Pakistan will stop issuing machine-readable passports (MRPs) nationwide from October 15, 2026, as the country moves towards a fully electronic passport system.
According to a public notice issued by the Consulate General of Pakistan in New York, the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports (DGI&P) has decided that applicants seeking new passports on or after October 15 will be issued e-passports only.
The new system will be implemented at passport offices across Pakistan as well as Pakistani diplomatic missions abroad.
However, existing machine-readable passports will remain valid until their expiry dates and will not become invalid immediately after the new system is introduced.
Passport holders will be required to apply for an e-passport when their existing MRP expires.
The DGI&P has directed passport offices and Pakistani diplomatic missions abroad to implement the new system and facilitate applicants during the transition.
An e-passport contains an electronic chip storing passport and identity information, which can be read by compatible immigration systems for electronic verification.
Pakistan has already been gradually introducing e-passports, with the October 15 deadline marking the end of new MRP issuance.
