Pakistan Stops Issuing Machine-Readable Passports From October 15

Pakistan's passport offices and its diplomatic missions abroad will stop issuing machine-readable passports (MRPs) from October 15, 2026, the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports (DGI&P) has told them, with new applicants receiving e-passports instead.

A public notice issued by the Consulate General of Pakistan in New York on September 25 set out the change, which ARY News reported applies to passport offices inside Pakistan as well as every Pakistani embassy and consulate overseas. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had announced in June 2026 that the government had decided to phase out the machine-readable format.

What happens to passports already issued

Existing MRPs are not cancelled or invalidated on October 15. Gulf News reported that the notice states machine-readable passports issued before the cut-off date remain valid until their stated expiry dates, and holders can continue using them for travel until then.

The change affects renewal, not current validity. Once an MRP expires after October 15, the DGI&P will not issue another one; the holder has to apply for an e-passport instead. Anyone whose MRP is still some years from expiry does not need to replace it early.

What an e-passport adds

An e-passport carries an embedded chip storing the holder's passport and identity information, which immigration systems equipped to read it can verify electronically. Pakistan has been issuing e-passports alongside MRPs for several years; October 15 marks the point at which the older format stops being issued at all, inside the country and at missions abroad.

Why this matters for Pakistanis overseas

The notice came from a consulate, not a domestic passport office, because the DGI&P's instruction covers Pakistan's full network of diplomatic missions. Overseas Pakistanis renewing a passport through an embassy or consulate in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the UK, the US or elsewhere will be affected by the same cut-off as applicants inside Pakistan. Our explainer for Pakistanis abroad covers other consular and documentation changes that affect the diaspora.

The DGI&P has not published the exact fee or processing-time differences between the two passport types, and Build Better Pakistan could not independently verify those details against an official DGI&P circular; applicants should confirm current fees with their local passport office or mission before applying.

Build Better Pakistan's Politics Desk tracks changes to Pakistan's passport and immigration systems and will update this piece if the DGI&P issues further guidance.