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Apostille in Pakistan: the online registration, fees and offices for Australia and NZ documents

Tips · 2026-10-11 · 7 min read

Pakistan joined the Hague Apostille Convention, which came into force for the country on 9 March 2023, after it acceded on 8 July 2022. Since Australia and New Zealand are also parties to the same Convention, a Pakistani document carrying an apostille from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is accepted in both countries without the longer, older-style attestation chain. The step most applicants miss: as of 27 July 2026, MOFA will not accept an apostille request without online registration first.

What an apostille actually replaces

Before Pakistan joined the Convention, a document headed overseas typically needed a longer attestation chain: verification at the issuing department, then at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then often at the destination country's own embassy or consulate in Pakistan. An apostille replaces that final embassy step with a single certificate from MOFA that both Australia and New Zealand recognise directly, because both countries are themselves parties to the Convention.

Why one apostille now covers Australia and New Zealand

Australia has been a party to the Hague Apostille Convention since it came into force there on 16 March 1995, and New Zealand since 22 November 2001. Because Pakistan is now a party too, from 9 March 2023 (see the HCCH status table), documents issued in Pakistan can be apostilled once by MOFA and accepted directly by Australian and New Zealand authorities, instead of being legalised separately through each country's embassy.

What changed: online registration comes first

MOFA states that from Monday 27 July 2026, apostille requests are not accepted without prior online registration at apostille.mofa.gov.pk. This replaced an earlier notice, from 5 March 2026, that the portal itself was suspended, so applicants who tried before and found the portal down should check again: it is back, and now it is the required starting point, not an optional shortcut.

Where your documents get processed

Once registered online, apostille requests are processed in Islamabad or at MOFA's offices in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta and Gujrat. Pick the office nearest you for in-person steps, but the online registration itself is the same system wherever you live.

MOFA's apostille fees

MOFA's apostille fee schedule, revised with effect from 8 July 2024, charges by document type.

How to get a document apostilled

1. Work out which category your document falls into: personal/educational, legal, or commercial, since the fee differs for each.
2. Register online at apostille.mofa.gov.pk before doing anything else; MOFA will not accept a request without this step.
3. Choose the MOFA office that will process your request: Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta or Gujrat.
4. Pay the applicable fee for each document (Rs. 3,000, Rs. 4,500 or Rs. 12,000 depending on type).
5. Collect your apostilled document, and keep both the original and any translation together for your visa application.

If your document is not in English

For an Australian visa, all non-English documents must be translated into English, with both the original and the translation provided. Translators outside Australia do not need to be accredited, but they must include their full name, address, phone number and language qualifications and experience on the translation itself. Get this translation done alongside your apostille, not as an afterthought once your visa application is already underway.

Getting help with your apostille

MOFA's Consular Section runs a help desk for apostille queries on WhatsApp at +92 307 1339682. Use it if the online registration system is unclear or if you are not sure which office to choose, rather than guessing or paying someone else to sort it out for you.

Planning around the timing

Because apostille requests now depend on an online registration step that did not always work smoothly (MOFA itself had to reverse a suspension of the portal earlier in 2026), build in extra time rather than registering the week before a visa deadline. Processing at a MOFA office still takes time after your registration is accepted, and a visa application is rarely improved by documents that arrive apostilled at the last possible moment.

Once your documents are ready

Apostilled documents are only one part of a visa file. If you are applying for a trade role, our manufacturing jobs page and listings such as a boilermaker and metal fabricator role in Perth or a carpenter position in Cairns show what is currently advertised. For the visa itself, our guides to Australia's Skills in Demand (482) visa and New Zealand's AEWV set out what else the application needs.

Personal, legal or commercial: getting the category right

MOFA's three fee categories cover different kinds of paperwork. Personal and educational documents are things like birth certificates, marriage certificates, academic transcripts and degree certificates: the ones most individual visa applicants deal with. Legal documents include affidavits, powers of attorney and court-related paperwork. Commercial documents cover business and trade-related certificates, which is why they carry the highest fee. If you are not sure which category your document falls into, ask MOFA's help desk before you pay rather than guessing and having to redo the payment.

For the full rupee breakdown across every document stop, not just the apostille step, see our guide to what your documents cost in Pakistan before going abroad.

Common mistakes applicants make

Trying to lodge an apostille request without registering online first, which MOFA will not accept as of 27 July 2026. Assuming the portal is still suspended because it was down back in March 2026, without checking its current status. Paying the wrong fee because the document was filed under the wrong category (personal, legal or commercial). Getting a document apostilled but skipping the English translation it also needs for an Australian visa.

Frequently asked questions

Does Pakistan's apostille work for an Australian or New Zealand visa?

Yes. Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand are all parties to the Hague Apostille Convention, so a MOFA apostille is accepted in both countries without separate embassy legalisation.

Do I need to register online before requesting an apostille?

Yes, since 27 July 2026. MOFA will not accept an apostille request without prior online registration at apostille.mofa.gov.pk.

Which MOFA offices process apostille requests?

Islamabad, along with MOFA offices in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta and Gujrat; choose whichever office is nearest once your online registration is done.

How much does an apostille cost per document?

Rs. 3,000 for personal and educational documents, Rs. 4,500 for legal documents and Rs. 12,000 for commercial documents, under the fee schedule revised from 8 July 2024.

Do I still need a translation if my document is apostilled?

For an Australian visa, yes: non-English documents must be translated into English, with both the original and the translation submitted together.

Who can I contact if I am unsure about the apostille process?

MOFA's Consular Section runs a help desk for apostille queries on WhatsApp at +92 307 1339682, which is useful if the online registration portal or the office choice is unclear.

Key takeaways

• Pakistan's apostille, in force since 9 March 2023, is accepted directly in Australia and New Zealand, both Convention parties.
• Since 27 July 2026, MOFA requires online registration at apostille.mofa.gov.pk before accepting any apostille request.
• Requests are processed in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta or Gujrat.
• Fees run from Rs. 3,000 for personal and educational documents to Rs. 12,000 for commercial documents.
• Non-English documents still need a full English translation alongside the apostille for an Australian visa.
• MOFA's WhatsApp help desk (+92 307 1339682) is there if the process is unclear.

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