Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced on Wednesday that the country had transitioned to cashless transactions at all passport offices.

On June 19, the government decided to digitalise the passport issuance system as part of sweeping reforms aimed at modernising immigration services and eliminating fraud. The interior ministry had announced that the cashless payment system introduced in the passport offices and online portal would be shifted to the Pak-ID platform.

In a post on X today, Naqvi said: “Starting today, cashless transactions are operational at all passport offices across Pakistan. Applicants no longer need to stand in long queues or wait for hours to make payments. This important reform was initiated on the directions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and our team has successfully delivered it.”

https://x.com/MohsinnaqviC42/status/2072297424287047756?s=20

Naqvi highlighted that the move would expedite services across all passport offices and ensure transparency and convenience to citizens.

He also congratulated the entire team for the digital financial shift and said “many more milestones” lay ahead.

Read: Pakistan to issue only electronic passports

A week earlier, Director General of Immigration and Passports Muhammad Ali Randhawa had said that the country would gradually transition to issuing only electronic passports (e-passports), while cash payments for passport fees would be abolished from July 1(today) in favour of a QR code-based digital payment system.

The decision was made on June 23 during a high-level meeting chaired by the director general at the headquarters in Islamabad.

The meeting’s members were further informed that the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports would soon launch a dedicated passport mobile app, enabling Pakistani citizens both at home and abroad to apply for passports online from their homes.

Applicants would also be able to receive their passports at their doorstep, with TCS and DHL engaged to provide delivery services.

Officials said the initiative would significantly reduce congestion at passport offices.