Civil servants get 90 days to declare foreign nationality, spouse and dependents under 2026 rules

Pakistan's federal civil servants now have 90 days to declare any foreign nationality they hold, along with that of their dependents and any marriage to a foreign citizen. The Establishment Division sent an office memorandum dated 21 October 2026 to every ministry and division, asking them to collect the declarations under the new Civil Servants (Disclosure and Regulation of Foreign Nationality) Rules, 2026, ARY News and ProPakistani reported on Thursday.

What civil servants must declare

The declaration, on a proforma the Establishment Division has issued with the memorandum, covers:

• the officer's own citizenship, including any second nationality;
• any passport or travel document issued by another country;
• the nationality status and foreign travel documents of dependents (spouse and children);
• a marriage to a foreign citizen.

ProPakistani reported that the 90 days run from the date the rules are notified in the Gazette of Pakistan. Neither report gave that gazette date, so the exact last day has not been published yet. An earlier ARY News report had spoken of a one-week deadline; the memorandum as now reported sets 90 days.

What ministries must send back

Each ministry and division has to send the Establishment Division a consolidated list for the officers under its administrative control: name, designation and basic pay scale (BPS), whether the declaration has been filed, and the foreign nationality or travel document status of the officer and dependents.

What happens if an officer does not declare

Under rule 3(4) of the new rules, not filing the declaration, or filing a false one, counts as misconduct under the Civil Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 2020. That is the same code used for any disciplinary case against a federal employee, and its penalties run from censure and withheld increments to reduction in rank, compulsory retirement or dismissal, depending on the finding.

Why it matters

Dual nationality among senior officials has been argued over in Pakistan for more than a decade. Members of parliament already cannot hold a foreign nationality under Article 63(1)(c) of the Constitution, but civil servants have never had one clear disclosure rule. The 2026 rules give the government a full record of who holds what, and leave room for later decisions on which posts a dual national may hold.

What to do if you are a federal employee

1. Wait for your ministry or attached department to circulate the proforma; it goes through your administrative wing, not directly to the Establishment Division.
2. Gather your passports, any foreign national ID or residence card, and those of your spouse and children.
3. File the declaration well inside 90 days of the gazette notification and keep a signed copy.
4. If you have given up a foreign nationality, keep the renunciation certificate with your copy.

Officers working out what a disciplinary penalty such as a withheld increment would cost them can run their figures through our salary increment calculator, and anyone planning retirement can check commutation through the gratuity calculator.