The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recently announced substantial changes to the apostille verification process for educational, legal, and commercial documents, aimed at improving accessibility and transparency.
Previously, securing appointments for apostille attestation often involved navigating agent monopolies, who would resell them at inflated prices, taking advantage of urgent applicants.
To address this issue, the Ministry has abolished the appointment system entirely. Now, applicants can directly visit designated centers in Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi for document verification.
A new fee structure has also 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
These rates represent a significant increase from previous fees of PKR 500, PKR 700, and PKR 3,000, respectively. The Ministry justifies these adjustments as necessary to uphold service standards and cover administrative costs.
It is crucial to distinguish between Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation and Apostille attestation. Documents certified by the Ministry are valid for six months from certification unless utilized, requiring re-certification afterward.
In contrast, Apostille certification, governed by an international agreement through The Hague Conference, ensures perpetual validity across 166 member countries. This includes mandatory recognition in countries like Oman and Bahrain.
