ISLAMABAD – Pakistan has decided to discontinue the issuance of new machine-readable passports (MRPs) as part of its measures to move entirely toward electronic passports.
Reports said the Directorate General Immigration and Passports (DGI&P) has planned to stop processing the MPRs applications from October 15, 2026.
Under the new arrangement, applicants will have until October 14 to apply for a new machine-readable passport. After that date, new passport applications will be processed only for e-Passports.
The policy also affects existing machine-readable passports. While those documents will remain valid until their expiry, authorities will not renew them once they expire.
DGI&P has communicated the decision to passport offices across the country through an official circular. Pakistani diplomatic missions operating overseas have likewise been instructed to implement the revised passport policy.
In June 2026, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced that the government had decided to phase out machine-readable passports and switch fully to e-passports.
Chairing a special meeting at the Passport and Immigration Headquarters, Naqvi said the complete transition would eliminate fraud and forgery.
An e-Passport is a highly secure travel document with an electronic chip embedded in one of its pages. The contactless NFC chip securely stores biometric data, facial details, biographical information, a unique identification number and a digital signature. The chip allows border control and smart devices to read data wirelessly.
Pakistan’s e-passports are compliant with the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s standards. Pakistani e-passport holders will be able to use e-gate facilities at airports worldwide, reducing immigration queues.
E-Passport Fee Structure
The normal fee for 36-page e-passport with five years validity stands at Rs9,000 while urgent fee for same passport is Rs15,000.
The normal fee for 36-page passport with 10 years validity stands at Rs13,500 while the urgent fee for it stands at Rs22,500.
Similarly, the department charges Rs16,500 in wake of normal fee for 72-page passport with five years validity while urgent fee for the same travel document stands at Rs27,000.
Furthermore, the urgent fee for 72-page passport with five years validity stands at Rs24,750 while it is Rs40,500 for 10 years validity.
