Pakistan has started issuing a new e-passport with an electronic chip, biometric protections and stronger anti-forgery design, according to the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports. Issuance began on 23 October 2026, with the aim of aligning the country’s travel document with modern international border systems.
The directorate presented the rollout as a move toward more secure and efficient passport services. On 28 October 2026 it described the document as part of a shift to “secure, smart, and modern passport services.”
What the new document includes
Officials say the e-passport carries an embedded electronic chip with Near Field Communication (NFC)—a short-range wireless link used to read data from a chip without physically inserting the booklet into every reader. The chip is meant to protect holders’ personal and biometric information, the data used to confirm that the person presenting the passport is the rightful owner.
The booklet also uses laser engraving and an updated layout with extra security measures. The directorate says those changes are intended to reduce forgery and unauthorised alterations, and to make identity checks more reliable for border staff.
How checks at the border may change
The electronic features are designed to support automated verification at e-gates—self-service immigration lanes that read a chip and biometrics instead of relying only on a manual desk check. Eligible travellers could clear immigration more quickly and spend less time in traditional queues, the directorate says.
Authorities are also expected to verify personal and biometric details electronically more easily, which the directorate presents as a way to curb identity fraud. The same package, it says, includes data encryption in line with standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the UN body that sets global rules for civil aviation and travel documents.
What travellers should keep in mind
The directorate frames the launch as another step in modernising Pakistan’s passport system so documents are more secure, reliable and compatible with contemporary border-control technology. Sources do not set out fees, application steps or which airports already run matching e-gates; travellers should confirm practical details with the passport authority when they apply or renew.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Pakistan ne naya e-passport jaari karna shuru kar diya hai, jo 23 October 2026 se mil raha hai. Is mein chip aur NFC hai jo aapki pehchaan aur biometric data behtar mehfooz rakhta hai. Laser engraving aur naya design jali passport banana mushkil banata hai. Eligible musafir e-gates par jaldi guzar sakte hain, lekin fees ya procedure ke liye passport office se confirm karein.
