After more than two decades of service, the familiar blue booklet that has carried millions of Pakistanis across international borders is officially stepping aside. Geo News reported that Pakistan has discontinued the issuance of traditional machine-readable passports, completing a nationwide and international transition to modern e-passports.
According to Geo News, the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports stated that passport offices across the country and Pakistani diplomatic missions abroad began issuing only e-passports, effective October 23, 2026. The 22-year-old machine-readable passport system has thus been phased out.
The Directorate General of Immigration and Passports clarified that citizens who already hold machine-readable passports can continue using them until their expiry dates. However, once those documents expire, they will no longer be eligible for renewal, and holders will be required to obtain e-passports instead.
Background
According to Geo News, Pakistan first began issuing e-passports in March 2022, initially rolling them out for diplomats and residents of Islamabad. By August 2023, the government provided all Pakistani citizens with the option to choose between obtaining a traditional machine-readable passport or an e-passport. Before the introduction of machine-readable passports, Pakistan issued handwritten passports, a practice that began with the country's independence in 1947.
Just a week prior to the complete transition, the interior ministry responded to MNA Malik Shakir Bashir Awan during a question-and-answer session in the National Assembly, stating that the issuance of machine-readable passports would be discontinued within a month, after which only e-passports would be issued by passport offices and missions abroad, as reported by Geo News.
Why it matters
For ordinary readers and travelers in Pakistan, the shift marks the end of an era for a document format that has been standard for a generation. While current passport holders do not need to rush out for an immediate replacement, international travelers will eventually need to adapt to the new e-passport system as their current documents expire, ensuring alignment with modern international travel standards.