The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has introduced major updates to the apostille verification process for educational, legal, and commercial documents to improve accessibility and transparency.
Previously, obtaining appointments for apostille attestation was often hindered by agents monopolizing the slots and reselling them at inflated prices, taking advantage of applicants’ urgency.
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To address this issue, theMOFA has eliminated the appointment system entirely. Applicants can now directly visit designated centers in Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi for document verification.
Updated fee structure introduced
In addition to the procedural updates, a new fee structure has been introduced:
- Personal and educational documents: PKR 3,000 per document
- Legal documents: PKR 4,500 per document
- Commercial documents: PKR 12,000 per document
This is a significant increase from the previous rates of PKR 500, PKR 700, and PKR 3,000, respectively. The MOFA states that these changes are necessary to uphold service standards and cover administrative expenses.
Differentiating attestations
It is crucial to distinguish between Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation and Apostille attestation. Documents certified by the Ministry are valid for six months unless used, requiring re-certification after that period.
On the other hand, Apostille certification, governed by an international agreement under The Hague Conference, ensures permanent validity in 166 member countries, including Oman and Bahrain, where it is required.
