Government Employee NOC for a Passport or Travel Abroad in Pakistan: Rules and Steps

A government employee in Pakistan needs two separate permissions. The passport office asks for a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from your department before it issues a passport. FIA immigration asks for your ex-Pakistan leave order or departmental NOC, in original, when you leave the country. Get both from your own office first.

Many officials learn this at the airport counter, not before. We read the rules on the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports (DGIP) website, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) FAQ and travellers' guide, and the Revised Leave Rules 1980 in the Finance Division's compilation of the Fundamental Rules on 1 October 2026. The steps below follow those official pages.

Who needs a departmental NOC in Pakistan

Officers and officials of government departments, the armed forces, autonomous bodies and corporations need an NOC from their department to get a passport, DGIP says. Semi-government employees are included. The rule applies to applicants aged 18 and above.

DGIP's ordinary passport page lists the NOC among the documents for adults, next to the CNIC and the old passport. It does not separate federal from provincial staff, so a provincial teacher or a WAPDA engineer falls under the same passport rule as a federal officer. What differs is who signs the NOC and which leave rules apply when you travel.

This article follows the federal rules. Provincial employees have their own leave rules, so check with your provincial department before you plan dates.

Get the passport NOC from your department

Write to your head of office or administration branch, ask for an NOC for an ordinary passport, and attach a CNIC copy. Take the signed original to the passport office with your other documents. Without it, DGIP will not process the application.

1. Write a short application to your head of office. Give your name, CNIC number, designation, pay scale and the type of passport you want.
2. Attach a CNIC copy and, for a renewal, a copy of your old passport.
3. Collect the signed NOC. Check that it carries the officer's name, designation and office stamp.
4. Apply at the passport office with the original CNIC, the old passport if any, and the NOC.
5. Declare your government status on the passport application. FIA's travellers' guide says all government officials must declare their official status on their passport.

We found no single federal NOC form on the DGIP, FIA or Establishment Division websites. Each department issues its own. If yours has a standard form, use it, because a counter clerk can reject an NOC that looks unfamiliar. Passport fees are the same as for anyone else; the current rates are in Pakistan passport fees.

Travel abroad needs leave and an NOC in original

A passport NOC does not cover travel. FIA's FAQ says government servants leaving Pakistan need an NOC from their department, and the original must be shown to the immigration officer. Its travellers' guide asks for an ex-Pakistan leave order or departmental NOC.

Ex-Pakistan leave means leave you spend outside the country. Under rule 15 of the Revised Leave Rules 1980, a civil servant can be granted leave ex-Pakistan if they apply for it, or go abroad during leave, and make a specific request to that effect. So the request must say you will travel abroad. Leave approved without that request does not cover a trip abroad.

Carry the original, not a photo on your phone. FIA's wording is explicit on that point. Keep a photocopy in your hand luggage too, in case the original is kept.

Apply for ex-Pakistan leave before you book

Apply for leave ex-Pakistan to the officer who sanctions your leave, state the country and dates, and wait for the written order. Book the ticket after you hold it. Rule 29 says you report back to that same authority when you return.

1. Check your leave balance with your accounts or admin branch. Rule 15(6) says ex-Pakistan leave follows the same limits as other leave under rules 5, 6 and 9.
2. Write the application. Say "leave ex-Pakistan", name the country, give the dates and the purpose, such as Umrah, a family visit or treatment.
3. Get the sanction order and the NOC. Some offices issue one letter covering both; others issue two. FIA accepts the leave order or the departmental NOC, by its guide.
4. Hand over charge. Rule 28 says a civil servant going on leave hands over charge, and officers in Grade 16 and above sign a charge relinquishment report.
5. Report back to the sanctioning authority on return, as rule 29 requires.

If the leave is on medical grounds, rule 28(2) says to take a copy of the medical statement of your case with you. Leave pay for anyone appointed after 17 May 1958 is drawn in rupees in Pakistan, rule 15(5) says, wherever you spend the leave.

Long leave abroad can affect promotion

The federal promotion rules in the Establishment Code say a civil servant on ex-Pakistan leave, extraordinary leave or study leave is considered for promotion only if the leave is less than one year. A year or more abroad can therefore delay your next step.

The rule, added in October 2020 through S.R.O. 1057(I)/2020, goes further. After leave of one year or more, you must earn a full year's performance report (PER) after rejoining. Even when shorter leave is cleared for promotion, the promotion takes effect only when you return. That matters for anyone planning a long stay with family overseas. Short visits, such as Umrah or a two week family trip, are not affected by that rule.

Separate lists can also affect travel. The Islamabad High Court has struck down the Passport Control List rule that let agencies put travellers on that list. Holders of an official blue passport follow separate rules on its use. Ask your administration branch if any of this applies to you.

Common questions

Does a government employee need an NOC for a passport in Pakistan?

Yes. DGIP requires an NOC from the department for government, semi-government and autonomous body employees aged 18 and above.

Do government employees need an NOC to travel abroad?

Yes. FIA says government servants need a departmental NOC, in original, for the immigration officer, or an ex-Pakistan leave order.

What is ex-Pakistan leave?

Leave spent outside Pakistan. Under rule 15 of the Revised Leave Rules 1980, you must make a specific request for it when you apply.

Can I show the NOC on my phone at the airport?

FIA's FAQ asks for the NOC in original. Carry the signed paper and a photocopy.

Is there a standard federal NOC form?

We found none on the DGIP, FIA or Establishment Division websites. Your department issues its own, so use its format.

Does long leave abroad affect promotion?

It can. ESTACODE says a civil servant on ex-Pakistan leave is considered for promotion only if the leave is less than one year.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 1 October 2026. We read the DGIP ordinary passport page for the NOC requirement; the FIA FAQ and FIA travellers' guide for the travel NOC and ex-Pakistan leave; the Revised Leave Rules 1980, rules 15, 28 and 29, in the Finance Division's 2018 compilation of the Fundamental Rules; and the 2021 ESTACODE published by the Establishment Division for the promotion rule. We found no federal NOC format and no published time limit for issuing one. DGIP's online passport portal refused our automated request, so its upload rules are not quoted here.