The Pakistani government has introduced enticing incentives for specific overseas Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia, including the provision of urgent passports free of charge.
These incentives are accessible to overseas Pakistanis who remit foreign exchange to Pakistan through banking channels. The Pakistan Embassy in Saudi Arabia issues different types of Foreign Exchange Remittance Cards (FERC) based on the amount remitted, which also entitles them to duty credits at airports.
The categories of FERCs and their corresponding remittance amounts and incentives are as follows:
| Type of Foreign Exchange Remittance Card (FERC) | Amount Remitted through Banking channels (in US $ or equivalent foreign currency) | Duty Credit in Pakistani Rupees |
| Silver | 2500 or more | 2500 |
| Silver Plus | 5000 or more | 5000 |
| Golden | 10,000 or more | 10,000 |
| Golden Plus | 25,000 or more | 25,000 |
| Platinum | 50,000 or more | 50,000 |
To obtain the FER Card, applicants need to provide:
- Blank Remittance Book and Application Forms from the Welfare Wing of the Embassy of Pakistan in Riyadh
- Photocopies of the first 2 pages of a valid passport
- Photocopy of a valid Iqama
- Two 1×1 inch photographs
- Original bank receipts/vouchers regarding remittance of foreign exchange to Pakistan
Upon verification of bank receipts/vouchers and attestation of entries in the Remittance Book, applicants are issued the FER Card.
Additionally, holders of Golden, Golden Plus, and Platinum Cards can obtain urgent passports free of cost from the Embassy, as of March 2024. However, the urgent fee for a 36-page passport with a five-year validity is 140 Saudi Riyal, while it amounts to 252 and 336 Saudi Riyal for 72 and 100-page passports, respectively.
[embedpost slug=”/pakistan-e-passport-fee-with-advanced-security-features/”]
