Pakistani Passport Renewal in the UAE: Online Steps, Fees and Delays (2026)

The short answer: You can renew a Pakistani passport from the UAE in two ways: online through DGIP's portal for overseas Pakistanis if you already hold a machine-readable passport (MRP), or in person at the Consulate General of Pakistan in Dubai or the Embassy in Abu Dhabi. As of 9 October 2026, both missions are still issuing and renewing machine-readable passports under their existing procedure: a planned switch to e-passports only, due on 20 July 2026, was postponed "until further notice" the day before it was due to start, and we found no report that it has resumed. Separately, Pakistan's immigration authority has announced a nationwide move to e-passports only for new applications from 15 October 2026, covering missions abroad as well – a date just days after this guide was checked, so the UAE position may change again very soon. Holidayys does not renew passports, but once your new one is ready, we can help with the UAE visa paperwork that follows.

Most people searching for this want one of three things: the current online renewal steps, what it actually costs this year, or how to track an application already filed. This guide covers all three, plus documents, NADRA ID requirements, the Dubai and Abu Dhabi offices, minors, and what a new passport means for a UAE visa issued against the old one.

Pakistani passport renewal from the UAE at a glance

Question	Answer (October 2026)
Current passport type issued	Machine-readable passport (MRP); e-passport launch in the UAE was postponed on 19 July 2026, no resumption found
Nationwide e-passport-only cutover	15 October 2026 for new applications, per DGIP, covering missions abroad too
Apply online	onlinemrp.dgip.gov.pk, for overseas Pakistanis who already hold an MRP
Apply in person	Consulate General of Pakistan, Dubai (Umm Hurair One) or Embassy of Pakistan, Abu Dhabi
ID required	Original, valid CNIC or NICOP (NADRA-issued); no application proceeds without one
Published e-passport fee, 36 pages, 5 years	AED 145 normal / AED 235 urgent (announced for the postponed launch)
Published e-passport fee, 36 pages, 10 years	AED 215 normal / AED 355 urgent
Current MRP fee	Not confirmed on an official 2026 notice we could access; ask the consulate or embassy directly
When to renew	UAE missions advise waiting until under 6 months' validity remains, for holders with more than 6 months left

The big change: e-passports, postponed, then a nationwide deadline

If you read in mid-2026 that Pakistan would issue e-passports only in the UAE from 20 July 2026, that plan did not go ahead as announced. The Embassy of Pakistan in Abu Dhabi had published a fee schedule for the new e-passport category and said both it and the Consulate General in Dubai would process applications only that way from 20 July. On 19 July, a day before the switch, the Embassy announced it was deferring the launch "due to unavoidable technical and administrative reasons," with no new date given, and said existing machine-readable passport issuance and renewal would continue without interruption under the existing procedure. We found no later announcement confirming that the UAE launch has since resumed.

Separately, and more recently, Pakistan's Directorate General of Immigration and Passports (DGIP) has told passport offices in Pakistan and missions overseas that new applications from 15 October 2026 will be issued only as e-passports, nationwide. Existing machine-readable passports are not cancelled by that date and stay valid until they expire. What is not clear from anything we could check is exactly how the UAE missions, which had already postponed their own e-passport launch, will line up with that nationwide date. If you are applying close to or after 15 October 2026, check the Dubai consulate's or Abu Dhabi embassy's own notice for the current category before you pay, rather than assuming either the MRP or the e-passport fee table applies.

How to renew: online or at the mission

Online, through DGIP

Overseas Pakistanis who already hold a machine-readable passport can apply for renewal through DGIP's online portal, onlinemrp.dgip.gov.pk, without visiting a mission in person for the application itself. In outline, the online route asks you to:

• Register and sign in with your original, valid CNIC or NICOP – the system will not proceed without one
• Upload colour scans of both sides of your CNIC or NICOP
• Upload the first two pages of your current passport, plus any further page the system asks for
• Upload your valid UAE residence visa, Emirates ID, or other proof of status
• Pay online and choose delivery: dispatch generally goes to your nearest Pakistani mission rather than direct to your home address

DGIP's own guidance says renewal online suits a passport that has expired or is close to expiry; one UAE-specific notice has told holders with more than six months of validity left to wait until it drops below six months before applying. A newborn under two can be registered as a fresh online application; an older child needs an in-person visit with the relevant documents.

In person, at the mission

A new first-time passport, most changes of personal details, and cases the online system will not process still need an in-person visit, with an appointment booked through the consulate's or embassy's own website. Bring the original CNIC or NICOP, the current or expired passport, two recent passport-size photographs, and your UAE residence visa or Emirates ID. Government or semi-government employees need a No-Objection Certificate; a lost or stolen passport needs a police report.

Documents and NADRA ID

Every Pakistani passport application, online or in person, is built around your NADRA-issued national identity document: a CNIC if you hold Pakistani residence status, or a NICOP (National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis) if you live abroad. Neither DGIP's online system nor a mission counter will take a passport application without a valid original. If you do not currently hold one, NADRA's own process for a fresh CNIC or NICOP has to be completed first; bring the original to the passport appointment once you have it.

Beyond the ID, keep ready: your current or most recent Pakistani passport, your UAE Emirates ID and residence visa copy, two recent passport-size photographs, and, for a minor, the Family Registration Certificate or B-form, both parents' CNICs or NICOPs, and guardianship papers if the parents are separated or a parent has died.

Fees: two tables, and which one applies to you

There are two fee schedules in circulation, and conflating them is an easy mistake. The table below is the one the Abu Dhabi embassy announced in July 2026 for the e-passport category, tied to the launch that was then postponed:

Passport	5-year, normal	5-year, urgent	10-year, normal	10-year, urgent
36 pages	AED 145	AED 235	AED 215	AED 355
72 pages	AED 260	AED 425	AED 390	AED 635

We could not confirm a current, officially published AED fee specifically for a machine-readable passport renewal at either UAE mission in 2026; the figures circulating online from 2024 and earlier (for example, AED 92–130 for a 10-year, 36-page MRP) predate this year's changes and should not be relied on. Since the missions say MRP renewal continues "under the existing procedure," the safest approach is to ask the consulate or embassy directly, or check their website immediately before you apply, for the fee that applies on the day you go, whether that turns out to be an MRP fee or the e-passport table above. Note also that figures are commonly quoted in "Dhs," the same currency as AED.

In person: Dubai and Abu Dhabi

	Consulate General, Dubai	Embassy, Abu Dhabi
Jurisdiction	Dubai and the Northern Emirates (Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah)	Abu Dhabi emirate
Reported address	Umm Hurair One, Bur Dubai	Sector W-59, Embassies Area
Reported passport counter hours	Monday–Thursday around 7am–1pm; Friday around 7–11am	Hours vary by source; Friday consular hours have been reported as 8–11:45am
Booking	Through the consulate's own website appointments page	Through the embassy's own website

Treat the hours above as a starting point, not a guarantee: several of the figures we found conflicted between sources and years, and Ramadan and public holidays shorten them further. Confirm the day's hours and book your slot on the mission's own website before you travel to either office.

Delivery and timelines

For an online renewal, DGIP produces the passport in Pakistan and then dispatches it to your nearest mission for collection, which adds transit time on top of processing. We did not find an official, current processing-time figure specific to UAE applicants in the sources we could check; older third-party guides suggest a wide range, from a few weeks to several months depending on the category and any identity or police checks, so ask the mission or DGIP's helpline for a current estimate rather than relying on an old figure.

Tracking your application

If you applied online, sign in to your account at onlinemrp.dgip.gov.pk at any time to see the current status. DGIP also runs an SMS update service and an "Email Rabta" service for applicants abroad, provided you entered a correct mobile number and email when you applied; the SMS short-code service is described as working with Pakistani numbers, so do not assume it will reach a UAE number, and rely on the portal or the email updates instead. For an application lodged in person, ask the consulate or embassy how they expect you to track it, since the online tracker may not cover applications it did not receive directly.

Minors' passports

A minor's first passport, or most changes to one, generally needs an in-person visit rather than the online portal. Typical requirements include the child's Family Registration Certificate or B-form (where no Smart Card exists yet), both parents' CNICs or NICOPs, and, where relevant, guardianship or custody papers. Practice has varied by mission on whether both parents must attend in person, so confirm the current rule with the consulate or embassy before you travel there with the family.

Your UAE visa and the new passport

UAE residence and most other visas have been issued electronically, not as a passport sticker, since December 2022, so a new Pakistani passport does not, by itself, cancel or interrupt a UAE visa already granted against the old one; your Emirates ID remains your everyday proof of status. Moving the visa record onto the new passport number is optional, not mandatory, mainly useful if you want to travel on one passport rather than two. Where you do it depends on where the visa was issued: GDRFA Dubai's Amer centres or its online smart-services system (with UAE Pass) for a Dubai-issued visa, or ICP, the federal authority, for a visa issued in any other emirate; either way you need copies of both the old and new passport. Typing centres commonly cite a GDRFA rule requiring more than 180 days of remaining passport validity for any visa transaction, including a renewal, so it pays to get your new Pakistani passport well before your UAE visa paperwork is due, not after.

If a visa change, an extension or a visit visa for family is next on your list, that is where we can help: see our UAE visa services, or run a free check with reminders at UAE visa check.

Frequently asked questions

Can I renew my Pakistani passport online from the UAE?

Yes, if you already hold a machine-readable passport. Apply through DGIP's portal, onlinemrp.dgip.gov.pk, with your original CNIC or NICOP, scans of your current passport and your UAE visa or Emirates ID. A first-time passport, or most detail changes, still need an in-person visit to the Dubai consulate or Abu Dhabi embassy.

Is Pakistan issuing e-passports in the UAE now?

As of 9 October 2026, no confirmed resumption. A 20 July 2026 e-passport-only launch in the UAE was postponed the day before it was due to start, and machine-readable passports have continued under the existing process since. A separate nationwide e-passport-only rule for new applications begins 15 October 2026, which may affect the UAE; confirm the current category with the mission before you apply.

What documents do I need to renew a Pakistani passport in Dubai or Abu Dhabi?

Your original, valid CNIC or NICOP is essential; no application proceeds without one. Add your current or expired passport, your UAE Emirates ID and residence visa, two recent passport-size photographs, and, for government employees, a No-Objection Certificate.

How much does Pakistani passport renewal cost in the UAE in 2026?

The published e-passport fees, announced for the postponed launch, are AED 145 (normal) or AED 235 (urgent) for a 5-year, 36-page passport, and AED 215 or AED 355 for 10 years. We could not confirm a separate, current official fee for a machine-readable passport renewal; ask the consulate or embassy for the fee that applies on the day you apply.

How can I track my Pakistani passport application from the UAE?

Sign in to your account at onlinemrp.dgip.gov.pk if you applied online. DGIP also sends email updates to overseas applicants through its Email Rabta service, using the email address you gave at application; its SMS tracking service is built for Pakistani mobile numbers and may not reach a UAE number.

Will my UAE visa transfer automatically to my new Pakistani passport?

No, and it does not need to. UAE visas have been electronic, not a passport sticker, since December 2022, so your Emirates ID stays your day-to-day proof. Moving the visa record to the new passport is optional, through GDRFA (Dubai-issued visas) or ICP (other emirates), if you want to travel on one passport only.

Where Holidayys fits in

We do not renew passports or handle NADRA, CNIC or NICOP paperwork – that is the Consulate General of Pakistan, the Embassy in Abu Dhabi, and DGIP. Where we can help is on the UAE side: once your new passport is ready, see our UAE visa services for a visa change, an extension or a visit visa for family, or run a free UAE visa check with WhatsApp and email reminders. If the new passport is also the start of your next trip, see visa services for the 57 destinations we handle, or holiday packages for a ready-made itinerary. Message us on WhatsApp at +971 4 589 0001 or use our contact page.

Related guides

• Indian passport renewal in Dubai
• UAE visa status check: how to confirm your visa is valid
• UAE visa change: inside the country, by bus or by flight
• UAE visit visa for Pakistanis: routes, fees, documents and the visa ban reports
• UAE visa photo requirements: ICP and GDRFA Dubai's rules, compared
• Visa photo size guide

Last checked 9 October 2026 against notices from the Embassy of Pakistan, Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of Pakistan, Dubai, DGIP's e-services pages (dgip.gov.pk, onlinemrp.dgip.gov.pk), and reporting in Khaleej Times, Gulf News, Gulf Today and ProPakistani. This guide is general information, not immigration advice, and the e-passport timeline has already shifted once in 2026. Confirm the current passport category, documents and fees with your mission or DGIP before you apply.