PESHAWAR: While officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintain that no uniform fee is charged for document attestation at the federal level, complaints persist that several Pakistani embassies and consulates abroad impose comparatively high charges on applicants, and they demand that PM Shehbaz Sharif give them relief.
According to officials, there is no single global fee structure, as each embassy follows its own consular fee schedule in line with the host country’s regulations. Fees for Pakistan Missions Abroad are generally charged in local currencies such as US dollars, euros, UAE dirhams, or Saudi riyals, depending on the country of service.
However, concerns have been raised that some missions, particularly in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, are reportedly charging in US dollars instead of local currency. Overseas Pakistanis seeking employment abroad say they are often required to attest documents, including university degrees, school certificates, and other personal records from the Higher Education Commission, relevant examination boards, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad, before submission abroad.
A list of attestation charges circulating in official notifications shows varying rates for different countries and document types, including police character certificates and affidavits (around USD 4), gift undertakings (AED 40 per page), commercial documents for Argentina (USD 200), and varying charges for countries such as Chile, Peru, and Uruguay (USD 60). Other examples include power of attorney documents in European countries, ranging between €12 and €22, while attestation of Pakistani documents in some jurisdictions is listed at around €10 per page.
Despite these notified rates, applicants allege that in practice, additional costs and unofficial facilitation charges are often demanded through agents operating in and outside Pakistan. They claim that in several cases, re-verification of documents is also required by foreign employers, further increasing financial and administrative burden.
Overseas Pakistanis also report that attestation fees are sometimes charged per page, significantly increasing total costs for lengthy documents.
Critics argue that the rising costs, coupled with complex procedures, are placing extra pressure on Pakistanis seeking employment abroad. They say successive governments have failed to streamline the process or improve coordination between relevant institutions.
Concerns were also raised about Pakistan’s international image, with some observers linking administrative inefficiencies and broader geopolitical perceptions to challenges faced by workers abroad. Policy experts have urged authorities to simplify procedures and provide relief to overseas Pakistanis, describing them as a key source of foreign remittances and national economic support.
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