Recently, the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports issued an important notification stating that from October 15, 2026, the issuance of Machine Readable Passports will be discontinued at all passport offices across Pakistan as well as at Pakistani embassies and consulates around the world. After this date, anyone applying for a new passport will be issued only an e-passport, also known as an electronic passport. This raises an obvious question: what is the difference between a Machine Readable Passport and an e-passport, and what do they look like? The Pakistani passports that citizens have been using for years contain the passport holder’s photograph, name, date of birth, passport number, nationality and other basic information on the identification page. At the bottom of the page, there are two lines of letters and numbers that can be read by machines, which is why it is called a Machine Readable Passport. An e-passport uses more advanced technology. It contains an electronic chip that stores specific passport and identity information. Immigration systems that support e-passport technology can read this chip, allowing a traveler’s identity and passport details to be checked and verified electronically. In simple terms, a Machine Readable Passport mainly contains printed information that can be read by a machine, while an e-passport also has an electronic chip that helps with automatic verification.
It is also important to understand that e-passports are not entirely new in Pakistan. They were introduced some time ago, but initially they were optional. People could either pay the regular fee for a Machine Readable Passport or pay an additional fee to obtain an e-passport. Now, the government has decided that after the October 15 deadline, the old system will be phased out permanently. Today, many airports around the world, particularly in Europe, the United States and the Middle East, have e-gates. At these airports, passengers do not always have to stand in long queues for hours or go through lengthy immigration procedures. They can scan their chip-enabled e-passport at an automated gate, look into a camera for facial recognition, and, if eligible, the gate opens automatically within seconds. However, this development has also created confusion and concern among many Pakistani passport holders.
People who have recently renewed their Machine Readable Passports for five or ten years are particularly concerned. They want to know whether their passports will be cancelled after October 15 and whether they will have to pay another fee to obtain an e-passport. According to the Directorate of Immigration and Passports, there is no need for such concern. The October 15 deadline does not mean that existing Machine Readable Passports will suddenly stop working or that other countries will stop accepting them. If you have a valid Machine Readable Passport and its expiry date is still in the future, you can continue to use it until it expires. Your existing passport will remain valid for travel throughout its stated validity period. The change will apply to people who apply for a new passport on or after October 15, 2026. When an existing passport expires and the holder applies for renewal, a new Machine Readable Passport will no longer be issued. Instead, the application will be processed under the e-passport system and the applicant will receive a new chip-enabled e-passport. The application and renewal procedure will remain broadly the same; the main difference will be the type of passport booklet issued.
The change is particularly important for overseas Pakistanis, who form an important part of Pakistan’s economy. Millions of Pakistanis live in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, other Gulf countries, Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States. For many of them, international travel is a regular part of life, and many travel to Pakistan several times a year to visit their families. The government has also instructed Pakistani embassies and consulates abroad to upgrade and activate their systems and equipment for e-passports before October 15, 2026. One potential benefit for overseas Pakistanis is easier processing at international airports equipped with e-gates. At busy airports such as Dubai, Jeddah, London or New York, eligible Pakistani travelers may be able to use automated immigration facilities where e-passports are supported.
The introduction of e-passports is therefore an important step in modernizing Pakistan’s passport system. The electronic chip can help immigration authorities verify passport and identity information more efficiently and securely, while compatibility with automated border-control systems can make international travel more convenient where such facilities are available.
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