ABU DHABI – Embassy of Pakistan in Abu Dhabi has informed that the commencement of issuance of e-Passports has been deferred due to unavoidable technical and administrative reasons.
The embassy was scheduled to start issuing e-passports to the Pakistani community residing in the United Arab Emirates from 20 July 2026. However, it has been deferred until further notice.
Accordingly, the acceptance and processing of passport applications under the e-Passport category shall remain suspended until further announcement.
It is further clarified that the existing Machine-Readable Passport (MRP) issuance and renewal services shall continue without any interruption under the existing procedure.
The Embassy appreciates the understanding and cooperation of the Pakistani community. A revised date for the commencement of e-Passport services will be announced in due course.
For the latest updates, please visit the Embassy’s website and follow its official social media accounts regularly.
Last month, Pakistan has announced plans to gradually discontinue machine-readable passports and move toward a complete e-passport system, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Friday.
During a meeting held at the Passport and Immigration Headquarters, Naqvi said the transition to digital passports would strengthen security measures, improve international acceptance, and provide travelers with a smoother experience at airports.
He added that replacing traditional passports with e-passports would help prevent identity fraud and document-related forgery by introducing more advanced security features.
Director General Passports and Immigration Muhammad Ali Randhawa briefed the minister on ongoing reforms during the meeting. The proposal to fully adopt e-passports was approved in principle, although authorities have not yet announced a final deadline for discontinuing existing machine-readable passports.
