Pakistan E-Passport Fees See Significant Increase

Pakistan has transitioned to issuing electronic passports (e-passports) for all new applications, a move that has nearly doubled the fees for common passport services. The Ministry of Interior has stated that it is not considering a reduction in these new passport fees, even as the country shifts away from older machine-readable passports. This change affects all new applicants across Pakistan, with existing machine-readable passports remaining valid until their expiration dates.

New E-Passport Fees Double Common Charges

The cost of obtaining a new passport in Pakistan has significantly increased with the adoption of e-passports. For a standard five-year, 36-page passport, the normal fee has risen from Rs4,500 to Rs9,000. Similarly, the urgent processing fee for the same passport has doubled from Rs7,500 to Rs15,000. These revised charges apply nationwide, including in major cities like Lahore.

The government’s new passport schedule reflects a substantial rise in costs for various processing categories. The former fast-track option for a machine-readable passport was priced at Rs12,500, while the equivalent e-passport service now costs Rs22,000. These increases are proportional for passports with more pages, such as the 72-page versions. The Ministry of Interior has confirmed that no fee reduction proposal is currently under consideration, nor has an alternative rate been announced.

Comparison of Old and New Passport Fees

The following table illustrates the changes in passport fees for common services:

Passport Type and Processing	Former Fee (Machine-Readable)	New E-Passport Fee
Five-year, 36-page, normal	Rs4,500	Rs9,000
Five-year, 36-page, urgent	Rs7,500	Rs15,000
Fast-track equivalent	Rs12,500	Rs22,000

It is important for applicants to note that these new fees apply only to new applications. Individuals who already possess machine-readable passports do not need to replace them prematurely; their current documents will remain valid until their stated expiry dates.

Government Reports Billions in Passport Fee Collections

The Ministry of Interior’s written response to Senator Talha Mahmood also provided details on passport fee collections over a five-year period. The government reported a total of Rs219.931 billion in passport fee receipts from the financial year 2021-22 through 2025-26. Collections showed an upward trend for the first four years, reaching a peak of Rs64.392 billion in 2024-25, before experiencing a decrease to Rs48.52 billion in the final year listed.

These figures represent the total revenue generated from passport fees, rather than the number of passports issued. The data indicates a significant financial contribution from passport services to the government’s revenue.

Annual Passport Fee Collections (2021-2026)

The breakdown of annual collections is as follows:

Financial Year	Passport Fee Receipts
2021-22	Rs21.618 billion
2022-23	Rs34.495 billion
2023-24	Rs50.906 billion
2024-25	Rs64.392 billion
2025-26	Rs48.52 billion
Total	Rs219.931 billion

The highest collection year was 2024-25, with Rs64.392 billion. The subsequent year saw a reduction in collections, totaling Rs48.52 billion.

E-Passport Issuance and Transition Details

The Directorate General of Immigration and Passports has attributed the fee increase for e-passports to the higher production costs associated with modern electronic document technology. In the year 2025, Pakistan issued a total of 5,572,130 passports. This figure includes both machine-readable passports processed through regular and urgent procedures, as well as a smaller number of e-passports issued during that year.

The current policy mandates that all new applications receive e-passports. To support this transition and the increased demand, the Directorate General has enhanced its infrastructure. This includes the installation of 10 additional printing machines and six new laminators. Furthermore, round-the-clock service has been introduced at 232 passport offices across the country. Pakistani missions operating abroad have also established 93 round-the-clock service counters to assist citizens.

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