KARACHI – Getting a passport is about to get a little more digital as Directorate General of Immigration and Passports DGIP rolled out an important payment update, telling applicants to use the designated Raast QR code when paying their passport fees.
Pakistani passport applicants are being pushed further into the digital-payment era, with authorities directing citizens to use the designated Raast QR code when paying their passport fees.
Getting a passport is about to become even more cashless as the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports (DGIP) has issued an important payment advisory for applicants. Under updated arrangement, citizens have been told to scan the designated Raast QR code to pay their passport fees and follow the specified payment channel to avoid complications with their applications.
The warning comes as the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) has successfully rolled out digital passport fee collection through Raast Person-to-Merchant (P2M) QR, allowing citizens to make payments through the mobile banking applications of participating banks.
DGIP urged applicants to be particularly careful while making payments, as using the prescribed method is intended to ensure that the fee is properly linked with the passport application. The department has also directed citizens seeking further clarification to consult its website or contact the official helpline.
The move marks another major step in the government’s push to take routine public services away from cash and into the digital economy.
NBP takes passport payments digital
New Raast-based facility has been introduced as part of NBP’s broader digital transformation programme and supports the government’s Cashless Pakistan agenda. The objective is not simply to offer another way of paying a fee. It is part of a wider effort to expand digital transactions and modernise the collection of government payments and receipts.
Pakistan’s official passport system already incorporates QR-based payment into the application process, with applicants reaching the fee-payment stage after registration, biometric verification and other processing steps.
The progress of the new payment system was also reviewed during a high-level meeting at NBP’s head office in Karachi. Ch. Muhammad Ali Randhawa, Director General Immigration & Passports, visited the bank along with his team and met senior NBP officials, including Abdul Wahid Sethi, SEVP and Group Chief/CFO Financial Control Group; Faisal Topra, SEVP and Group Chief Operations Group; and Adnan Nasir, CDO and Group Chief Digital Banking Group.
Senior officials from NBP’s digital banking and operations divisions also participated in the discussions. The meeting examined the performance of the Raast-powered passport fee payment facility and looked at ways to expand digital payment options for citizens.
Officials also explored a possible PSID-based alternative payment mechanism. The proposed option could provide another channel for passport fee payments and help maintain continuity in government collections by giving applicants additional digital payment flexibility.
DGIP already has a Passport Fee Asaan system that generates a PSID and supports payments through various channels, although the latest advisory specifically tells applicants to use the designated Raast QR payment route.
Digital transformation was becoming an important tool for making public services more accessible, efficient and citizen-focused.
