Types of Passport in Pakistan: MRP vs E-Passport in 2026

The clerk at the passport office asks one question that decides your next ten years of travel: MRP or e-passport. Most applicants pick whichever is cheaper, then find out at an airport that the other one had a queue half the length. There are two types of passport in Pakistan for ordinary citizens, and the gap between them is bigger than the price difference suggests.

Passport fees have not moved since 2023, according to the fee schedule published by the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports. That stability makes the choice easier to plan around, because the numbers below are the same ones you will pay this year.

Colours, page counts and validity add another layer. Here is the whole picture in one place.

How many types of passport are there in Pakistan?

Two for ordinary travel: the Machine Readable Passport, known as the MRP, and the e-passport with an embedded chip. On top of that, Pakistan issues four passport colours for different categories of holder, and each type comes in several page counts and validity terms.

The MRP has been the standard document for years. The e-passport is the newer biometric version, and it is what most countries now expect at automated border gates.

What is the difference between an MRP and an e-passport?

The e-passport carries a contactless chip storing your biometric data, so border systems read it electronically. The MRP holds the same information in a printed machine-readable strip only. Both are valid Pakistani travel documents, but the chip is what unlocks automated gates.

The practical differences matter more than the technical ones.

	MRP	E-passport
Biometric chip	No	Yes
Automated border gates	Manual counter only	Eligible in most countries
Fee, 5 year, 36 pages	Rs 4,500	Rs 9,000
Fee, 10 year, 36 pages	Rs 6,700	Rs 13,500
Data security	Printed strip	Encrypted chip, harder to forge
Accepted worldwide	Yes	Yes

My honest read: if you travel more than once a year, or you are heading anywhere with e-gates, the e-passport pays for itself in queue time alone. If your passport spends its life in a drawer as an identity document, the MRP does the job for half the money.

One thing neither of the two types of passport in Pakistan changes is the visa you need. A chip does not grant entry anywhere. Whether you are looking at a UAE visa, a Saudi visa or a Portugal work visa, the application requirements are the same for both documents.

What are the passport colours in Pakistan and who gets them?

Four colours are in circulation. Green is the ordinary passport almost every citizen holds. Blue is official, red is diplomatic and black is for members of parliament and certain officials. You do not choose your colour, your eligibility does.

• Green: ordinary passport for general citizens, tourism, work and study.
• Blue: official passport for government employees travelling on state business.
• Red: diplomatic passport for diplomats and their immediate families.
• Black: issued to parliamentarians and specified officials.

Both MRP and e-passport formats exist across these categories. The colour signals who you are travelling as, and the format signals how the document is read.

How many pages and how many years should you choose?

Pages come in 36, 72 and 100. Validity comes in 5 and 10 years. Pick 36 pages unless you cross borders often, and pick 10 years if you are over 18, because two 5-year passports cost more than one 10-year passport.

The page count only matters if you collect visa stickers and entry stamps at a fast rate. A full passport before its expiry date means reapplying and paying again.

1. 36 pages suits occasional travellers, students and first-time applicants.
2. 72 pages suits business travellers and anyone doing several trips a year.
3. 100 pages is for frequent flyers who would otherwise run out of space early.

Under 18s are generally issued 5-year passports, which is standard practice given how much a child's appearance changes.

What are the passport fees in Pakistan for 2026?

An MRP costs Rs 4,500 for 5 years and Rs 6,700 for 10 years on 36 pages. The e-passport costs Rs 9,000 and Rs 13,500 for the same terms. Urgent and fast track processing raise those figures substantially.

E-passport fees

Pages and validity	Normal	Urgent	Fast track
36 pages, 5 years	Rs 9,000	Rs 13,500	Rs 24,750
36 pages, 10 years	Rs 13,500	Rs 22,500	Rs 40,500
72 pages, 5 years	Rs 16,500	Rs 27,000	Rs 40,500

MRP fees

Pages and validity	Normal	Urgent
36 pages, 5 years	Rs 4,500	Rs 7,500
36 pages, 10 years	Rs 6,700	Rs 11,200
72 pages, 5 years	Rs 8,200	Rs 12,400
72 pages, 10 years	Rs 12,500	Rs 20,200
100 pages, 5 years	Rs 16,200	Rs 23,000
100 pages, 10 years	Rs 18,500	Rs 32,000

Fast track is the expensive option and it is worth it only when a visa appointment or a job start date is genuinely at stake. Paying triple to save a week is a bad trade in most other situations.

What documents do you need to apply for a Pakistani passport?

Adults need an original CNIC and a copy, the paid fee challan, and a previous passport if renewing. Applicants under 18 need a Form B or CRC, both parents' CNICs, and a parent present at the appointment. Photographs are taken at the office.

If you are 18 or over

• Original CNIC or NICOP, plus one photocopy.
• Paid fee challan from a designated bank or the online portal.
• Old passport if this is a renewal or a replacement.
• Proof of profession where the category requires it, such as a student card or employment letter.

If you are under 18

• Original Form B or Child Registration Certificate, plus a copy.
• Original CNICs of both parents, plus copies.
• One parent physically present at the appointment.
• Paid fee challan.

Bring originals, not just photocopies. Applications get turned away at the counter for this more often than for anything else. Our full walkthrough on applying for a passport in Pakistan covers the appointment process end to end.

How long does a Pakistani passport take to arrive?

Normal processing runs about 10 working days, urgent around 4 working days, and fast track can deliver within 1 to 2 working days at participating offices. Working days exclude weekends and public holidays, which people forget when counting.

Those windows start from a successfully submitted application, not from the day you paid the challan. If your file is flagged for verification, add time and do not book flights around the optimistic end of the range.

Applying just before Eid or in the summer travel rush stretches every timeline. If your travel is flexible, apply in an off-peak month.

Can you apply for a Pakistani passport online?

Yes. DGIP runs an online renewal and application portal where you complete the form, pay the fee and upload documents. First-time applicants still attend an office for biometrics and photographs, so online covers the paperwork rather than the whole process.

The portal is genuinely useful for renewals. It removes one visit and lets you pay without hunting for a designated bank branch.

Two practical warnings. Keep your CNIC details and your application details identical, down to spelling, because mismatches trigger manual verification. If your CNIC itself needs updating first, our guide on applying for a CNIC online covers that step.

Save your tracking token the moment it appears, since that number is how you follow the application afterwards. Passport tracking in Pakistan explains how to read the status codes, which apply identically to both types of passport in Pakistan.

Frequently asked questions about Pakistani passport types

How many types of passport are issued in Pakistan?

Two formats for travel, the MRP and the e-passport, across four colours: green for ordinary citizens, blue for officials, red for diplomats and black for parliamentarians.

Which is better, MRP or e-passport?

The e-passport, if you travel regularly. Its chip allows automated border gates and is harder to forge. The MRP costs half as much and remains perfectly valid for occasional travel.

Is the MRP passport still accepted in 2026?

Yes. Machine Readable Passports remain valid Pakistani travel documents and are accepted internationally. You simply use the manual counter rather than an e-gate.

What is the e-passport fee in Pakistan?

Rs 9,000 for a 36-page passport valid 5 years, and Rs 13,500 for the 10-year version. Urgent and fast track processing cost more.

Can I convert my MRP into an e-passport?

Not directly. You apply for a new e-passport at renewal, or surrender the MRP early and apply fresh, paying the full e-passport fee either way.

How long is a Pakistani passport valid?

Five or ten years, chosen at application. Applicants under 18 are usually issued the five-year term.

Does the passport colour change what visas I can get?

No. Colour reflects the holder's category, not travel privileges. Diplomatic and official passport holders may access certain visa waivers tied to their status, not to the document colour itself.