Pakistan passport services halted globally, expats left in limbo

Dubai: Passport services at Pakistani missions around the world have remained suspended since April 29 due to a technical fault at headquarters in Islamabad, leaving thousands of overseas Pakistanis struggling with travel, visa and residency requirements.

The Directorate General of Immigration and Passports (DGI & P) confirmed that passport operations at all foreign missions have been halted “till further notice” following what officials described as a system-wide technical issue. The disruption has affected Pakistani embassies and consulates across the Gulf and beyond, including the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

In the UAE, missions in Abu Dhabi and Dubai have advised nationals to avoid visiting consular offices for passport-related services during the outage. The suspension has created significant inconvenience, with an estimated 800 to 1,000 applicants typically visiting daily for renewals and new applications.

An official at the Consulate General of Pakistan in Dubai had indicated earlier that services were expected to resume on Monday, May 4, offering tentative relief. However, no formal confirmation has been issued as the service remained suspended for the sixth day, and embassy officials say they are still awaiting instructions from Islamabad.

“We only know that it is a technical issue,” an embassy official told Gulf News, adding that no clear timeline for restoration of service has been communicated.

The problem stems from a technical glitch at the DGI & P headquarters, where a high-level meeting chaired by Director General Muhammad Ali Randhawa also reviewed the system with IT experts on April 30 but the service is still down.

Pakistani missions in the UAE and Saudi Arabia have already confirmed the suspension, citing technical and maintenance issues linked to headquarters operations. Both missions said services would resume once the issue is resolved, apologising for the inconvenience caused to applicants.

The disruption has been particularly challenging for expatriates residing in Gulf countries as they depend on timely passport renewals for employment, visa processing and travel. Families with newborn children are among the hardest hit, as they cannot even apply online because in-person visits are required for initial passport issuance.

In the interim, authorities have urged applicants to use the online passport system where possible. Those unable to access digital services have been asked to wait for further updates.

With no definitive timeline in place, affected Pakistanis have called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to intervene and prioritise the restoration of services as uncertainty continues to mount.