Pakistan will move fully to e-passports from October 15, alongside plans for cashless payments, app-based applications and home delivery.
Pakistan will stop issuing machine-readable passports nationwide from Oct. 15, 2026, as the government moves toward a fully digital passport system that includes e-passports, cashless services, app-based applications and home delivery.
The deadline applies to new passport applications filed in Pakistan as well as at Pakistani diplomatic missions abroad. A public notice issued by the Consulate General of Pakistan in New York says machine-readable passports will no longer be issued from Oct. 15, making Oct. 14 the final day for applicants seeking the older format.
Passports already issued will remain valid until their expiry dates. However, they will not be renewed in the same machine-readable format. Holders will need to apply for an e-passport when their existing documents expire.
What changes on Oct. 15
The move follows a June 19 meeting chaired by the interior minister at the Passport and Immigration Headquarters in Islamabad, where officials decided in principle to shift fully to e-passports.
The transition was finalized over the following months. An August report said no cutoff date had yet been announced, while a circular was later issued to passport offices in September. The New York consulate published the Oct. 15 deadline on Sept. 25.
The government has cited security and efficiency as key reasons for the change. The interior minister said in June that a complete shift to e-passports would help eliminate fraud and forgery in passport issuance.
According to the passport directorate, the e-passport chip contains a facial image, personal information, a unique identification number and a digital signature in line with International Civil Aviation Organization standards. The document also includes laser engraving and infrared and ultraviolet security features.
The New York notice separately says the transition is intended to make immigration processing faster and more efficient.
Digital services form the wider reform
The e-passport is only one part of the government’s broader plan to digitize passport services.
Officials decided during the June meeting to operate passport offices on a cashless basis from the following month. Online passport applications are also being shifted to the PakID app, while officials said preparatory work for passport home delivery within Pakistan and abroad had been completed.
These measures mean the reform affects more than the document itself. Applicants will increasingly rely on digital systems for applying, paying fees and receiving passports.
For overseas Pakistanis, the change could be particularly important for people renewing passports close to travel, visa or academic deadlines. Applicants with passports nearing expiry have been advised to check requirements with their nearest Pakistani mission before applying.
The public notice does not specify e-passport fees or processing times. Those factors will determine how smoothly applicants experience the transition.
The Oct. 15 deadline establishes the government’s shift to e-passports. The performance of the digital application, payment and delivery systems will ultimately determine how the reform affects passport applicants across Pakistan and abroad.
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