Pak ID app: overseas Pakistanis can register with a foreign mobile number, NADRA says

Overseas Pakistanis do not need a Pakistani mobile number to register on NADRA's Pak ID app or to apply for a NICOP, NADRA spokesperson Syed Shabahat Ali has said. A number from the country where you live works, as long as you choose that country when you sign up, ARY News reported on Tuesday 27 October.

The clarification came on a NADRA podcast after a Pakistani living in Canada asked why the app kept demanding a Pakistani SIM.

Why the app asks for a Pakistani number

The Pak ID app sends a one-time password (OTP) by SMS to verify every new account. If you pick Pakistan as your "country of stay", the system expects a Pakistani number for that OTP. Many overseas applicants choose Pakistan out of habit and then get stuck, or ask relatives at home to receive the code for them.

How to register with a foreign number

1. Download the Pak ID app from the official app store listing, or open the Pak ID portal from NADRA's own site.
2. When asked for your country of stay, choose the country where you actually live, for example Canada, the UAE, Saudi Arabia or the UK.
3. Enter your mobile number from that country and wait for the OTP.
4. Activate the account, then apply for a NICOP or another identity document from inside the app.

A mobile number is still required to activate your Pak ID digital identity; it simply does not have to be Pakistani.

Before you apply

NADRA has warned overseas Pakistanis that it has no agents and that applications should go only through Pak ID and official gov.pk websites (our story). Anyone offering to "register" you for a fee, or asking for your OTP, is not working for NADRA.

NICOP fees depend on the category and processing speed you choose. Check what your card should cost with our NADRA fee calculator before you pay.

Who this helps

Millions of Pakistanis live in the Gulf, the UK, Europe and North America, and many no longer keep a Pakistani SIM active. Being able to verify with a local number removes one of the most common reasons overseas applications stall.