LAHORE MIRROR — Pakistan has officially transitioned to an electronic passport (e-passport) system for all new passport applications, ending the issuance of machine-readable passports (MRPs) at passport offices nationwide and Pakistani diplomatic missions abroad.
The Directorate General of Immigration and Passports set October 23, 2026, as the implementation date for the new policy, which aims to strengthen the security of travel documents and improve the efficiency of passport services.
Under the revised policy, applicants seeking new passports will be issued e-passports instead of traditional machine-readable passports. The change applies to passport offices across Pakistan as well as Pakistani diplomatic missions overseas.
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT!
Effective 23 October 2026, the issuance of Machine-Readable Passports (MRPs) will be discontinued. From this date onward, only ePassports will be issued by all Passport Offices across Pakistan and Pakistani Missions abroad. https://t.co/JsyV91mhC2
— Directorate General Immigration & Passports (@DGIPofficial) October 22, 2026
The transition was initially scheduled to take effect on October 15, 2026, but the implementation date was subsequently revised to October 23. Under the updated schedule, the issuance and renewal of machine-readable passports ended on October 22.
However, machine-readable passports issued before October 23 will remain valid until their respective expiry dates. Holders of valid MRPs are not required to replace them before expiry solely because of the new policy.
The move marks a significant step towards modernising Pakistan’s passport issuance system, with e-passports expected to enhance document security and support more efficient travel and identity verification procedures.
