Pakistan to facilitate passports for 15,000 expats for Spain Regularisation Scheme

2026-03-25 - 09:30

ISLAMABAD – The federal government decided to facilitate Pakistani expats under Spain Regularisation Scheme to regular undocumented migrants, through which approximately 15,000 Pakistanis are expected to benefit alongside other nationalities. A high-level meeting chaired by Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Salik Hussain reviewed progress on obtaining Spanish residency cards for Pakistani citizens. The meeting was attended by State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry, the Federal Interior Secretary, Secretary for Overseas Pakistanis, Director General FIA, Additional Foreign Secretary, and senior officials from NADRA and the passport department. Pakistan’s Ambassador to Spain Dr. Zahoor Ahmed, Consul General in Barcelona Muhammad Ali Wazir, and the Community Welfare Attaché joined the session via video link. During the meeting, Salik Hussain said that prior to the registration process under the Spain Regularisation Scheme, Pakistani citizens will be provided passports and other required documents within a week. He added that nearly 15,000 Pakistanis are expected to benefit from the programme. He also expressed gratitude to the Interior Ministry for extending full support to Pakistanis residing in Spain. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi reiterated that the swift issuance of passports to overseas Pakistanis remains a top priority. Naqvi directed that passports must not be issued to any convicted or wanted individuals. He further instructed authorities to provide additional staff to embassies to strengthen passport services. The interior minister noted that the National Police Bureau has streamlined and expedited the verification process for character certificates, adding that such certificates are now being issued on a priority basis. Pakistan’s ambassador to Spain and the consul general in Barcelona briefed the participants in detail, stating that all relevant institutions are working in coordination to ensure timely availability of essential documents for Pakistani citizens. They added that the issuance process for both character certificates and passports has significantly improved, with Pakistan’s embassy and consulate having already issued authority letters to around 10,000 individuals. Overseas Pakistanis contribute $40bn in remittances, claims Law Minister Tarar