How to Apply For a Passport in Pakistan
Types of Pakistani Passport
Validity of Pakistani Passport
Types of Pakistani Passport Applications
Passport Fee in Pakistan
Passport Application Process
Renewal of Passport
Regional Passport Offices
Online Passport Application in Pakistan
Update (March 30, 2022):
E-Passport System Launched in Pakistan
The wait is over! Prime Minister Imran Khan has finally launched the e-passport system today for the citizens of Pakistan. It marks the achievement of another milestone in terms of the modernisation and digitisation of public services in the country.
According to the initially released details, the electronic passport would have the latest biometric chip that has been designed to encrypt all the relevant data along with several other top-notch features, ensuring foolproof security.
Furthermore, the e-passport holder would also be privileged to use e-gate facilities at many different domestic and international airports around the world, according to an official statement made by Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed.
With the launch of this digitised passport service, Pakistan is now among those countries that have an electronic passport system, the main purpose of which is to make travel more secure and hassle-free.
Update (Dec. 12, 2021): The Directorate General of Immigration & Passports has recently introduced a new initiative called ‘Fast Track Service’ for rapid issuance and delivery of passports in different cities across Pakistan, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Peshawar, and Quetta.
The applicants of the service will get to enjoy swift passport processing and doorstep delivery. If you have applied for a new passport through Fast Track Service, you will get your passport delivered to your home within 24-48 hours. The service will further be expanded to other cities as well in the near future.
Fast Track Passport Fee
The charges for a fast-track passport are obviously higher than a normal application. We have detailed them in the table below for your convenience. Take a look!
| Number of Pages | 5-Year Validity (Charges in PKR) | 10-Year Validity (Charges in PKR) |
| 36 | 10,000 | 12,500 |
| 72 | 14,000 | 18,500 |
| 100 | 17,000 | 23,000 |
Update: (March 8, 2021): According to the latest news reports, the federal government is planning to launch e-passport services in Pakistan. Expected to be introduced in May this year, e-passports will come equipped with electronic chips.
They will have all the biometric information of passport holders, which will help the Pakistani immigration personnel to easily authenticate the identity of the travellers. Moreover, e-passports will also aid the airport authorities as they will be able to complete all the required travel procedures in less time.
This new digitized system will also prevent forgeries as e-passports could neither be forged nor copied, making it one of the most important steps by the concerned authorities to make travelling safer. Also, there will be special e-gates installed at the major airports around the country by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Powered by e-passport services, these installations will cater to e-passport holders.
There may be a whole lot of reasons why people fly abroad from Pakistan but the common ones among them include specialization in a particular educational discipline, career goals and business trips. Moreover, the availability of affordable and attractive travel packages in Pakistan these days are turning more and more people into travel junkies. So, are you also planning to fly abroad any time soon but don’t know how to apply for a passport in Pakistan? Fret not, we’ve got you covered. This blog provides you with all the information about the passport application process in Pakistan.
How to Apply For a Passport in Pakistan? Step-By-Step Guide
Here are some important things that you should know before applying for a passport in Pakistan.
Types of Pakistani Passport
According to the Passport Act, 1974, which regulates the issuance of a passport in Pakistan, there are three types of passports
- Ordinary Passport
- Diplomatic Passport
- Official Passport
Ordinary Passport
It is the most common type of passport issued by the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports in Pakistan. It has a green outer cover and is used by Pakistani citizens to visit different countries for regular travels, such as business trips, vacations, etc.
Diplomatic Passport
The diplomats (representatives of Pakistan to other countries) are issued with the Diplomatic Passport by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This type of passport has a red outer cover.
Official Passport
Pakistani Nationals who hold important government offices are issued with Official Passport when they are proceeding abroad on official tasks. They include Senators, Members of the National Assembly (MNAs), Provincial Ministers, Judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and High Courts. This type of passport has a navy blue outer cover.
Validity of Pakistani Passport
The Directorate General of Immigration and Passports issues Pakistani passport with validity of five and ten years depending on the fee deposited.
Note
- A passport that is valid for 5 years is not convertible into a passport with 10 years of validity. However, you can renew it before it expires.
- Children who are under 15 years of age will only be issued a passport having 05 years of validity.
Types of Pakistani Passport Applications
The passport application process in Pakistan has been categorised into two types listed in the following table with their time durations.
| Category of Passport Application | Time Duration |
| Normal | 10 Days |
| Urgent | 4 Days |
Note: Passports that are couriered from the Headquarters for delivery are trackable via SMS as well as Online Passport Tracking System. However, your passport package may take some additional shipping time to reach its respective destination, which is your nearest Regional Passport Office (RPO) or Foreign Mission (FM).
Fee to Apply for a Passport in Pakistan
The fee to apply for a passport in Pakistan depends on certain factors such as the validity period of your passport, its application category and the number of pages. Take a look.
Fees Structure for Pakistani Passport with 5-year Validity
| Category | Number of Pages | Fee |
| Normal | 36 | PKR 3,000/- |
| Urgent | 36 | PKR 5,000/- |
| Normal | 72 | PKR 5,500/- |
| Urgent | 72 | PKR 9,000/- |
| Normal | 100 | PKR 6,000/- |
| Urgent | 100 | PKR 12,000/- |
Fees Structure with Passport with 10-year validity
| Category | Number of Pages | Fee |
| Normal | 36 | PKR 4,500/- |
| Urgent | 36 | PKR 7,500/- |
| Normal | 72 | PKR 9,900/- |
| Urgent | 72 | PKR 16,200/- |
| Normal | 100 | PKR 18,800/- |
| Urgent | 100 | PKR 21,600/- |
Note: Before heading over to your nearest Regional Passport Office (RPO), you need to submit your passport fee and fetch the original bank challan receipt from the authorised branches of the National Bank in Pakistan and relevant bank branches for Foreign Missions respectively.
What You Need to Do at Regional Passport Office (RPO)
If you are wondering how to get a passport in Pakistan, these are the steps you need to undergo upon reaching your nearest passport office.
- Customer Service Counter.
- Token/Photograph Counter
- Biometric Data Counter
- Data Entry Counter
- Verification of the Applicant’s Official Records
- Interview by the Assistant Director.
- Collection of Passport
Let’s take a look at the step-by-step process of how to get a passport in Pakistan at Regional Passport Office.
Visiting Customer Service Counter
Upon reaching the customer service counter of the Regional Post Office, you will be given a brief regarding the whole passport application process in Pakistan. If you have all the requisite documents, you will be asked to visit the Token/Photograph counter.
Token/Photograph Counter
Here you have to show your original Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC)/National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) along with its photocopy and bank challan form. In case you are under 18 years of age, you need to show your Child Registration Certificate (CRC).
Once you have presented your identification documents, your photograph will be captured and a token will be issued to you.
Biometric Data Counter
After obtaining a token, you will approach the Biometric Counter when your token number is called out. Over there, you will be greeted by a Data Entry Operator (DEO), who will punch in the finger impressions of your right thumb, right index finger, left thumb and left index finger.
Data Entry Counter
In the next step, you have to visit the Data Entry counter. The Data Entry Operator will enter all your requisite data into the system while the screen will also be visible to you so that you would know that the information is being correctly entered and there are no typos or spelling errors.
Upon the completion of the data entry step of passport process, a printed form will be presented to you for the verification of the data inserted. In case of spotting any incorrectly punched data, you should guide the Data Entry Operator to get it corrected. After checking and verifying all your data, you need to sign the form.
Note: If there is any modification required in the data, you have to point it out at this stage. Once the information is inserted, the token will have to be cancelled for modification of data and you need to go through the whole process again, so make sure you get another set of eyes on your data while verifying and signing the form.
Verification of the Applicant’s Official Record
Your provided details will be checked against the official records of the Exit Control List (ECL) and Black List (BL).
Only upon clearing this verification step of the passport process in Pakistan, applicants will be issued with a Pakistani passport. In the situation of the slightest of doubt, a special team is usually called in to investigate the case.
Interview by the Assistant Director
Finally, you will appear before the Assistant Director of the Regional Passport Office along with all your original documents. The Assistant Director will interview you and give a verdict regarding your passport application whether it meets all the legalities to be processed or rejected.
Collection of Passport
Once you have gone through all the above stages, you will be given a 10-working day window for a normal passport application and a 4-working-day window for an urgent passport application during which your passport will be processed. You can either collect it from the Passport Collection Counter at the Regional Passport Office or request it to be couriered to your home address by paying additional charges.
Documents Required
Below are the documents that are required when you are applying for a passport in Pakistan.
For Applicants with 18 Years of Age or Above
- Bank Challan (receipt) of the prescribed fee deposits
- Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC)/NICOP with its 2-photocopies
- OLD Passport with its photocopy, in case if there’s one issued previously
- No Objection Certificate (NOC) in case of a Government Servant
- Foreign Passport with a photocopy, for people with Dual-Nationality
For Applicants Under 18 Years of Age
- Bank Challan (receipt) of the prescribed fee deposit
- Computerized Registration Certificate (CRC) with 2-photocopies
- Photocopies of Parents’ Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs)
- Foreign Passport with a photocopy, for applicants holding Dual-Nationality
Renewal of Passport
According to the Passport & Visa Manual 2006, no restrictions have been imposed on the number of times a passport can be renewed. Even if the existing passport has not expired, in case of renewal, the applicant will be issued with a new passport with complete 5/10 years of validity. However, the existing passport will be cancelled and returned to the applicant in such a case after the completion of all formalities and submission of a valid reason for cancellation.
Regional Passport Offices in Major Cities Across Pakistan
Here are a few addresses and contact details of Regional Passport Offices in some of the major cities in Pakistan
| City | Address | Phone |
| Karachi | Shahrah-e-Iraq, Saddar | 021-99203092-3 |
| Lahore | Shahrah-e-Awan Tijarat | 042-99201997, 99201916 |
| Islamabad | DGIP Headquarter, Mauve Area, Islamabad Capital Territory | 051-111-344-777 |
| Faisalabad | Jail Road, opposite Allied Hospital | 041-9210129 |
| Multan | U-Block, New Multan | 061-9220088 |
| Peshawar | Phase-5, Hayatabad | 091-9217616-7 |
| Quetta | Arbab Barkat Ali Road | 081-9201762 |
| Hyderabad | Sindh Industrial Trading Estate (SITE) Area | 0223-883864 |
Note: You can take a look at our comprehensive guide on passport offices in Pakistan for more information in this regard.
Online Passport Application in Pakistan
After the introduction of an e-portal by the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports (DGIP), you can also submit the online passport application in Pakistan. However, to avoid any functional and operational glitches, it is better to go by the conventional way when you are applying for a passport in Pakistan.
This was our complete guide on how to apply for a passport in Pakistan. If you need any additional information regarding the process of applying for a Pakistani passport stated above, reach out to us at blog@zameen.com.
Meanwhile, you might be interested in taking a look at our travel guides for Egypt, Turkey and Azerbaijan, if you are planning to visit one of these countries any time soon.
You can also check out our guide regarding the procedure of applying for a National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistani (NICOP) if you are planning to move abroad. You may also want to go through our guides on passport offices in Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi to learn more about their locations, timings, and contact details.
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