ISLAMABAD: The Directorate General of Immigration and Passports (DGIP) is set to introduce nationwide home delivery of passports and launch a chatbot to help applicants, Passports DG Muhammad Ali Randhawa told Dawn on Sunday.

“Applicants will soon have the option to get passports delivered to their doorsteps,” he said, adding that discussions with a courier service company were under way for this purpose.

“After an agreement is signed, the facility will be available across the country. Under this initiative, passports of those ready to pay nominal courier charges will be shipped directly to their addresses from Islamabad,” he said.

Randhawa said authorities planned to extend the service to overseas Pakistanis in the second phase.

“Meanwhile, a chatbot will also be launched soon,” he said. “Applicants will be able to get guidelines through it on procedures and document requirements, and check the status of their passports after submission.”

He said this would also reduce the load on his department’s call centre, “which is also being expanded”.

Moreover, he said that a proposal to allow online submission of passport applications was under “serious” consideration.

“Officials are considering either launching a dedicated app similar to National Database Registration Authority’s (Nadra) Pak-ID or expanding the scope of Nadra’s app to accept passport applications,” he stated.

Randhawa added that the applicants would be able to upload old passports and photos on the app for registration and would be notified by email if additional documents were needed.

“The initiative will allow application submission 24/7 from anywhere … and will address human resource shortages,” Randhawa said.

He added that following the prime minister’s directions, blue passports had been approved for 42 top taxpayers designated as ambassadors at large, and most had already been issued.

“Another proposal for special-colored passports for businessmen paying taxes above a certain threshold is under consideration with input from the Ministry of Commerce and Federal Board of Revenue,” Randhawa said.

He also said that after June 30, passport fees would no longer be submitted at National Bank branches.

“Cashless transactions will be fully activated to end the role of the agent mafia. Tokens will carry a QR code that applicants can scan to pay through banking apps on their phones,” he maintained.