Dealing with the passport expiry issue while you are abroad could stress you out. But, you do not need to agonize anymore because Pakistan has introduced the facility of online renewal of Machine-Readable Passports (MRP) for overseas Pakistanis. 

If your passport has expired or will expire in the next 7 months, you can avail of this facility and get your passport delivered at doorsteps. It is an easy 3-step process, including submitting your application, making the payment, and receiving your passport.

Limitations: 

Please note, the e-service applies only in the case of visa expiries.

 You should not apply for this e-service if:

•  You are applying for a machine-readable passport for the first time.
• Your passport is lost, and you want to get a new one.
• You want any modification in MRP name, father or husband name, date of birth, caste, profession, dual nationality, marital status, religion, and type from official to ordinary, in the existing passport. 
• All pages of the passport have been used, and there are no blank pages left for further travelling.

In all such cases, you should visit the nearest Pakistan Embassy. 

Filling Out the Form

First, you need to make an account and register on a portal. You will go through a process of verification. If you are in Pakistan, you will receive a verification code on both email and SMS. If you are abroad, you will receive all the required codes via email. Therefore, keep refreshing your email and enter the code provided.

Once your account is registered, you now need to download the application form.

Requirements For Application Form

In the form, you will require to:

1. Provide your personal details.
2. Provide your present and permanent addresses.
3. Upload your photograph and check Pakistan visa photo requirements.
4. Upload the supporting documents required by the application.
5. Download the form, capture the four fingerprints required by the system.
6. Keep a Valid Credit Card for online payment of your application fee (non-refundable).

Quick Instructions for Filling the form:

You must follow the guidelines below completely to avoid any hurdle in your passport renewal request. 

For filling and submission of the form: 

• Write in block letters or capital letters in black ink.
• Write the data within the space provided for a designated field.
• You must provide information for the required fields. (For example, if a required space of a fingerprint is left empty, the application would not proceed further).
• After filling the form, you have to scan the filled form and upload it on the portal.
• Before the scan, ensure the settings of the scanner are: 600 dpi, grayscale, the JPEG or JPG Format. Scan the document and upload it on the portal.
• Review all the provided information, and then submit it.

Quick Instructions For Photographs:

Get your photographs captured professionally to meet all the requirements: 

• The dimensions of the photograph should be 45 mm high by 35 mm wide.
• The distance from the hairline to the chin on the face should not exceed 34mm, and the length of the central face (from the forehead to the chin) should be at least 29 mm.
• The size of the picture should not exceed 5MB (Megabytes).
• Picture format should be JPG or JPEG.
• Your picture should not be older than 6 months.
• Your photo must be in white background
• You should be wearing the dress in any colour in contrast (other than white).
•  Your picture must show a close-up of your full head and shoulders. Approximately, your face and shoulders must comprise 70 – 80 % of the image.

Detailed Requirements of the Picture:

• You must be looking straight at the camera, maintaining a neutral expression.
• Your Skin tone must be visible. 
• Pictures must be in sharp focus and clear.
• Wearing a hat and head covering of females are allowed if the whole face can be seen in the picture, from the forehead to the chin, and the left ear to the right. Every feature should be visible.
• Your face should be in the centre of the picture with the mouth closed.

What you should Avoid:

• Shadow, flash, glare, or ‘red eye’ or be too close or too far or blurred.
• Anything in the background (pets, curtains, or even the chair you would be sitting on).
• Glasses on the eyes. If your hair is short, tie them properly, hair should not cover the forehead or some portion of the eyes.
• Any pose in the picture does not emphasize any of your features.

Don’t try to:

• Get your image by cropping your picture from a big crowded photograph.
• Take help with any photo editing software.
• Put on the glasses while getting a picture.

Required Documents for Renewal of Passport

You should gather and upload the following documents: 

Colour scanned copies of 

• valid Smart CNIC or NICOP or CNIC or NICOP (both sides).
• existing Passport (First two pages and one any random page asked by the system).
• Valid Visa/ Residence Permit/ Asylum card/ Aqama/ Other Nationality Passport

In case you are a government employee.

• You must provide a NOC No-Objection Certificate if you are working as Government Officer/ Official, Armed forces Officers/ or employee of the employee of Semi-Government/ Autonomous Bodies/ Corporation.
•  The NOC will be subjected to verification by the concerned departments.

For Minors (Less than 18 Years)

If your child is under 18 years, the following documents will be required: 

Colour scanned copies of

• valid NICOP or Smart card (both sides) or Computerized B- Form or Family Registration Certificate

• Parent (both mother and father) valid National ID Cards (both sides)

• minor’s attestation form.

• Death Certificate if the mother or father has passed away.

• Valid Visa/ Residence Permit/ Asylum card/ Aqama/ Other Nationality Passport

• Guardianship certificate/ court decision in case of separation.

Quick Instructions for Fingerprints.

You have to download the form, print it. And then capture fingerprints on the hard copy printed paper.

You have to record fingerprints in only four required empty spaces. Check which finger’s impression needs to be recorded on the blank space before capturing the fingerprint. 

Note down the following demands for the fingerprints:

• Your fingerprints must be straight, complete, within the space provided in the form (there should not be incomplete marks of fingerprint).
• Your fingerprints must be visible. Neither the ink should be light, nor are you allowed to use highlighters to enhance the ink.
• Do not roll your finger for taking fingerprints. 
• Mention the notations for any missing fingerprint impression (amputation).
• There should be no stray marks within the fingerprint blocks. By first putting your finger on a rough paper, you can get rid of excess ink.
• Fingerprints should not be tilted, inverted, blurred, or smudged.

Uploading the fingerprints file: 

Before the scan, change the scanner settings to 600 DPI, grayscale, and save it in the JPEG format.

Size should be less than 3 MB (Megabytes).

NOTE: 

If your fingerprints form rejects for any reason, you will require to submit 03 fresh fingerprints forms through an auto-generated email. In case your fingerprint impression is not approved again then, your online application process will halt, and you need to visit Pakistan missions abroad for further process.

COVID -19 Update: 

When the pandemic shackled the travelling activities globally, passport delivery got halted from 23rd March 2020 to 7th May 2020. But now, the service has resumed. However, the delivery time of passports cannot be estimated accurately until the situation becomes satisfactory. Still, in the areas where there is a complete lockdown, the delivery service is unavailable.

Announcement for Passport Renewal Applicants:

Those who have applied for an online passport renewal application should read the following update carefully.

The fingerprints impressions of the applicants are processed and verified by a system. If the fingerprints provided in your form, do not meet the criteria already fed in our system, your fingerprints will be considered invalid.

As a follow-up, you will receive the auto-generated email at the address you provided in the application form. The email will require your fresh fingerprints form.

What Should You Do?

Mark the fingerprint impressions on a new form carefully, and do not repeat the mistake you made in the previous attempt. Scan the document, keeping the same settings: 600 dpi, grayscale, JPEG format, and the file size not exceeding 3MB.

Once you are ready, you can submit the fingerprints form.

For avoiding fingerprints forms rejection, consider the following tips:

• Do not mark fingerprint impressions on the form directly. First, try taking the fingerprint mark on the rough paper and get rid of the excess ink.
• Do not roll your fingers on the form.
• Your fingerprints must be complete, straight, neat, and within the boundaries.
• Do not use any photo-editing software.

Note: You do not need to apply for passport renewal again. Just resubmit the fingerprint form.

If your fingerprint form rejects again, you will have chances to resubmit your fingerprints forms. In total, you would have three consecutive attempts to record correct fingerprints on the form and then submit it. You have to record fresh fingerprints in every turn.

In case your form gets rejected three consecutive times, then the online automated system of Passport Renewal will hold the issuance of your passport. However, you then need to visit Pakistan missions abroad and based on the fee authorization, issued by DGI&P Headquarters, you can request the issuance of your passport in the renewal category. In this way, you can utilize the application fee you paid with your credit card. Next, follow the instructions of authorities to get your renewed passport.