NADRA warns overseas Pakistanis: it has no agents, use only Pak ID app and gov.pk sites

NADRA has told overseas Pakistanis not to share their personal information with anyone who claims to work for or with the authority, because NADRA has no approved consultants, agents or dealers anywhere. The warning, reported by ARY News on 20 October 2026, is aimed at Pakistanis abroad who apply for a NICOP, a CNIC renewal, a family registration certificate or other identity documents through middlemen.

What NADRA said

According to the report, NADRA's message has three points:

• NADRA has no authorised consultants, agents or dealers who can process identity documents or submit online applications on its behalf.
• Overseas Pakistanis should not give personal details, documents or login information to people or companies claiming a link to NADRA.
• NADRA services are available only through its own channels.

The only official channels

If you live in the Gulf, the UK, Europe or North America, these are the ways NADRA says you can apply:

1. Pak ID mobile app, NADRA's own app for NICOP, CNIC and other online applications.
2. Official websites ending in gov.pk. A site that ends in .com, .pk without gov, or anything else is not NADRA, however official it looks.
3. NADRA counters at Pakistani embassies and consulates abroad, for services you need to complete in person.
4. NADRA Registration Centres (NRCs) in Pakistan, if you are visiting home. NADRA lists its centres and embassy counters on its website.

Why this matters

Agents who promise faster NICOP delivery or "guaranteed" processing usually ask for copies of your CNIC, passport, photographs and sometimes your app login or one-time passwords. That gives a stranger everything needed to misuse your identity, file applications in your name or take payments for services NADRA never received. Since NADRA does not appoint agents, anything you pay an agent is on top of the official fee and NADRA cannot help you recover it.

What to do

• Apply yourself through Pak ID. The app takes your photograph, fingerprints and signature on the phone, and you pay the official fee by card.
• Before paying anyone, check the official fee for your document with our NADRA fee calculator, which shows the normal, urgent and executive charges.
• Never share an OTP or your Pak ID password. NADRA staff do not ask for them.
• If a website or WhatsApp account says it is "NADRA approved", treat it as a warning sign and use only a gov.pk address.
• If you have already paid an agent, keep the receipts and messages, and contact NADRA through its official website or the embassy counter where you live.

The warning does not change NADRA's fees or procedures. It is a reminder that every NADRA service for Pakistanis abroad can be done directly, without a middleman.