The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ (MoFA) new online attestation service is drawing complaints from citizens, as dozens of countries, including major destinations for Pakistanis such as the UAE, Germany, and Austria, are missing from the list of countries applicants can select on the portal.
MoFA launched its Digital Attestation System on October 12, 2026, at its headquarters in Islamabad and liaison offices in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, and Gujrat. According to a ministry circular dated October 14, applicants can submit documents for general attestation and apostille through the online portal, pay the prescribed fee, and receive an e-Certificate by email without visiting a MoFA office, except in exceptional cases.
However, users say they cannot select their destination country while applying, even though the same country appears in the list of countries on the portal’s homepage.
Users Left Guessing
In one Facebook discussion, a user asked why countries such as the UAE, Germany, and Austria were missing from both the general attestation and apostille lists. Others replied that no one seems to know, and that they will probably have to visit a MoFA office in person, which is exactly what the new system was meant to avoid.
Hague Apostille Members Missing From the Portal
The portal currently shows 114 destinations, almost all of which are parties to the Hague Apostille Convention. According to the official status table of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), the convention has 130 contracting parties.
The following apostille members are missing from the portal’s list:
- Algeria
- Armenia
- Austria
- Germany
- Greece
- Liechtenstein
- Netherlands
- Rwanda
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- Senegal
- Vietnam
Algeria and Vietnam are recent members, with the convention entering into force for them on July 9 and September 11, 2026, respectively.
Germany, Austria, Greece, and the Netherlands formally objected to Pakistan’s accession to the convention, according to the HCCH. When a member objects, the apostille system does not apply between that country and Pakistan, which means documents meant for these countries need regular attestation instead. However, users say Germany and Austria are not available under general attestation either.
The Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, and Poland also objected to Pakistan’s accession, but they do appear on the portal’s list.
Major Non-Hague Countries Also Missing
Countries that are not party to the Hague Apostille Convention require general attestation. Several of the most important destinations for Pakistani workers, students, and families fall in this category, and none of them appear on the portal’s list:
UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Malaysia, Thailand, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Jordan, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Nigeria, and Kenya.
Thailand has joined the convention, but its membership will only take effect on February 28, 2027.
List Not Even in Alphabetical Order
The portal’s country list is also not in complete alphabetical order. It runs alphabetically from Albania to Venezuela, but Bangladesh, Czech Republic, Canada, Finland, Denmark, and Poland have been added at the end, out of order.
The ministry had earlier said the online service would let citizens get their documents attested from home. For now, ProPakistani’s guide to applying for online MoFA attestation covers the process for supported countries.
No Clarity on Relatives Verifying Documents
People are also complaining that there is no clarification on whether a family member, such as a sibling, spouse, parent, or child, can verify their relative’s documents through the portal.
The post MoFA’s New Online Attestation Service Doesn’t Work Properly appeared first on ProPakistani.