MRP to e-passport: renewal steps, online portal and tracking

Pakistan has moved to the e-passport. The machine-readable passport (MRP) that most people hold was issued for the last time in October 2026: news reports first gave 15 October as the cut-off and then 23 October after a short extension, and DGIP’s own site lists “E-Passport Replace Ordinary Passport” among its 2026 changes. If you are renewing now, in an office or online, you get an e-passport with a chip. This page explains what happens to the MRP you hold, the two renewal routes with their steps, the photo and document rules for the online route, how long delivery takes, and how to follow the application. The fees are on the e-passport fee page and the QR payment on its own page.

Your MRP stays valid until it expires

Nothing has to be exchanged. An MRP remains valid for travel until the expiry date printed in it, and airlines and immigration counters accept it as before. The change only affects new issuance: when you next apply, whether for renewal, replacement or extra pages, the book you receive is an e-passport, and the fee is the e-passport fee. DGIP’s requirements page also says you may renew before expiry; the office may ask why you need a new passport early, which is normal for visa applicants who need validity beyond a trip.

Renewal at a passport office

Renewal uses the same counters as a first passport. Bring your original CNIC (NICOP or smart card for overseas Pakistanis) with a photocopy, and the passport being renewed with a photocopy of its data page; government and semi-government employees also bring an NOC from the employer, and dual nationals bring the foreign passport with a copy. No printed photograph is needed: the photo is taken at the counter. The visit runs through the token with QR code, biometrics, data entry and the signed form, the ECL/BL check, the interview and “go ahead”, then the QR fee payment and a delivery date. Your old passport is returned to you after processing.

Renewal online, for Pakistanis at home and abroad

DGIP’s online renewal at onlinemrp.dgip.gov.pk is open to Pakistanis inside and outside the country whose passport has expired or has less than one year of validity left. Overseas applicants also get a few extra online categories: a newborn’s first passport (under two years old), a reprint for a damaged, exhausted or lost passport, and a change of marital status or profession.

1. Create a login on the portal and start a renewal application. The form is a wizard; you can save it and come back.
2. Enter your details exactly as on your CNIC and current passport.
3. Upload the photo: DGIP’s e-services page asks for a colour picture on a white background, 350 by 467 pixels, JPEG, no larger than 3 MB. The portal’s photo-requirements page adds that it must be a professionally taken, unedited 35 by 45 mm style photo, and its photo checker accepts files up to 350 KB.
4. Upload scans of your CNIC or NICOP and the passport pages the category asks for; download the fingerprint form and declaration from your account, sign them, and upload them where the wizard asks.
5. Pay by credit or debit card as the last step. Fees are non-refundable, so check the category (pages, validity, normal or urgent) before paying.
6. Wait for review: DGIP headquarters checks the documents and may refer the case to the nearest mission or regional office for verification. Approved passports are printed and dispatched; overseas applicants receive them at their address.

Third-party guides mention a service charge of about Rs 1,000 on inland online applications on top of the passport fee; DGIP’s pages do not state it, so treat it as something the portal will show at the payment step rather than a fixed figure.

How long it takes

DGIP’s passport page states 5 working days for urgent and 21 working days for normal processing, excluding courier time to remote areas and overseas missions. The same site’s guidelines quote 4 and 10 working days. Plan on the longer figures, and on extra time for an online application that is referred for verification.

Tracking the application

There is no page where you type a tracking number. For an office application, status updates arrive by SMS from 9988 (the Rabta service) at the mobile number given during data entry, and the delivery date is on your token. For an online application, updates go to the registered email and appear in your portal account. Overseas applicants get email updates. If a dispatched passport does not arrive, write to onlinedelivery@dgip.gov.pk; for anything else the DGI&P helpline is 051-111-344-777 (from abroad 0092-51-111-344-777), Monday to Friday 8:30 to 16:30, and the online passport section is reachable at 0092-51-8482202 or mrponline@dgip.gov.pk.

Which route to choose

• In Pakistan, passport still valid for more than a year: the office is the only route.
• In Pakistan, expired or under a year left: either route; the office is usually faster, online saves the visit.
• Abroad: online, unless the mission near you offers counters; the mission can also handle lost and damaged cases.
• Lost passport: a police report naming the old passport number is required in both routes, and the fee is double for a first loss.