Pakistan Ends Machine-Readable Passports From 15 October 2026: What Visa Applicants Must Know
Pakistan is changing the passport you will carry. The Directorate General of Immigration and Passports (DGI&P) has announced that it will stop issuing new machine-readable passports (MRPs) from 15 October 2026 and issue only e-passports. If you are planning a visit visa application in the coming months, here is what the change means for you.
What exactly is changing?
According to reports, the DGI&P has circulated instructions to passport offices across Pakistan and to Pakistani embassies and consulates abroad. From 15 October, new applicants will receive an e-passport, which contains an electronic chip storing identity and passport information that immigration systems can read. The government says the move will mean faster and more efficient immigration clearance.
Does my current passport become invalid?
No. Machine-readable passports issued before 15 October 2026 remain valid until the expiry date printed on them, so you do not need to replace a valid MRP just because issuance has ended. When your MRP eventually expires, your replacement will be an e-passport rather than another MRP.
What should visa applicants do?
- Check your passport expiry date today
- Renew before applying if it expires within about 6 months of travel
- Do not apply for a visa on an old passport you are about to replace
- If you renew, carry your old passport too if it holds valid visas
- Make sure names and details match all your documents
- Allow extra time for passport processing before booking
If you already hold a visa in an older passport and then get a new e-passport, keep both passports and travel with them together. Check the specific rules of the country you are visiting, as some require visa details to be transferred or the old passport to be shown.
Quick answers
Can I still apply for an MRP? Reportedly, applications for a new MRP can be made until 14 October 2026; after that only e-passports are issued.
Will my visa application be affected? A valid MRP remains acceptable until its expiry date, but the destination country’s passport-validity rules still apply.
Does this apply to Pakistanis abroad? Yes, the instructions cover Pakistani missions overseas as well.
Applying for a visit visa?
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