起實施。
Vocabulary Learning
The Architecture of Formality: Latinate Verbs and Nominalisaton
To transition from B2 to C2, a student must move beyond accuracy and master register. The provided text is a masterclass in Bureaucratic High-Style, characterized by the strategic replacement of common Germanic verbs with precise Latinate alternatives and the use of heavy nominalization.
◈ The 'Power-Verb' Shift
C2 proficiency requires the ability to substitute basic verbs with high-precision academic counterparts to alter the tone from 'informative' to 'authoritative'.
| B2/C1 Equivalent | C2 Textual Choice | Nuance Analysis |
|---|---|---|
| Put into law | Promulgated | Implies a formal proclamation by a government body. |
| Make happen / Carry out | Effectuate | Shifts the focus from the action to the result of the legal mechanism. |
| Increase/Go up | Ascended | Adds a sense of a planned, structured trajectory rather than a random rise. |
| Help/Reduce | Mitigate | Specifically addresses the softening of a negative impact. |
◈ Syntactic Density via Nominalization
Observe the phrase: "reflecting a pattern of periodic revisions intended to align service costs with contemporary economic and administrative exigencies."
Instead of saying "the government changes fees because the economy changes" (B2), the author uses Nominalization: turning verbs/adjectives into nouns (revisions, exigencies).
The C2 Mechanism:
Economic change Economic exigencies
By using exigencies (urgent needs/demands), the writer elevates the text from a simple report to a professional instrument. This removes the 'human' subject and replaces it with 'systemic' necessity, a hallmark of high-level administrative English.
◈ Precision Modifiers
Note the use of "ancillary services." A B2 student would say "extra services" or "other services." The term ancillary denotes a specific subordinate relationship—services that are supplementary to the primary function (passport issuance). Using such adjectives demonstrates an expansive lexicon that categorizes relationships between objects with surgical precision.