Pakistan Sets October 23 as New Date for Mandatory E-Passport Issuance
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has set a new date for making electronic passports mandatory, with the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports (DGIP) announcing that e-passports will become the only type of passport issued to new applicants from October 23, 2026. The revised schedule moves the deadline from the previously planned mid-October date, giving applicants a few more days before the country switches entirely to the new biometric travel documents.
The change was confirmed by the DGIP in an official announcement reported on October 21. Under the updated timeline, all passport offices across Pakistan — and Pakistani diplomatic missions operating abroad — will issue only e-passports to new applicants from October 23 onwards. The issuance and renewal of machine-readable passports (MRPs) will continue until October 22, after which the electronic passport becomes mandatory for every fresh application.
The e-passport deadline in Pakistan had earlier been fixed for October 15. The Directorate’s decision to push it back slightly means citizens applying for new or renewed passports still have until October 22 to opt for a conventional machine-readable passport if they prefer one.
What the New October 23 E-Passport Date Means for Applicants
From October 23, anyone applying for a new passport in Pakistan will receive an electronic passport — the biometric document that carries an embedded chip storing the holder’s personal and biometric data. Passport offices nationwide will no longer accept new MRP applications after October 22.
Importantly, the Directorate has clarified that there is no need for existing passport holders to panic. Machine-readable passports issued before October 23 will remain fully valid until their printed expiry dates. Citizens holding valid MRPs will not be required to replace their documents early simply because of the new policy — the mandatory e-passport rule applies only to new issuance, not to documents already in circulation.
The revised schedule also applies to Pakistanis living abroad: diplomatic missions, including embassies and consulates, will follow the same transition, issuing only e-passports to new applicants from the effective date. The Consulate General of Pakistan in New York had already announced the revised date on October 14, while the Embassy of Pakistan in Doha issued an updated schedule under which it will begin issuing e-passports on October 25 while continuing MRPs until October 22.
Why Pakistan Is Switching to E-Passports
The shift to e-passports is part of the government’s effort to modernise passport services and bring the security and efficiency of Pakistan’s travel documents in line with international standards. Electronic passports carry advanced security features that make them harder to forge and easier to verify at international borders.
Pakistan first launched the e-passport service in March 2022, initially for diplomatic officials and government officers. Issuance for ordinary citizens in Islamabad began in June 2023, and the service was extended to all field offices across the country in August 2023. Since then, the Directorate has been preparing for the complete phase-out of machine-readable passports, which the October 23 deadline now finalises.
The new e-passports carry 29 additional security features over the previous generation of documents, including the contactless chip that stores fingerprints, facial biometrics and personal details — all verifiable at automated border gates used in many countries.
E-Passport Fees in Pakistan: What Applicants Will Pay
The switch comes with a significant fee difference that applicants should factor into their plans. The normal fee for a 36-page machine-readable passport valid for five years stands at Rs4,500, while the equivalent e-passport costs Rs9,000.
For urgent processing, an MRP costs Rs7,500 compared with Rs15,000 for an e-passport. The fast-track fee for a machine-readable passport is Rs12,500, while the e-passport fast-track fee rises to Rs22,000. With e-passports carrying substantially higher charges across all categories, applicants who are comfortable with the conventional document may prefer to apply before the October 22 cut-off for MRPs.
Key Dates to Remember
- Until October 22, 2026: Passport offices continue to issue and renew machine-readable passports.
- October 23, 2026: E-passports become the only passport type issued to new applicants in Pakistan and at diplomatic missions abroad.
- Existing MRPs: Remain valid until their expiry dates — no early replacement required.
Citizens planning to apply for passports in the coming days should decide which document suits them best before the deadline. Once the new policy takes effect, the e-passport will become the sole travel document issued to new applicants through passport offices nationwide and Pakistan’s overseas missions.
Sources: Business Recorder, Dunya News
Related on UrduPro: Pakistan E-Passport Transition: Machine-Readable Passports to Be Phased Out · Pakistan Passport 2026: Fees, Types and Renewal Guide
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