Check Your Passport Before You Fly From Pakistan: 6 FIA Rules to Know
FIA's Travel Guide sets six passport rules before you fly from Pakistan: six months validity, no manual extension, cancel a found passport and keep copies.
Before you fly from Pakistan, check six things on your passport: it is valid for at least six months, it is not a manually extended one, no lost report is still open, you hold two photocopies, the old passport is kept, and nobody but an official has changed it. FIA's Travel Guide sets out each rule.
Most passport trouble at an airport starts at home, weeks earlier. A lost passport that turned up in a drawer. A hand written extension from years back. No photocopy when the original is stolen on day two of the trip. FIA's Travel Guide lists the rules in one place. We opened the Travel Guide page and the PDF on fia.gov.pk on 15 October 2026 and read all of it. Here are the passport rules, in plain words.
A passport must be valid for six months for most visit visas
FIA tells travellers on a visit visa to make sure the passport is valid for at least six months from the date of travel, because many countries require it. It is a country rule, not an FIA rule, so check your destination before you buy a ticket.
A passport that has four months left will pass at a Pakistani counter and still fail at the foreign one. The airline can then refuse boarding. Renew early. Pakistan is reported to be ending machine readable passports from 15 October, and the official passport fee rates differ by delivery speed.
| Rule in FIA's guide | What to do |
|---|---|
| Validity of six months for a visit visa | Check the expiry date before booking |
| Manually extended passports | Do not use them to travel abroad |
| Lost passport later found | Tell the passport office to cancel the report |
| Two photocopies | One stays home, one travels with you |
| Expired or cancelled passport | Keep it at least two years |
Manually extended passports work only for coming home
The guide says manually extended Pakistani passports are no longer acceptable for travel abroad and can be used only to enter the homeland. If yours has a stamped or handwritten extension, replace it with a new passport before any trip.
This matters most for older families. A father may hold a passport that was extended in 2018 and think it is fine. It will not clear a counter. Pick the delivery speed that fits your travel date.
A lost passport that turns up must be cancelled as lost
FIA says to report a lost or damaged passport to the nearest passport office, or to the Pakistani mission if you are abroad. If the lost passport is found later, go back and tell that office, so the earlier report is cancelled. Do not travel on it until you do.
There is a second rule for people who got a replacement. If you hold a new passport and the old reported one is found, you must tell the nearest office or mission straight away. FIA says the new passport is the valid one under Pakistani law. Using the old one can cause trouble at departure or arrival.
- Report the loss to the passport office or mission.
- Apply for a replacement.
- If the old passport turns up, do not use it.
- Tell the passport office at once so the report is cancelled.
- Keep the old passport safe until the office tells you what to do with it.
Keep two copies and your old passport
FIA advises two photocopies before you leave: one left at home and one carried with you, so replacement papers are easier to get if the original is lost abroad. It also says to keep a cancelled or expired passport for at least two years, with your CNIC.
The reason is practical. An old passport carries your visa history, and an emergency document is simpler to issue when the mission can see your details. If the loss happens abroad, a Pakistani mission can issue an emergency travel document, as it does in Jeddah.
Only an official may change your passport
The guide says only authorised government officials may add or change particulars in a passport, and that anyone else doing so commits a punishable offence. Holding a passport that was not lawfully issued to you is also an offence, unless you can explain it.
FIA also says using a false name or hiding facts to get a passport, and travelling on it, is a serious offence with up to three years in prison, a fine, or both. Government employees need an ex-Pakistan leave or NOC from their department, and they must declare their official status on the passport.
A child under 12 flying without parents needs a power of attorney
If children under 12 travel without their parents, FIA says they need a power of attorney from the legal guardian for the person carrying them. Without it, they travel as an unaccompanied minor with the airline.
Airline rules on escorts and forms differ. The child also needs a passport of their own before any trip.
Common questions about passport rules before a flight
How long must my passport be valid to fly abroad?
FIA says at least six months from the travel date for many visit visas. The destination country sets the exact rule.
Can I travel on a manually extended passport?
No. FIA says it can be used only to enter Pakistan, not to travel abroad.
My lost passport was found. What now?
Tell the passport office or mission so the loss report is cancelled. Do not travel on it until then.
How long should I keep an old passport?
FIA advises at least two years, together with your CNIC, because it can help at departure or arrival.
Can anyone fix a mistake in my passport?
No. Only authorised government officials may change particulars, and unauthorised changes are an offence.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 15 October 2026. Every rule above comes from the FIA Travel Guide page and its "New Travel Guide" PDF at fia.gov.pk/travel, which we opened on that date. The PDF has no issue date, so we cannot say when it was written. The six month rule is a requirement of many countries, and each country sets its own. Fees and processing times are not in the guide.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
