Pakistan has revised the start date for its nationwide e-passport rollout to 23 October 2026, with the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports planning to shift new passport applications to the electronic format. The transition was initially scheduled for 15 October, according to public notices issued by Pakistani diplomatic missions abroad.

What changes for applicants

Under the announced policy, passport offices across Pakistan are expected to issue e-passports for new applications from 23 October. For passport holders, the key point is that existing machine-readable passports will remain valid until their expiry dates. People with valid passports do not need to replace them simply because the government is introducing e-passports.

Pakistan's overseas missions have also begun communicating their own transition arrangements, and the dates differ by mission. The Embassy of Pakistan in Doha, for example, announced it would start issuing e-passports on 25 October and continue issuing machine-readable passports until 22 October. The Doha schedule should not automatically be treated as the implementation date for every Pakistani mission abroad.

Check your own mission's notice

Applicants should consult the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports or their relevant diplomatic mission for the latest requirements, processing arrangements and applicable fees before applying. This report is general information about the announced rollout timetable only, not advice about any individual application, and mission notices remain the authoritative source for each location.