Machine-readable passports end 15 October: e-passport now costs Rs 9,000 to Rs 40,500

Pakistan will stop issuing machine-readable passports (MRPs) on 15 October 2026. From that day every new passport and every renewal, at home and at Pakistan's embassies and consulates, will be an e-passport with a chip. The last day an MRP application will be processed is 14 October 2026.

The Directorate General of Immigration and Passports (DGI&P) has told passport offices to stop taking new MRP applications from 15 October, according to a public notice issued through the Consulate General of Pakistan in New York on 25 September and reported by ARY News and Daily Pakistan.

Is my current passport still valid?

Yes. An MRP issued before 15 October stays valid until the expiry date printed on it. Nothing needs to be done today if your passport has years left. The change only bites when you apply for a new one or renew: at that point you will be given an e-passport, not another MRP.

What an e-passport costs

The e-passport costs roughly double the MRP. These are the fees on the DGI&P's own fee page:

For comparison, a 36-page, 5-year MRP costs Rs 4,500 on normal processing and Rs 7,500 urgent (fees effective 7 March 2024). So a family of four renewing 36-page, 10-year passports on normal processing will pay Rs 54,000 as e-passports, against Rs 26,800 as MRPs.

Work out your own total on the passport fee calculator.

Should you apply before 14 October?

Only if your passport is about to expire, or has already expired, and the lower MRP fee matters to you. Keep in mind:

• An application must be submitted and accepted by 14 October; offices tend to be crowded in the last week.
• Urgent MRP processing (Rs 7,500 for 36 pages, 5 years) still costs less than a normal e-passport (Rs 9,000).
• If your passport has more than a year left, there is no reason to rush: it stays valid and you will simply get an e-passport next time.

What you need to apply

The DGI&P lists the same documents for both types:

1. Your original CNIC or NICOP and a photocopy.
2. Your previous passport, if you have had one.
3. An NOC from your employer if you are a government or semi-government employee.
4. For children aged 10 and over: an updated Child Registration Certificate (B-Form) with fingerprints and photo, or a Juvenile Card; under 10, the CRC or Family Registration Certificate, plus both parents' CNICs.

If a child's B-Form needs correcting, fix it at NADRA first; check the NADRA fee calculator for what that costs.

Why the switch

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced the full move to e-passports in June 2026, saying it would strengthen passport security and help prevent fraud and forgery. E-passports have been issued at field offices since 16 August 2023; the chip stores the holder's identity data so that e-gates and immigration systems abroad can read it.