Govt cuts passport processing time to 14 days, moves to cashless system

The federal government has approved a set of reforms to streamline passport issuance, including reducing processing time and introducing a nationwide cashless system at passport offices.

At a meeting chaired by Mohsin Naqvi and attended by Minister of State Talal Chaudhry, officials agreed to cut the standard passport processing time from 21 days to 14 days.

The meeting, which included the Federal Secretary Interior and Director General of Passports and Immigration, focused on improving efficiency and reducing delays faced by applicants.

As part of the reforms, the Interior Ministry has set a 15-day deadline to implement digital payment systems across all passport offices. The move aims to eliminate cash transactions and shift fee collection to verified digital channels.

Officials said the transition to a cashless system is intended to improve transparency and curb the role of intermediaries in the application process.

The meeting also reviewed plans to introduce a “business passport” system to address the needs of commercial users requiring frequent travel.

In addition, authorities discussed improvements to the home delivery service to ensure faster and more reliable dispatch of passports to applicants.

The Interior Minister also directed officials to work on establishing a dedicated passport authority to oversee operations, with a focus on system upgrades and service delivery.