NADRA Online Services: Pak-ID App, CNIC, FRC and B-Form
NADRA (the National Database and Registration Authority) issues Pakistan’s identity documents, and most of its services can now be started from a phone in the Pak-ID mobile app, which the app stores list as “Pak Identity”. You can renew or change a CNIC, get a Family Registration Certificate or apply for a child’s B-Form in the app, track the application by sending your tracking ID to 8400, and call 1777 from a mobile for help.
Quick facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Official website | nadra.gov.pk |
| Official app | Pak-ID, listed as “Pak Identity” by National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) |
| Helpline | 1777 from a mobile phone, or 051-111-786-100. NADRA lists it as open 24 hours |
| Tracking | SMS your tracking ID to 8400, or use Tracking in the app |
| CNIC check by SMS | Send the 13-digit CNIC number to 7000 |
| What you need | CNIC number (the 13-digit number on your identity card), a mobile number and email, a phone with a camera, and a bank card or wallet |
| Cost | Depends on the document and how fast you want it. See NADRA’s fee structure page |
Pak Identity: what the Pak-ID app covers
Pak Identity is NADRA’s online application service. More guides are in our NADRA section.
- CNIC or Smart NIC: renewal, modification (name, address, marital status, photo) and reprint of a lost or damaged card.
- First CNIC at 18: possible in the app if your B-Form record already holds your photo, fingerprints and iris scan. If not, NADRA asks for one visit to a registration centre.
- NICOP and POC: the cards for overseas Pakistanis and people of Pakistani origin.
- Certificates: the Family Registration Certificate (FRC) and the Child Registration Certificate (CRC, or B-Form).
- Extras: application tracking in the app inbox, a view of your family record, and appointment booking for NADRA offices.
NADRA’s website also describes a Pak Identity web portal, but its own FAQ says a first CNIC cannot be applied for through the website, and in January 2025 the government announced that the app would replace the web portal. Start with the app. NADRA Registration Centres remain open for everything, and NADRA lists Pakistan Post counters for Smart NIC renewal, reprint and changes of address or marital status.
How to apply online, step by step
These steps follow the order NADRA gives on its Pak Identity page.
- Install “Pak Identity” and check that the developer is NADRA. Sign up with your mobile number and email, then log in.
- Pick the category. For a card, the path in the app is Identity Documents, then ID Card, then the applicant, then Renewal, Modification or Reprint.
- Take the photo with your phone camera when the app asks.
- Fill in every required field.
- Choose Normal, Urgent or Executive processing and pay the fee.
- Capture your fingerprints with the camera and sign on the screen.
- Upload the supporting documents the app lists for your application.
- Review everything and submit. Keep the tracking ID.
You choose delivery to your home address or collection from a NADRA centre.
Documents and biometric requirements
- Photo: the app takes a fresh one. A photo uploaded on the website must be less than six months old.
- Fingerprints and signature: captured live in the app. On the website you download a form, sign it, scan it and upload it.
- Supporting documents: uploaded as photos or files. The list depends on what you are applying for, and the app shows it before you pay.
- Attestation: the app verifies your attester by OTP, a one-time code. At a centre, a gazetted officer attests the form, or a blood relative gives their own biometrics instead.
- Payment: Visa or Mastercard debit and credit cards for all applications. NADRA also lists e-Sahulat, Easypaisa and JazzCash for Smart NIC and FRC applications.
NADRA holds the applicant responsible for the information entered. False details or forged documents can lead to legal action.
NADRA card tracking
- Find the tracking ID and PIN on your application slip.
- Send the tracking ID by SMS to 8400.
- Or open the app, choose Tracking, and enter the tracking ID and PIN. Applications made in the app also show their status in the inbox.
- Or call 1777 with the tracking ID.
Collect your card on time. NADRA says a card that is not collected is destroyed three months after its final delivery date, and you then have to apply and pay again. A valid CNIC is what other offices ask for first, from a passport application to a payment check on the 8171 web portal.
NADRA CNIC check by SMS
For a quick CNIC check online or by phone, NADRA’s own channels are the only safe ones.
- 7000: send a 13-digit CNIC number without dashes. The reply gives the name and father’s name registered on that card. It is a charged SMS.
- 8009: send your CNIC number and its issue date from the mobile number registered with NADRA. The reply lists the family members recorded against you. Reply 1 if someone is wrong, or 2 if the list is correct.
Both codes come from earlier NADRA announcements and are not shown on its current website. If you get no reply, check your family record in the app or call 1777. Websites that offer to show anyone’s CNIC details are not NADRA’s. Other official checks that use your CNIC, such as the SIM check on 668, are in our online portals directory.
FRC NADRA: Family Registration Certificate
The FRC is a certificate that shows your family as it stands in NADRA’s records. Embassies and other offices often ask for it as proof of family ties. There are three kinds:
- By birth: you with your parents and siblings.
- By marriage: you with your spouse and children.
- By adoption: you with your guardian.
To get it online, choose the FRC in the app, pick the type, check the family members shown, confirm the declaration that the data is correct, and pay. A family member who has no 13-digit NADRA number will not appear on it. If someone is missing or wrong, fix the record first, in the app or at a centre.
NADRA B-Form (CRC) basics
The B-Form, officially the Child Registration Certificate, is a child’s record with NADRA. Under rules NADRA announced in April 2026, a child gets it in three stages:
| Child’s age | What the B-Form holds | Valid until |
|---|---|---|
| Birth to 3 | No photograph | Age 3 |
| 3 to 10 | Photograph | Age 10 |
| 10 to 18 | Photograph, fingerprints and iris scan | Age 18 |
Before you apply, register the birth with your Union Council, make sure both parents’ CNICs are valid, and check that the parents are recorded as married in NADRA’s data. Parents can apply in the app or at a centre. For the photo and biometric stages the child may have to visit a centre, and the app tells you when.
Fees and urgency categories
NADRA has three speeds: Normal, Urgent and Executive. The fee depends on the document, on whether it is new, a renewal or a modification, and on the speed you pick. Amounts change, so read the current table on NADRA’s fee structure page, or look at the figure the app shows before you pay.
Problems and fixes
- Blocked CNIC: call 1777 to learn the reason, then go to a NADRA Registration Centre with your original card and supporting papers. The fix depends on why the card was blocked.
- Biometric failure: clean the camera lens, use good light and follow the on-screen guide. If the fingerprints still fail, book an appointment in the app and give them at a centre.
- Data correction: use Modification for the card. Family record mistakes can be reported in the app or at a centre.
- Changed mobile number: the 8009 family check works only from the number NADRA holds for you. Update it at a registration centre.
- Fake sites and agents: never give your OTP, PIN or password to anyone who offers to “process” your card.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Pak Identity the official NADRA app?
Yes, when the developer shown in the store is National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA). NADRA calls it the Pak-ID mobile app.
Can I get my first CNIC online?
Only if your B-Form record already has your photo, fingerprints and iris scan. Otherwise you need one visit to a NADRA centre.
How do I check my NADRA card status?
Send your tracking ID to 8400, use Tracking in the app with the ID and PIN, or call 1777.
How do I get an FRC online?
Choose the FRC in the Pak-ID app, pick the type, confirm your family members and pay the fee.
What is the NADRA helpline number?
Dial 1777 from a mobile phone or 051-111-786-100 from a landline.