Pakistan will stop accepting new applications for conventional machine-readable passports from October 23, 2026, as the country moves to an electronic passport-only issuance system at home and through its diplomatic missions overseas.
The Directorate General of Immigration and Passports has confirmed the revised implementation date after postponing an earlier October 15 deadline. Under the new arrangement, passport offices in Pakistan and Pakistani missions abroad will process applications for electronic passports rather than conventional machine-readable passports.
The change does not mean that existing passports will suddenly become invalid.
Machine-readable passports already issued will remain valid until their stated expiry dates, subject to normal travel and immigration requirements. Holders of valid passports will not be required to replace them immediately simply because the new policy has taken effect.
What changes for applicants
The transition primarily affects people applying for a new passport or seeking a replacement after the policy takes effect. These applicants will be directed towards the electronic passport system.
An e-passport incorporates an electronic chip containing identity and biometric information. The technology is designed to strengthen document authentication and make it more difficult to alter or counterfeit travel documents.
Electronic passports are already used by many countries and are supported by international standards for machine-readable travel documents.
For Pakistan, the shift represents a broader modernisation of passport issuance, particularly as demand for overseas travel, employment and immigration services continues to grow.
What overseas Pakistanis should know
The policy also extends to Pakistani embassies and consulates abroad. That makes the change relevant to expatriates who normally renew their travel documents through diplomatic missions rather than passport offices in Pakistan.
Applicants should check the instructions issued by their relevant passport office or mission before submitting an application, particularly regarding fees, appointments, documentation and processing times.
A nationwide transition
Pakistan’s passport authorities had previously identified October 15 as the transition date before revising it to October 23.
The immediate test will be how consistently the new system is implemented across domestic passport offices and overseas missions, especially in locations serving large numbers of Pakistani travellers.
Sources: Directorate General of Immigration and Passports policy notice published by the Pakistan Consulate in Hong Kong; Business Recorder, October 21, 2026.