UAE: Has Pakistani passport fee increased? Official clarifies

Pakistani missions in the UAE on Tuesday denied that the passport issuance and renewal fees have been increased for the country’s diaspora here in the emirates.

Social media was abuzz with posts of passport fees being revised upward by the Pakistani government in the country and abroad.

“Passport fee has not been increased at the Pakistani consulate in Dubai and embassy in Abu Dhabi,” Hassan Afzal Khan, Consul-General at the Pakistan Consulate, Dubai, confirmed to Khaleej Times on Tuesday.

“Some fake news about the increase in Machine Readable Passport fee is circulating on social media. It is clarified that there is no increase in the existing passport fee structure,” said the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports of Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Pakistan launched a new e-passport facility in March 2022 to boost security and smooth international travel for its citizens. The e-passport carries various security checks and will facilitate people, especially overseas Pakistanis at the airports.

Khan added that social media users are confusing e-passport fees with the Machine Readable Passports.