NADRA
Last Updated: October 2026
A lost NICOP is replaced by a reissue. NADRA’s fee schedule calls it a Duplicate and its app calls it a Reprint, and NADRA’s FAQ says you can apply at any NADRA Registration Centre abroad, at a Pakistani mission or in the Pak ID app. The published requirement is your NICOP number plus a passport, residence permit or travel document, and a signed undertaking if you cannot hand in the old card. It costs the same as a new card, and NADRA’s list has no police report on it.
The same route covers a stolen or damaged card. If the card has expired as well, read our guide to travelling to Pakistan with an expired NICOP first, because airlines have been refusing boarding to foreign-passport travellers with an expired card since July 2026. A lost CNIC follows different rules, which our lost CNIC guide covers.
The route in six steps
- Protect your record. If someone else may hold the card, the Pak ID app lets you switch off third-party biometric verification of your own record. Our biometric verification guide explains it.
- Choose where to apply. NADRA names three places for a card lost abroad: any NADRA Registration Centre abroad, a Pakistani mission, or the Pak ID app.
- Have your identity ready. NADRA’s policy asks a non-resident for the NICOP number and a Pakistani or foreign passport, residence permit or travel document, or Undertaking A attested by a Pakistani mission.
- Sign the undertaking if the card is gone. If the original is not available, the policy has you submit a system generated undertaking with your signature. NADRA also publishes a paper form for it.
- Pay the zone fee and give your biometrics. The policy says photograph, fingerprints and iris are captured and updated on a reprint.
- Track the application and collect the card. You can follow it in the app and choose to collect from a NADRA centre.
What NADRA asks for
| Item | NADRA’s rule |
|---|---|
| Who applies | The cardholder. In the app a blood relative who holds an account can submit the application for a parent, sibling, spouse or minor, and that person’s photograph and fingerprints are then captured in the relative’s app |
| Your NICOP number | Required |
| An identity or travel document | A Pakistani or foreign passport, a residence permit or a travel document, or Undertaking A attested by a Pakistani embassy or mission. This applies to non-resident citizens |
| Police report or FIR | Not on NADRA’s list. The Dubai, Los Angeles and Jeddah mission pages we read do not ask for one either |
| Attestation | Not required |
| Changes to your details | Not allowed on a reprint. Use a modification for any change |
| The old card | If you have it, NADRA punches or defaces the photo and returns it. If you do not, you submit the system generated undertaking |
Important: a lost card is a duplicate application, not a new one. NADRA treats two cards held by one person as a duplicate record, and clearing that has its own fee table, which our blocked CNIC guide sets out. If the lost card turns up after you have applied for its replacement, hand it in: the undertaking NADRA publishes for a lost card promises exactly that.
What it costs and how long it takes
| Priority | Zone A (USA and Europe) | Zone B (Middle East and Africa) | NADRA processing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal Most common | USD 39 | USD 20 | 31 days |
| Urgent | USD 57 | USD 30 | 23 days |
| Executive | USD 75 | USD 40 | 9 days |
NADRA prices a duplicate, a new card, a modification and a renewal identically. One detail on NADRA’s fee page is worth knowing: the main Zone B table gives the Executive duplicate as USD 40, while a second copy of the same table, laid out for narrow screens, appears to print the figure as 140, which looks like a typo. The app shows the payable fee before you pay, so check it there.
Delivery is extra. NADRA lists delivery abroad as varying from country to country, and its release notes for version 5.6.9 of the Pak ID app (30 July 2026) say the delivery fee is waived when the card is delivered to a NADRA centre abroad. Missions quote door-to-door times of about six, four and two weeks, as our NICOP fees guide sets out, and add their own charges.
Applying in the Pak ID app
NADRA’s reprint guideline of 14 November 2025 says the route is ID Documents, then the ID card option, then Reprint. You choose whether the application is for yourself or for a blood relative. For your own card the guideline goes straight to the delivery step, where you pick a temporary address, a permanent address, another address or a NADRA centre for collection, and a priority of Normal, Urgent or Executive. NADRA says Normal and Urgent can be upgraded to Executive later. You then upload the documents asked for and submit. After background verification and approval the app tells you to pay.
NADRA’s own page warns that biometric verification and the photograph may still need 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.
Applying at a centre or mission
| Mission (pages read on 2 October 2026) | What it lists for a lost NICOP | Fees, timing and booking |
|---|---|---|
| Consulate General, Dubai | A copy or the number of the old card | AED 75 Normal, AED 110 Urgent, AED 150 Executive. The NADRA section works strictly by prior appointment, Monday to Thursday, 7 am to 1 pm |
| Consulate General, Los Angeles | A copy of the lost or stolen NICOP if available, and a US passport, or a Pakistani passport with a permanent resident card | The page gives delivery times for a Smart NICOP of 6, 4 and 2 weeks for Normal, Urgent and Executive. NADRA’s fee is paid by credit or debit card and the consulate’s fee by money order or cashier’s cheque, and fees are not refundable |
| Consulate General, Jeddah | The identity card and the original passport, with copies | Appointment booked online. The NADRA Registration Center is open Sunday to Thursday, 8 am to 3 pm |
One official page points the other way. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ NICOP page says NICOP services are no longer provided by the consulate and sends applicants to NADRA’s online system, but it still gives the address of a NADRA web portal that no longer hosts one, which suggests it has not been updated. The three mission pages above still describe NADRA services, so check your own mission’s page before you travel to it. Our guide to dealing with NADRA from abroad lists where NADRA staffs counters.
The undertaking for a lost card
NADRA’s paper form, dated 4 June 2025, has you swear that you lost the card, give its number and promise to return the card if it is found, since you cannot keep both. It carries your signature and thumbprint and two witnesses with their CNIC or NICOP numbers. The policy speaks of a system generated undertaking instead, so ask your counter or mission which one it wants before you look for witnesses. Our guide to NADRA’s undertaking forms reads both.
Common mistakes
- Applying for a new NICOP instead of a duplicate. A lost card is a reprint. Two cards for one person is a duplicate record that costs more to clear, as our blocked CNIC guide shows.
- Waiting for a police report. NADRA’s published list does not include one. If your mission asks for one, ask why.
- Trying to change details in the same application. The policy does not allow any change in data on a reprint.
- Arriving without an appointment. Dubai says NADRA services run strictly by prior appointment, and Jeddah asks you to book online.
- Keeping the old card if it turns up. The undertaking promises you will return it.
- Paying for a form. NADRA publishes its forms free.
- Ignoring the expiry date. NADRA’s policy expects renewal within a month of expiry, and an expired card now has travel consequences.
Sources: the reissue route for a card lost abroad from NADRA’s CNIC and NICOP FAQ; the requirements, the undertaking rule and the remarks on reprints from Registration Policy RP-6.0.2, page 18; the steps from NADRA’s Reprint Guidelines, 14 November 2025, and the lost card form from its Downloads page; fees and processing days from NADRA’s fee structure, version V3.1.3; the delivery waiver from the release notes in NADRA’s Pak Identity app listing; the mission details from the Dubai, Los Angeles and Jeddah consulate pages; and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ NICOP page. All read on 2 October 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to common questions about this topic.
How do I replace a lost NICOP?
Apply for a reissue at any NADRA Registration Centre abroad, at a Pakistani mission or in the Pak ID app. NADRA’s policy asks a non-resident for the NICOP number and a Pakistani or foreign passport, residence permit or travel document, plus a system generated undertaking with a signature if the old card is not available. NADRA’s fee schedule calls it a Duplicate and the app calls it a Reprint.
Do I need a police report or FIR for a lost NICOP?
NADRA’s published requirements do not include one. The Dubai, Los Angeles and Jeddah consulate pages we read, on 2 October 2026, do not ask for one either. If your mission asks for a police report, ask which rule requires it, since the requirement is not on NADRA’s list.
How much does replacing a lost NICOP cost?
The same as a new card. On NADRA’s fee structure, version V3.1.3, a duplicate costs USD 39, 57 or 75 in Zone A and USD 20, 30 or 40 in Zone B for Normal, Urgent or Executive. Delivery is extra and missions add their own charges. The Dubai consulate lists AED 75, 110 and 150.
How long does a replacement NICOP take?
NADRA publishes 31 days on Normal, 23 on Urgent and 9 on Executive. Missions quote about six, four and two weeks door to door. The Los Angeles consulate gives the same three figures for a Smart NICOP.
Can I apply for a lost NICOP in the Pak ID app?
Yes. NADRA’s FAQ names the app as one of three routes, and its reprint guideline of 14 November 2025 walks through it: ID Documents, ID card, then Reprint, followed by the delivery address, the priority and the documents. After verification and approval the app notifies you to pay. NADRA’s own page warns that biometrics and the photograph may still need a visit to a registration centre.
Can a relative apply for me?
In the Pak ID app a blood relative who holds an account can submit an application for a parent, sibling, spouse or minor. The applicant’s photograph and fingerprints are then captured in the relative’s app. The policy otherwise speaks of an application by the applicant, so confirm with your mission before you rely on someone else filing it.
What if I find my NICOP after applying for a replacement?
Hand it in. NADRA’s Undertaking for Lost Card says the holder will return the lost card if it is found, since the holder cannot keep both cards. NADRA treats two cards held by one person as a duplicate record, and clearing that has its own fee table.
Does a lost NICOP stop me travelling to Pakistan?
The reports on the July 2026 boarding rule speak of airlines verifying that a NICOP is valid, and none says how a lost but valid card is handled. Officials named a valid Pakistani passport as an alternative document. Otherwise replace the card before you book, and ask your airline.
Can I replace a lost NICOP in Pakistan?
NADRA’s FAQ covers a NICOP lost abroad and does not address a loss during a visit to Pakistan. Ask a NADRA centre in Pakistan whether it can take the application, or apply in the Pak ID app.
