Pakistan Origin Card (POC): Eligibility, Fee and How to Apply

By author Published October 17, 2026 Uncategorized

A Pakistan Origin Card (POC) is an identity document issued by NADRA under Section 11 of the NADRA Ordinance, 2000, to foreign nationals of Pakistani origin — former Pakistani citizens, their children and grandchildren, and foreign spouses of Pakistani citizens. It grants visa-free entry, indefinite stay, and property and banking rights in Pakistan without requiring the holder to give up their current nationality. As of 2026, a new POC costs $150 (Normal), $200 (Urgent), or $250 (Executive), and is valid for 5 to 7 years depending on the applicant’s category.

What Is a Pakistan Origin Card (POC)?

NADRA launched the POC scheme in 2002 under Section 11 of the NADRA Ordinance, 2000, and the application process is governed by the NADRA (Pakistan Origin Card) Rules, 2002. The card exists for a specific group: people with genuine Pakistani roots who are not, and do not want to become, Pakistani citizens.

That distinction matters. A POC is not a visa and it is not citizenship — it sits in between. The holder keeps their current nationality in full, but gains rights inside Pakistan that an ordinary tourist or business visa cannot offer: indefinite stay, exemption from police and foreigner-registration reporting, and the right to buy, sell, and hold property and bank accounts in the country.

In practical terms, NADRA built the POC for three kinds of people: someone who once held Pakistani nationality and formally gave it up, a foreigner whose parents or grandparents were Pakistani nationals, and a foreign spouse of a Pakistani citizen. Each category carries its own paperwork and, as the sections below show, its own card validity period.

POC vs NICOP vs CNIC: What’s the Difference?

People with any Pakistani family connection are often unsure which of NADRA’s three main cards applies to them. The short answer: it depends on whether you hold Pakistani citizenship and whether your country of residence allows dual nationality with Pakistan.

Card	Who it’s for	Citizenship status	Typical validity
CNIC	Pakistani citizens living inside Pakistan	Sole Pakistani citizen	10 years
NICOP	Pakistani citizens living abroad, including dual nationals	Pakistani citizen (dual nationality allowed)	10 years
POC	Foreign nationals of Pakistani origin who are not Pakistani citizens	Foreign citizen only — no Pakistani citizenship	5–7 years, by category

The practical test is simple: if you are a citizen of a country that has a dual-nationality agreement with Pakistan (the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and several others), you generally apply for NICOP, not POC, since NICOP lets you keep both nationalities and carries full citizen rights. POC exists for people who cannot or do not hold Pakistani citizenship at all — either because they renounced it, were never citizens, or are citizens of a country without a dual-nationality arrangement with Pakistan.

Who Is Eligible for a Pakistan Origin Card?

You can apply for a POC if you fall into one of these categories:

You were previously a Pakistani citizen and formally surrendered that nationality
You are a foreign national married to a Pakistani citizen or NICOP holder
You are a foreign national whose parent or grandparent is, or was, a Pakistani national
You are a foreign national whose sibling or another relative is, or was, a Pakistani national, provided you can show at least one living relative who holds Pakistani nationality

Who is not eligible

Nationals of India, Israel, and Taiwan cannot apply for a POC, nor can nationals of any country or state not recognized by Pakistan, or of a country Pakistan designates as hostile. Pakistani citizens who hold dual nationality, or who are abroad on a work or residence permit while retaining Pakistani citizenship, are also not eligible for POC — they apply for NICOP instead, since POC is reserved for people who are not Pakistani citizens.

A note on this list: older NADRA guidance from over a decade ago named a longer set of excluded countries. Current guidance consistently names only India, Israel, and Taiwan as specific exclusions, alongside the broader unrecognized-state and hostile-country provisions. Because eligibility by nationality is a legal threshold question rather than a procedural one, anyone relying on this for a specific application should have it confirmed against NADRA’s current policy before filing — this is exactly the kind of check our team runs before we submit a case.

Documents Required for POC Application

The exact document set depends on which eligibility category you’re applying under — you won’t need every item below, only the ones that match your situation.

Original old CNIC, CRC, or NICOP, if you previously held one
A completed application for cancellation of your existing CNIC/CRC/NICOP, mandatory if you are over 21
A renunciation certificate confirming cancellation of Pakistani nationality (for former citizens)
An affidavit, where required of foreign nationals applying on family grounds
Passport, CNIC, POC, or NICOP of your Pakistani parent(s) or grandparent(s), plus documentary proof of the relationship (birth certificate, family registration certificate)
Passport, CNIC, POC, or NICOP of a Pakistani sibling or relative, plus proof of that relationship, for applications made on that basis
An attested marriage certificate and your spouse’s CNIC, NICOP, or passport, for spouse-based applications
Your own valid foreign passport
Two recent passport-style photographs

All documents are uploaded in PDF format through the online portal; nothing is mailed or submitted in person. Because the required set varies by category, and because missing or mismatched documentation is the single most common cause of delay, it’s worth having your specific document list reviewed before you submit rather than after NADRA raises an objection.

Pakistan Origin Card Fee (2026)

NADRA prices POC in US dollars regardless of where you apply from, across three processing speeds:

Service	Normal	Urgent	Executive
New or renewed POC	$150	$200	$250

This fee structure is corroborated by two independent, dated sources: NADRA’s own chairman cited these exact figures to Pakistan’s Supreme Court in November 2024 (Aaj English), and a NADRA fee-structure announcement reported in September 2026 lists the identical amounts (ARY News). In other words, this fee has held steady for at least two years and is current as of this guide’s last review.

Older guidance also lists separate fees for modifying an existing POC’s data (historically $200–$300 depending on speed) and for cancelling a POC ($15). These figures are less recently verified, so treat them as directional and confirm the current amount on NADRA’s portal before paying.

Payment is made online by debit or credit card at the time of submission; NADRA does not accept fee payment at Pakistani embassies or consulates for POC applications.

How to Apply for POC Online: Step-by-Step

POC is issued exclusively through NADRA’s Pak Identity web portal at id.nadra.gov.pk. Manual, walk-in booking has been discontinued, and Pakistani embassies and consulates no longer process POC applications directly — they consistently redirect applicants to the online portal and state they cannot help with portal issues.

Create an account on the Pak Identity portal using a valid email address and phone number
Verify the account using the OTP sent by SMS or email
Log in and select “Apply for POC” (or the renewal/cancellation option if that applies to you)
Complete the application form with your personal, family, and eligibility-category details
Upload all supporting documents in PDF format
Review the form carefully — incomplete or inconsistent entries are a common cause of rejection
Pay the applicable fee online by debit or credit card
Track your application status through the portal until the card is issued and dispatched

For technical or account issues with the portal itself, NADRA’s dedicated support channels are info.pakid@nadra.gov.pk, support.pakid@nadra.gov.pk, or +92-51-111-786-100. Embassies and consulates cannot resolve online application problems, so contacting them about portal issues will only add delay.

Validity, Processing Time, and Delivery

A number of older guides online state that POC is valid for 10 years. That figure describes NICOP, not POC, and the mix-up has been repeated widely enough that it’s worth correcting directly: a NADRA regulatory update reported on October 10, 2026 confirms POC validity actually ranges from five to seven years, broken down as follows:

POC category	Validity
Ex-Pakistani, parents-based, or FPO-family-based	7 years
Spouse-based	5 years

The shorter validity for spouse-based cards isn’t an oversight — it reflects a period of heightened scrutiny of this category, covered in more detail below.

Processing and delivery times are the same across POC and NADRA’s other identity cards: 31 days under Normal service, 23 days under Urgent, and 9 days under Executive. These are NADRA’s own stated timelines; real-world delivery can run longer when documentation needs clarification or when an application is flagged for additional review, which is more likely for spouse-based and relative-based categories than for direct parent-based ones.

Common Reasons POC Applications Get Rejected

Most rejections and delays trace back to a small set of recurring issues:

Missing cancellation of a prior CNIC/CRC/NICOP. Applicants over 21 who still hold an old Pakistani identity document must formally apply to cancel it first; skipping this step is a frequent cause of rejection.
Incorrect or missing NADRA card numbers. Applications that don’t correctly reference a 13-digit NADRA card number for a linked family member are commonly bounced back, requiring a fresh submission and a fresh fee.
Weak or incomplete proof of relationship. Claims based on a parent, grandparent, sibling, or spouse need documentary proof — a birth or marriage certificate, or a family registration certificate — not just a claimed connection.
Expired documents belonging to the Pakistani relative. If the parent’s or spouse’s own NADRA card has expired, their card generally needs to be renewed before your application can proceed.
Inconsistent personal details. Name spellings, dates of birth, or other details that don’t match across your passport, birth certificate, and application form routinely trigger manual review and delay.
Heightened scrutiny on spouse-based applications. Since the 2018 restrictions on spousal POCs (discussed below), this category faces closer security vetting than parent- or grandparent-based applications.

When an application is rejected or stalls for months without explanation, it typically isn’t a simple paperwork fix — it’s worth having someone review the specific grounds for refusal before resubmitting, since a second rejection on the same defect can cost more time than the first.

Renewing or Replacing a Lost POC

Renewal. Since POC now expires after 5 or 7 years rather than 10, renewal comes around sooner than many holders expect. Renewal is done through the same Pak Identity portal: log in, select the POC option, and choose “My Pakistan Origin Card has expired” (or the equivalent renewal option) rather than starting a fresh new-card application. You’ll re-upload current documents and pay the applicable renewal fee at your chosen processing speed.

Lost or damaged cards. NADRA’s general practice for lost or damaged identity cards is to apply for a reissuance through the same portal rather than a brand-new application, generally supported by a declaration of loss. Because NADRA doesn’t publish a POC-specific lost-card procedure as clearly as it does for CNIC, and because a lost POC can affect property or bank access in the meantime, applicants in this situation are better served confirming the current process directly with NADRA or with legal counsel before assuming the standard renewal path applies.

In both cases, starting the process well before the current card’s expiry avoids the gap where your visa-free entry and other POC rights are not in effect.

Dual Nationality and Legal Considerations for POC Holders

The spouse-based POC category has a history worth knowing before you rely on it. Around 2017–2018, Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior suspended new issuance and renewal of spouse-based POCs entirely, on the recommendation of security agencies. Reporting at the time put the number of affected foreign spouses at roughly 3,500 — people who, overnight, could no longer renew an expiring card, access bank accounts, or deal with property held in Pakistan under their POC status (The Express Tribune, via LEAP Pakistan; The News on Sunday).

That episode produced real litigation. In C.P. No. D-1830 of 2019, the Sindh High Court heard a petition from a foreign spouse whose POC — first issued in 2003 and renewed for years afterward — was suddenly not renewed, and the court directed NADRA to process the matter in accordance with the 2002 POC Rules. A more recent case, C.P. No. D-2358 of 2025, shows the same pattern continuing: petitioners challenging a stalled or refused POC matter, with the court ordering NADRA to process the application within a fixed timeframe once procedural objections were addressed.

The practical takeaway is that the shorter five-year validity now attached to spouse-based POCs isn’t arbitrary — it’s a direct legacy of that period of tightened scrutiny, and this category continues to face closer review than parent- or grandparent-based applications. If you’re applying on the basis of marriage, or if an existing POC has been delayed, queried, or refused without a clear explanation, that’s a genuinely different situation from a routine first-time application, and it’s the kind of matter where involving a lawyer familiar with NADRA practice — rather than resubmitting the same application and hoping for a different outcome — tends to produce a faster resolution.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is a Pakistan Origin Card valid for?

Five years for spouse-based POCs, seven years for ex-Pakistani, parent-based, and FPO-family-based POCs — not 10 years, which is a common but incorrect figure often confused with NICOP’s validity.

Can grandchildren of Pakistani origin apply for POC?

Yes. A foreign national whose grandparent was a Pakistani national is an eligible category, provided the relationship is documented.

What is the difference between POC and NICOP?

NICOP is for people who hold Pakistani citizenship, including dual nationals living abroad. POC is for foreign nationals of Pakistani origin who are not Pakistani citizens at all.

Can a POC holder get a Pakistani passport or citizenship?

No. A POC confirms Pakistani origin and grants specific residency, property, and banking rights — it does not confer citizenship or entitle the holder to a Pakistani passport.

Are Indian nationals eligible for a Pakistan Origin Card?

No. Nationals of India, Israel, and Taiwan are specifically excluded from POC eligibility, along with nationals of states not recognized by Pakistan.

How long does it take to get a POC?

NADRA states 31 days for Normal processing, 23 days for Urgent, and 9 days for Executive, though applications needing additional document verification can take longer.

Can a POC be converted into a NICOP?

POC and NICOP serve different citizenship statuses, so moving from one to the other isn’t a simple conversion — it depends on whether your underlying nationality situation has changed, and is worth confirming with a professional before assuming either path.

What should I do if my POC application is rejected?

Identify the specific ground for rejection before resubmitting. Common causes — uncancelled old ID documents, weak proof of relationship, or expired linked family cards — are fixable, but resubmitting without addressing the actual defect usually produces the same result.

Need Help With Your POC Application?

Most first-time POC applications go through NADRA’s portal without incident when the eligibility category and documents are right from the start. Where it’s genuinely worth getting legal input first is a narrower set of situations: spouse-based applications given their history of extra scrutiny, cases involving contested or ambiguous proof of Pakistani origin, an application that’s already been rejected or has stalled for months without explanation, or a renewal complicated by a lapsed or disputed family NADRA card. As the Sindh High Court cases above show, these situations sometimes need more than a resubmitted form — they need someone who can assess the specific grounds for refusal and, where necessary, pursue the matter formally. If that describes your situation, our team can review your eligibility, documentation, and any correspondence from NADRA before you file or refile.

Sources

This article is general information about the law in Pakistan, not legal advice for your situation.