NADRA has clarified that NADRA overseas services on the Pak ID app do not require a Pakistani mobile number, so Pakistanis living abroad can verify accounts and apply for identity documents using a phone number from their country of residence.
The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA)—Pakistan’s civil registration and ID agency—issued the explanation after a Canadian citizen asked during a NADRA podcast how overseas Pakistanis could apply for a National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) while using a foreign mobile number.
What the authority said
NADRA spokesperson Syed Shabahat Ali said applicants do not need a Pakistani mobile number to create a Pak ID account or to apply for NICOP and other identity documents. Instead, they should select their country of residence and enter a mobile number registered in that country.
He said many overseas Pakistanis already use the Pak ID app for NICOP and related services. NADRA stressed that a mobile number is still required to activate a digital identity on Pak ID, but that number does not have to be Pakistani.
Why some users only saw a Pakistani number field
According to NADRA, registration problems often appear when an applicant selects Pakistan as their “country of stay” even though they live abroad. The system then asks for a Pakistani number because it sends a one-time password (OTP)—a short verification code by SMS—to confirm the account.
To avoid that step, overseas users should select the country where they actually live. NADRA gave the example of a Pakistani in Canada choosing Canada as the country of stay and entering a Canadian mobile number. That number can then be used to activate the Pak ID account and reach services, including NICOP applications.
What this changes for applicants abroad
The clarification does not introduce a separate channel; it addresses a common setup mistake on the same Pak ID platform overseas Pakistanis were already using. Correct country selection aligns the OTP flow with a foreign SIM, which NADRA said is permitted for NADRA services abroad.
For families abroad, smoother Pak ID access can mean fewer blocked registrations when renewing or applying for NICOP and other NADRA-issued documents tied to the app. NADRA did not announce new document fees or changed eligibility rules in this statement—only how mobile verification should work for NADRA overseas services Pakistanis rely on from outside the country.
Aasan alfaaz mein
NADRA ne wazahat ki hai ke bahir rehne wale Pakistanis ko Pak ID par account banane ke liye Pakistan ka mobile number zaroori nahi. App par apne asli mulk ko "country of stay" chunain aur wahan ka mobile number likhein, taake OTP usi number par aaye. Agar ghalati se Pakistan select kar lein to system Pakistani number mang sakta hai. Sahi setting ke baad NICOP aur doosre ID kaam Pak ID se chal sakte hain.
