Pakistan’s Directorate General of Immigration and Passports has announced a sweeping digital transformation aimed at making passport services faster, more transparent and easier to access. The reforms include a dedicated passport mobile app, home delivery of passports and a QR code based payment system to reduce delays and eliminate illegal practices.
Director General of Immigration and Passports Muhammad Ali Randhawa unveiled the initiative on Friday during a media interaction. He said the reforms will modernise passport services and improve convenience for millions of Pakistanis.
The initiative follows directives issued by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who has repeatedly stressed the need to digitise public services and improve transparency across government departments.
Passport Services to Go Digital
Randhawa said the upcoming passport mobile app will allow citizens to apply for new passports, renew existing ones and track the status of their applications directly from their mobile phones. Users will also gain access to other essential passport related services without visiting passport offices.
He said the department is also preparing to launch a home delivery service. The facility will allow applicants to receive their passports at their doorstep, reducing repeated visits to passport offices and making the process more convenient, particularly for elderly citizens, overseas Pakistanis visiting the country and people living far from passport centres.
The department also plans to introduce a QR code based digital payment system. Officials believe the new payment method will make transactions faster, safer and more transparent while reducing opportunities for fraud and unofficial payments.
Randhawa said the reforms aim to remove middlemen from the passport issuance process and ensure that applicants receive services through a secure and transparent digital system.
Focus on Transparency and Public Convenience
The Director General said the reforms reflect the government’s broader commitment to citizen friendly governance through technology.
He explained that digital services would improve efficiency, shorten processing times and increase transparency across the passport system. He added that technology would also help the department deliver services more reliably while strengthening public trust.
Randhawa concluded by saying that the digital reforms are designed to build “a transparent, efficient, and citizen-focused passport system where corruption, middlemen and illegal practices have no place, ensuring every applicant receives services fairly and securely.”
Pakistan has expanded digital public services in recent years through online identity, taxation and licensing platforms. The latest initiative represents another step toward digitising essential government services and reducing dependence on manual procedures.
The Directorate General of Immigration and Passports expects the new digital facilities to simplify passport applications and improve the overall customer experience. Officials believe the reforms will save applicants time, reduce unnecessary visits to passport offices and strengthen accountability throughout the system.
While the department has announced the key features of the initiative, it has yet to confirm official launch dates for the mobile application, home delivery service and QR code payment system. Authorities say they will share further implementation details as development work progresses.
