E-passport Pakistan 2026: what it is, fee from Rs 9,000, and how to apply step by step

E-passport Pakistan 2026: an e-passport is a Pakistani passport with a contactless chip that stores your photo, fingerprints and data-page details, and it costs Rs 9,000 for 36 pages and 5 years on normal processing or Rs 13,500 for 10 years. The interior ministry told the National Assembly on 16 October 2026 that machine-readable passports (MRPs) will stop being issued within a month, after which every new passport and renewal, at home or at a mission abroad, will be an e-passport (Geo News). This guide explains what changes, what it costs and how to apply.

What an e-passport is

According to the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports (DGIP), the e-passport has an electronic chip embedded in one of its pages. The chip holds your biometrics, the personal data printed on the data page, a unique number and a digital signature, and it can be read electronically by NFC. Pakistan's e-passport follows the UN aviation body ICAO's standards and adds laser engraving and infrared and ultraviolet security features (DGIP e-passport page).

What it means for you:

• E-gates. DGIP says e-passport holders can use automated e-gates at airports that offer them, instead of queueing at a counter.
• Harder to forge. The parliamentary affairs minister told the National Assembly the chip would make forgery impossible.
• Same look and use. You show it at immigration and visa counters exactly as before.

Your existing MRP stays valid until the expiry date printed in it. You do not need to swap it early.

E-passport fee in Pakistan 2026

These are DGIP's e-passport fees, re-issued on 15 October 2026 and unchanged since 2024 (ARY News; full table and MRP comparison in our passport fee guide):

There is no fast track and no 100-page e-passport. Children under 15 get 5-year passports only. Work out a family total with our passport fee calculator.

How to apply for an e-passport in Pakistan

1. Check which office you belong to. You can apply at any Regional Passport Office (RPO) or Executive Passport Office, and e-passport renewal has also been offered at NADRA centres since 7 September 2026.
2. Pay the fee. Passport offices are cashless. DGIP lets you pay the e-passport fee online through the Passport Fee Asaan App or its e-Payment web portal, or at a designated bank branch. Payment is the last step, so you can review the details first.
3. Take your documents (below) and go in person for your photo and fingerprints.
4. Check your name fields. DGIP's e-passport system allows a first name of up to 50 characters, a last name up to 40 and a father's or husband's name up to 40. Both first and last name are required, so if your CNIC shows a single name, ask the counter how it will be split before you sign.
5. Track it. Give a valid mobile number and email at data entry and DGIP sends status updates by SMS from 9988. You can also use our passport tracking guide.

If you applied on normal and need it sooner, DGIP lets you convert to urgent online by paying the fee difference.

Documents you need

DGIP says the documents for an e-passport are the same as for an MRP:

• Adults: your original CNIC (or NICOP for overseas Pakistanis), and your old passport if you are renewing.
• Children under 18: the child's B-Form or Juvenile Card, and the CNIC of a parent; see our guide to the NADRA Juvenile Card documents.
• Lost passport: a higher fee applies; see DGIP's complete fee list and ask your passport office what extra papers it needs.

Overseas Pakistanis

The National Assembly was told e-passports will be issued at Pakistan's missions abroad once MRPs end. Until your embassy or consulate announces it, check its own page before you apply; some missions announced e-passports earlier this year and then paused. DGIP's online portal (onlinemrp.dgip.gov.pk, the only official site) handles renewals and reprints for the diaspora, and its fees for applicants abroad carry a Rs 2,500 service charge plus taxes.

Mistakes to avoid

• Paying an agent or a look-alike website. DGIP says online applications can be submitted only at onlinemrp.dgip.gov.pk and that it has no collaboration with any other site.
• Paying the MRP fee and expecting an MRP. During the changeover, ask the office which type it is issuing that day before you pay.
• Rushing to replace a valid MRP. It remains a valid travel document until it expires.
• Name mismatch with your visa or ticket. Book flights only after you have the new passport in hand, using the exact spelling on it.

Help

DGIP's helpline is 051-111-344-777 (from abroad +92-51-111-344-777) and its email is info@dgip.gov.pk, according to its website. Complaints can also go through the Pakistan Citizen Portal.