Pakistan Restores Passport Services Worldwide After 8-Day Technical Outage
Pakistan has officially resumed passport services across the globe following an eight-day disruption caused by a technical glitch, bringing relief to thousands of affected citizens.
The outage, which began on April 29, 2026, impacted passport issuance and renewal services in multiple countries, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where a large number of Pakistani expatriates reside. The technical failure led to delays in processing travel documents, leaving many applicants stranded and unable to meet urgent travel plans.
According to officials, the issue originated from a system malfunction that affected the central database responsible for processing passport applications. During the downtime, Pakistani missions worldwide were unable to complete renewals, issue new passports, or finalize travel documentation.
On May 5, 2026, authorities confirmed that the system had been fully restored and all passport services were back to normal operations. Embassies and consulates have since resumed full processing of applications, including renewals and emergency travel documents.
Officials from the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports expressed regret over the inconvenience caused, assuring citizens that measures are being taken to prevent similar disruptions in the future. They also encouraged applicants who experienced delays to revisit their respective missions to complete pending processes.
The restoration comes as a major relief, particularly for overseas Pakistanis who rely heavily on timely passport services for work, residency, and travel requirements.
Authorities have not disclosed detailed technical specifics of the glitch but emphasized that system upgrades and safeguards are now being implemented to ensure uninterrupted service delivery moving forward.
