Recently I went through the whole process of applying for NICOP online through NADRA’s website and received our cards by mail a few days back. It was kind of a roller coaster ride as some aspects were clear in the beginning and others weren’t. The whole process has educated me enough that I wanted to pass my experiences on to others who are interested in applying online for NICOP.
Why Apply Online?
I would highly recommend to my fellow overseas Pakistanis to apply online if:
1. You want it as soon as possible (I got mine in less than 3 weeks!)
2. You hate working with papers, photocopies and filling forms (I really hate that!)
3. You are comfortable working with websites and online services (e.g. if you pay bills online)
4. You can operate a scanner and a few easy to use photo editing software with instructions (isn’t everyone into digital pictures these days?)
Getting NICOP is a Good Deal!
Here are some other compelling reasons to go get your NICOP.
1. Visa free entry into Pakistan, that’s currently a savings of $124 for people living in US (if you are a US citizen, travel on US Passport and don’t have a valid Pakistani Passport)
2. NADRA now requires every overseas Pakistani Citizen to obtain a NICOP.
3. It’s also a requirement now for the issuance of Pakistani Passports by our consulates/ embassies in foreign countries. Though you can still get a passport using your CNIC, but don’t count on it for too long. They will eventually expire as well and can only be renewed while you are in Pakistan, so you will need a NICOP eventually.
4. CNIC is printed in Urdu and targeted towards local population in Pakistan, NICOP is printed in English and thus targeted towards overseas Pakistanis. It serves as an identity in situations where you may need to prove your Pakistani Citizenship in the absence of a valid Pakistani Passport.
5. In my case it was a superb deal and best value for my money. My wife’s CNIC was about to expire so getting her a NICOP was a just investment. I needed a NICOP for my daughter who was born here in US so that she can enter Pakistan on our upcoming trip, and paying $124 for a Pakistani visa was just out of the question for a guy like me who keeps a very tight control over waste of his hard earned salary.
6. In the end I was the only one with a valid CNIC, which was good for another 5 years, but had to go get one as applying for NICOPs for your whole family at the same time is the best way to go, plus being the ‘Family Head’ I had to get it, as I needed to prove my status as such so that they can issue a NICOP to my daughter.
7. Our NICOPs are valid until 2018/2020/2023 (see my little concern below on validity periods) and we paid $37.11 (NICOP Fee) + $1.11 (Foreign Transaction Fee, charged by my credit card issuer), a total of mere $38.22 (per card) for them.
8. I personally think it’s a great deal and I thank our government for not robbing us, though they recently increased the fee (from $15 to $25 – this did affect me, I paid $25 plus delivery charges, totaling $37.11) & lowered the validity period (from 10 to 7 years – this didn’t affect me, as mentioned above the validity of our NICOPs is in the range of 10 to 15 years) but it still is pretty cheap, at least in my personal view.
Concern: I never understood why they issue CNIC/NICOP to everyone with totally different expiry dates, even if the cards were issued at the same time! All of my family members got our CNICs back in Pakistan at the same time and only a couple of us had the same expiry date or validity period, some had the validity of 5 years, others for 10 and 12 years! Same issue is there with our NICOPs.
Editor’s Note:
Amir Haque has detailed a very informative step by step procedure (with screen shots) of how to apply for a NICOP online. We were not able to accommodate that informative part of his post here but we recommend a visit to Amir’s web site here (http://amirhaq.blogspot.com) to get further information on this topic.
Reference:
NADRA’s website at: http://www.nadra.gov.pk
ATP’s Related Post:
Should Foreign Men Marrying Pakistani Women get Pakistani Citizenship?
they don’t do that online anymore, i applied 2 years ago but not anymore
Not able to find the link to apply on line at NADRA web site. No information as well anywhere in the NADRA web page, informing as some rules had changed…..
Does anyone have latest update?
Please remove my earlier page and keep this.
My name is Adalat Hussain and I am a British Pakistani who thought why don’t I apply for my NICOP card online. Looking back I wish I had not bothered.
Here is what I process I went through step by step.
02-11-2008 form completed and fee paid.
04-11-2008 uploaded more info
9-11-2008 passport image resubmitted
12-11-2008 mother’s name mismatch English/Urdu rectified
16-12-2008 they want phone number in Pakistan, submitted
5-1-2009 they still want phone number in Pakistan
11-1-2009 request for phone number in Pakistan/resubmit mother’s/father’s NIC card image
Faxed two complain letters—– no reply
Complained online — no reply
Numerous phone calls— spoke to some Nasir, Rahat Ali, Mazhar Hussain,
They have
a image of :
my British passport Page
my Pakistan passport page
my wife’s NICOP card
my father’ NiCOP card
My mother’s NICOP card
My daughter’s NICOP card
Yet they can’t process my application.
By fate of miracle online status indicates that they have printed my ID card and despatched it. The despatch date was 13-02-2009.
But I have not received it here in the UK nor has it been delivered in Pakistan. It is in limbo land
This is very high tech NADRA system in Pakistan which has won award for innovation.
The speed with which the case is being dealt with, is breath taking. We are a Muslim nation and so much better than Kuffar .
Are we really? Corruption has no limit in Pakistan
I have not found the online NICOP website or link.
Could someone send me the link.
Thanks
Hello, i want to apply online for NICOP, but the Nadra website doesn’t have an option to apply. please heL!P email me.