NADRA
Last Updated: October 2026
If your NICOP has expired and you fly to Pakistan on a foreign passport, airlines have been told to refuse you boarding unless you also hold a Pakistani visa. Officials announced this on 15 July 2026 and said no exception would be made. A valid Pakistani passport is the other way in, and a valid NICOP is not affected: it still lets a foreign-passport holder enter without a visa.
This page sets out what officials said, what none of the statements we found covers, and the quickest route to a valid card. We found no published copy of the directive, only press reports of what officials said, so the wording below is as reported. It is information, not legal or immigration advice.
The rule in one table
| What you hold | What the reports say |
|---|---|
| A foreign passport and a valid NICOP | Entry without a visa continues as before. A government spokesperson said so on 15 July (Geo News), and the UK Foreign Office advice says a valid NICOP or Smart NICOP is recognised as proof of Pakistani citizenship, with entry without a visa and no limit on the stay |
| A foreign passport and an expired, invalid or cancelled NICOP | You must hold a valid Pakistani visa before you board. Airlines were told to verify NICOP validity before boarding and to refuse carriage otherwise (Dawn) |
| A valid Pakistani passport | Still open. The spokesperson said airlines must not board such passengers without a valid Pakistani visa or Pakistani passport, and Business Recorder lists a valid Pakistani passport among the accepted documents |
Important: officials said no exception will be made. Airlines were told to check before boarding, and immigration at the entry points was notified as well, so an expired card can stop you at either end. Do not plan a trip around an expired card, a renewal receipt or the hope of being waved through.
What was announced, and when
- 15 July 2026, Dawn. Officials said the government had issued immediate directives to all zonal directors of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to tell every airline flying to Pakistan that holders of an invalid, expired or cancelled NICOP would no longer be allowed to board. They said the decision was not specific to any country.
- 15 July, Geo News and Pakistan Today. A government spokesperson said reports that all British passport holders would be barred were incorrect and misleading, that the instructions cover travellers from every country, and that airline station managers had been told to brief their check-in staff.
- 16 July, Business Recorder and Gulf News. Business Recorder reported that immigration authorities at all entry points had been notified. Gulf News reported that the confusion began with an airline advisory that readers took to mean every British Pakistani needed a Pakistani passport or visa from 17 July.
In Dawn’s report a senior FIA official said the law on valid travel documents was already in place and that the directive was about strict enforcement. The same official said the move brings travel into line with other services, where an expired CNIC or NICOP already leads to suspension of banking, SIM and property rights. ProPakistani, summarising reports in the Express Tribune and Daily Pakistan, wrote that FIA officials said a passenger who arrives with an expired or cancelled NICOP will be returned on the next available flight. We have not seen that in a statement from the FIA itself, so treat it as reported.
What we could not find
- A published order. None of the reports links to a notification, and we found none.
- Any statement on renewal receipts. Officials said travel on an expired NICOP, which had long been tolerated, has stopped. We found no official statement that a renewal receipt, application slip or submission letter is accepted. Some agency sites say a submission letter or an emergency visa still works, and we could not confirm that from any official source. Ask your airline before relying on any receipt.
- How to get the Pakistani visa. None of the reports says where a Pakistani citizen on a foreign passport applies, how long it takes or what it costs. The nearest Pakistani mission is the place to ask.
- A grace period. Our searches on 2 October 2026 found no relief, extension or exemption announced since 15 July.
The quickest way to a valid NICOP
Officials have named a visa as the only alternative for someone on a foreign passport, and no report explains how to get one, so renewal is the route we can document. NADRA’s published fees and processing days, and what missions quote door to door:
| Priority | Zone A fee | Zone B fee | NADRA processing | What missions quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal Most common | USD 39 | USD 20 | 31 days | About 6 weeks |
| Urgent | USD 57 | USD 30 | 23 days | About 4 weeks |
| Executive | USD 75 | USD 40 | 9 days | About 2 weeks |
NADRA counts its days from the point your biometrics are captured and your fee clears, while the mission figures run end to end. The London, Toronto and Los Angeles missions all quote six, four and two weeks, and London says those times apply only to applications submitted through a NADRA Registration Centre, so a manual form can take six to eight weeks whatever you pay. Our NICOP renewal guide lists the short document set renewal needs, and our NICOP fees guide shows what missions add on top of NADRA’s figure.
Do not wait for a reminder. Samaa TV reported on 11 September 2026 that the NICOPs of more than 432,000 overseas Pakistanis had expired, mainly in Europe, the United States and Australia, and that 127,000 had applied for renewal. NADRA told the channel that this is not a backlog at its overseas counters, that in many cases renewal applications were simply not submitted, and that its renewal system is not automated. It added that overseas Pakistanis can apply at a counter or through the Pak ID system.
Ask for delivery to a NADRA centre if one is near you. NADRA’s release notes for version 5.6.9 of the Pak ID app (30 July 2026) say the card delivery fee is waived when the card is delivered to a NADRA centre abroad, and its app guideline for reprints lets you choose between an address and collection at a centre. NADRA’s own page also says biometric verification and the photograph may require a visit to a registration centre, so the app may not spare you the trip. Our Pak ID app guide covers what the app does and does not do.
If you cannot renew in time
On the reports, the choices are a valid Pakistani passport, if you hold one, a Pakistani visa arranged through a mission before you fly, or a later flight. Airlines were told to check before boarding, so turning up with an expired card and hoping to be waved through is the one option the reports rule out. Renewing is worth doing for its own sake: a card past its expiry date is the card NADRA’s rules expect you to replace within a month, and officials describe expired cards as already costing holders banking, SIM and property rights.
Common mistakes
- Relying on a renewal receipt. Reports quote officials saying no exception will be made, and we found no statement that a receipt is accepted.
- Assuming the rule is about British passports. The spokesperson said it covers every country and that a valid NICOP still gets you in.
- Assuming a Pakistani passport needs a valid NICOP alongside it. The spokesperson named the passport as an alternative to a visa for passengers whose NICOP is not valid.
- Finding out at the airport. Airlines were told to check before boarding, so the first you hear of an expired card may be at the check-in desk.
- Paying for Executive on a manual application. London says manual applications take six to eight weeks whatever tier you choose.
- Letting the card lapse. NADRA’s policy requires an application for renewal no later than one month after the expiry date.
Sources: the announcement and the FIA official’s comments from Dawn, 15 July 2026; the spokesperson’s clarification from Geo News, 15 July 2026 and Pakistan Today, 15 July 2026; the notice to immigration points and the list of accepted documents from Business Recorder, 16 July 2026; the airline advisory from Gulf News, 16 July 2026; visa-free entry on a valid NICOP from the UK Foreign Office entry requirements for Pakistan; the report of passengers being returned from ProPakistani, 16 July 2026; the figures on expired cards and NADRA’s response from Samaa TV, 11 September 2026; the fees and processing days from NADRA’s fee structure, version V3.1.3; the one month renewal rule from Registration Policy RP-6.0.2, page 18; the card delivery waiver from the release notes in NADRA’s Pak Identity app listing; the reprint guideline from NADRA’s Downloads page; and the mission timelines from our renewal guide. All read on 2 October 2026. We found no published text of the directive itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to common questions about this topic.
Can I travel to Pakistan with an expired NICOP?
Not on a foreign passport, unless you also hold a valid Pakistani visa. Since 15 July 2026 airlines have been told to verify NICOP validity before boarding and to refuse passengers whose NICOP is invalid, expired or cancelled. According to the government spokesperson, a valid Pakistani passport is the other accepted document.
Does the rule apply only to British passport holders?
No. A government spokesperson said the instructions apply to travellers from all countries and called reports that all British passport holders would be barred incorrect and misleading. The restriction concerns an expired, invalid or cancelled NICOP, not the passport you travel on.
Can I still enter Pakistan without a visa if my NICOP is valid?
Yes. The spokesperson said the restriction does not apply to a valid NICOP. The UK Foreign Office also says a valid NICOP or Smart NICOP is recognised as proof of Pakistani citizenship and allows entry without a visa and a stay of unlimited length.
Will a renewal receipt or application slip let me board?
We found no official statement that it will. Reports quote officials saying no exception will be made, and airlines were told to check validity before boarding. Some agency sites claim a submission letter still works, which we could not confirm. Ask your airline before you rely on a receipt.
Can I travel on my Pakistani passport if my NICOP has expired?
The spokesperson said airlines must not board such passengers without a valid Pakistani visa or a Pakistani passport, and Business Recorder listed a valid Pakistani passport among the documents that let a traveller in. Check that the passport itself is valid for your dates of travel.
How do I get the Pakistani visa that officials mention?
None of the reports we read says where a citizen on a foreign passport applies, how long it takes or what it costs. Ask your nearest Pakistani mission. Renewing the NICOP is the route we can document.
How long does a NICOP renewal take?
NADRA publishes 31 days on Normal, 23 on Urgent and 9 on Executive, counted after your biometrics are captured and your fee clears. The London, Toronto and Los Angeles missions quote six, four and two weeks door to door. Plan with the mission figure, and allow longer for a manual application.
What does a NICOP renewal cost?
On NADRA’s fee structure, version V3.1.3, it is USD 39, 57 or 75 in Zone A and USD 20, 30 or 40 in Zone B for Normal, Urgent or Executive. Renewal costs the same as a new card. Missions add delivery and handling, and NADRA lists abroad delivery as varying from country to country.
Is there a deadline to renew after the card expires?
Yes. NADRA’s Registration Policy says a citizen must apply for renewal no later than one month after the date of expiry. It also says there is no earliest date, so you may apply while the card is still valid.
