MUSCAT – The Embassy of Pakistan in Muscat has announced a temporary suspension of passport processing services on October 15, 2026, due to technical issues.
In a notice shared on Facebook, the embassy informed the Pakistani community in Oman that passport services would remain unavailable on Thursday, October 15.
According to the announcement, passport processing services are scheduled to resume on Friday, October 16, 2026.
The embassy requested the Pakistani community to cooperate during the temporary suspension and expressed appreciation for their understanding.
Pakistani citizens in Oman who require passport-related services are advised to take note of the announced schedule and plan their visits accordingly.
Meanwhile, Pakistan is set to make a major change to its passport system as the government is set to end the issuance of new machine-readable passports (MRPs) from October 15, 2026, shifting all new applicants to e-passports.
Directorate General of Immigration and Passports (DGI&P) has directed passport offices to stop processing applications for new MRPs from October 15. This means October 14 will be the final day for applicants who still want to obtain a machine-readable passport.
After the deadline, applications for new passports will be processed under the e-passport system.
The new policy does not immediately invalidate machine-readable passports already held by Pakistani citizens. Existing MRPs will continue to be accepted until their expiry dates. However, once they expire, they will not be renewed as MRPs. Holders will instead have to apply for an e-passport.
The DGI&P has circulated the new instructions among passport offices across Pakistan, while Pakistani diplomatic missions abroad have also been asked to implement the revised policy.
The latest development follows a decision announced in June by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to move Pakistan completely toward e-passports.
