Tag: passport office

  • Why aren’t you getting your passport?

    Why aren’t you getting your passport?

    Numerous complaints have been filed against the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports, citing prolonged waiting periods for passport issuance, leading frustrated applicants to seek intervention from the federal ombudsman.

    Responding to the increasing complaints, Federal Ombudsman Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi acted on Monday by dispatching an inspection team comprising senior officials to assess the situation at the passport office and identify the reasons for the delays.

    During the inspection, the administration of the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports explained to the visiting team that the delay in printing passports was due to the unavailability of lamination paper.

    They assured the team that the backlog would be swiftly cleared as they now had an adequate supply of lamination paper.

    The inspection team recommended that the administration ensure timely procurement of lamination paper in the future to prevent a recurrence of the issue.

    They also advised the administration to adhere to the prescribed timeframe for passport issuance and, in cases of late delivery, refund the fees charged for urgent passport processing.

    Simultaneously, the Federal Ombudsman directed the secretary interior to comprehensively assess the functioning of the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports to ensure more efficient service delivery in the future.

    The inspection team discussed in detail the entire process of issuing passports to ascertain the causes of inordinate delay and breakdown of efficient delivery of services in the Passport Office.

    The team also interviewed many people who had come to get their passports in the Passport Offices located in the G-8 and G-10 sectors in Islamabad.

    The team was informed by the applicants that they had been visiting the Passport Office to collect their documents for many months and their visas had expired in the meantime.

    The inspection team on arrival at G-10 Passport Office observed hundreds of applicants waiting to collect their travel documents. The lack of proper seating arrangements was causing further agony to the visitors.

    The inspection team will submit its report based on its recommendations for the consideration of the Federal Ombudsman within one week.

  • Sardiyon mein Passport office kab jaein?

    Sardiyon mein Passport office kab jaein?

    The Directorate General of Immigration and Passports has revealed operational hours for passport offices nationwide during winter.

    From Monday to Thursday, passport offices will be open to the public from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM, while on Fridays, the timing will be adjusted from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM.

    The schedule will be followed in all regional passport offices, executive passport offices, and service counters which will be processing passport applications and facilitating passport issuance.

  • Passport delivery delayed due to shortage of ‘lamination paper’

    Passport delivery delayed due to shortage of ‘lamination paper’

    People waiting for their new passports will have to wait a bit longer. The Directorate General of Immigration & Passport has reportedly run out of lamination papers for new passports.

    As per Samaa, sources have said that the relevant authorities did not take timely measures to ensure a sufficient supply of lamination paper. Last week, there was no improvement in the supply chain, and there is now a fear that the printing and delivery of new passports will be affected across the country.

    One of the immediate consequences of the lamination paper shortage is an expected increase in the duration of passport delivery. For instance, the delivery of passports with a normal fee will likely be extended to approximately one month. This delay poses significant challenges for applicants across the country, especially those with urgent travel plans.

    Despite the alleged non-availability of lamination paper, the passport department continues to accept new applications, further fueling concerns that the number of pending passports will surge due to printing problems.

    As of now, the passport department has not issued an official statement on the matter, leaving many in the dark about when the shortage of lamination paper will be resolved and how long the delays will persist.

    The shortage of lamination paper is causing substantial disruptions in passport issuance, and it is vital for the authorities to swiftly address this issue and keep the public informed about their efforts to resolve the problem. The impact of this situation on individuals urgently needing to travel for various reasons underscores the urgency of resolving the issue promptly to minimize inconvenience for applicants.

  • You won’t get your ‘normal passport’ in 10 days anymore

    You won’t get your ‘normal passport’ in 10 days anymore

    New guidelines have been notified by The Directorate General of Immigration and Passports (DGIP) regarding the issuance of travel documents, stating that a normal passport will now be issued in 21 days which was earlier processed in 10 days, as per Geo News.

    The DGIP noted that criminal elements are trying to undermine the Pakistani Passport and the department observed illegal use, which has made it difficult to issue a passport on time, the directorate mentioned without elaborating further on the matter.
    As a result, the passport-issuing authority has increased caution and scrutiny in the process.

    However, there’s no change in the timeline for urgent and most urgent passports which are issued in 5 and 2 working days respectively.

    The DGIP also advised people to visit relevant passport offices between 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., urging people to cooperate with the directorate, adding that in case of any difficulties related to obtaining a passport, they must file a complaint in the Citizen Portal.

    It’s worth noting that in April of this year, the delivery times for all three passport categories—normal, urgent, and fast-track—were reduced to 10 days, 4 days, and 2 days, respectively.

  • You can’t get 100-page passports now

    You can’t get 100-page passports now

    The government has announced a temporary suspension on the issuance of passports with 100 pages. A statement issued by the Passport office expresses regret for the inconvenience and clarifies that this decision is part of the Directorate General (DG) of Immigration and Passports’ plan to introduce electronic passports (e-passports) nationwide.

    The transition initially began in Islamabad and has since been extended to all passport offices across the country following the federal government’s introduction of e-passports in June.

    As of August 16, 2023, new fee schedules have been implemented for e-passports, while fees for standard passports will remain unchanged.

    Here are the updated fee details for e-passports:

    1. For a standard 36-page passport valid for 5 years, the cost is set at Rs. 9,000.
    2. An urgent e-passport option is available for Rs. 15,000.
    3. A 72-page e-passport for regular processing will cost Rs. 16,500.
    4. Urgent service for the 72-page e-passport is priced at Rs. 27,000.
    5. If you opt for a 36-page passport with a 10-year validity, the normal fee is Rs. 13,500.
    6. The urgent service for this passport type costs Rs. 22,500.
    7. Additionally, a 72-page passport with a 10-year validity will incur a standard fee of Rs. 24,750, with an urgent processing fee of Rs. 40,500.

    The government’s decision to temporarily suspend the issuance of 100-page passports is in line with their efforts to streamline passport services and introduce more secure electronic passports to enhance the travel experience for Pakistani citizens.

  • Temporary pause on 100-page passports in Pakistan, e-passports introduced

    Temporary pause on 100-page passports in Pakistan, e-passports introduced

    The government of Pakistan has ceased the issuance of 100-page passports, a decision confirmed by the passport office. This change, while causing temporary inconvenience, was announced in a statement by the passport office, which expressed its regret for any disruption.

    Previously, the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports, operating under the Ministry of Interior, initiated the issuance of e-passports from passport offices nationwide, following Islamabad’s lead. In June, the federal government introduced these electronic passports.

    As outlined by the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports, the fee for a 36-page passport, valid for 5 years, is set at Rs9,000, with an urgent e-passport available for Rs15,000.

    For a 72-page e-passport, the standard fee is Rs16,500, and the urgent fee is Rs27,000. A 36-page passport, valid for 10 years, will cost Rs13,500 under normal processing, while the urgent fee is Rs22,500.

    For a 72-page passport valid for 10 years, the regular fee is Rs24,750, and the urgent fee is Rs40,500. These new fee structures went into effect on August 16, while the fees for standard passports remain unchanged.