Audit Report Flags Foreign Ministry Over Sixfold Increase in Apostille Certificate Fees
Pakistan's Auditor General has questioned the Foreign Ministry's decision to raise Apostille certification fees by up to six times and outsource courier services without open tenders, noting the new rates were set without Finance Division approval or official Gazette notification.
An audit report by the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) has raised objections over the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' decision to sharply increase Apostille certification fees and to outsource courier services to private firms allegedly without open competitive tenders, according to the audit report for financial year 2024-25.
The report states that the ministry revised Apostille fees on July 8, 2024, without obtaining prior approval from the Finance Division and reportedly without publishing the revised rates in the official Gazette. Under the new schedule, the fee for personal documents rose from Rs. 500 to Rs. 3,000, legal documents from Rs. 700 to Rs. 4,500, and commercial documents from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 12,000.
The AGP cited Rule 18 of the Financial Management and Powers of Principal Accounting Officers Regulations 2021, which requires prior consultation with the Finance Division on decisions carrying financial implications, including the imposition of fees and other charges. It also referenced Clause 4 of the Apostille Act 2024, under which the competent authority may set fees through a notification in the official Gazette. The audit maintained that the new rates should have been fixed with the Finance Division's approval and through the prescribed legal process.
During discussions held on November 21, 2025, the ministry assured the audit team it would provide a copy of the relevant approval, but no documentary evidence was submitted before the report was finalized. At a Departmental Accounts Committee (DAC) meeting on December 19, 2025, the ministry argued that setting service charges falls within the prerogative of the competent authority under the Apostille Act 2024. The audit stood by its objection, and the DAC directed the ministry to raise the matter with the Finance Division.
The revised rates directly affect anyone seeking Apostille certification for study, work, or immigration abroad. Under the previous schedule, a person apostilling three personal documents, such as a degree, transcript, and birth certificate, would have paid Rs. 1,500 in fees; the same documents now cost Rs. 9,000, an additional Rs. 7,500. Legal documents cost Rs. 3,800 more than before, while businesses pay Rs. 9,000 more for each commercial document, with courier charges for collection and delivery added on top.
The audit has not cancelled the new fees. The DAC has only instructed the ministry to take up the matter with the Finance Division and the Law and Justice Division, meaning the revised rates remain in effect unless the government decides otherwise.
