The government has decided to completely transition passport issuance to the e-passport system and introduce home delivery services for passport applicants.
The decision was made during a meeting held at the Passport and Immigration Headquarters, chaired by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
During the meeting, officials informed participants that the preliminary work for passport home delivery services, both within Pakistan and abroad, has been completed.
The service, which will allow citizens to receive passports at their doorstep, is expected to be launched soon. Applicants opting for premium services will be required to pay fees based on the actual cost of passport processing and delivery.
The meeting also decided that a cashless payment system will be introduced at passport offices nationwide from July 1, while online passport applications will be shifted to the Pak ID platform.
Speaking on the occasion, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said that the complete transition to e-passports would help eliminate fraud and forgery associated with traditional passports.
He further directed authorities to finalise the policy regarding business passports as soon as possible in consultation with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
Plan for cashless passport fee collection
Recently, significant progress has been reported in the development of a digital payment system for passport fees.
According to reports, Director General of Immigration and Passports Muhammad Ali Randhawa held a key meeting with Muhammad Munir Afsar, Chairman of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), where both sides agreed to strengthen institutional collaboration.
During the meeting, officials approved plans to introduce QR code based payment options through popular digital platforms, including JazzCash, EasyPaisa, and 1LINK.
Also read: New passport fees announced as Pakistan eases application process
