Written by: Asim Shahzad | Last updated: 11 November 2026
The Pak ID app steps, the list of areas, B-Form fees and processing times, and the Punjab fee rules were checked against ARY News, Pakistan Observer, Dawn, ProPakistani and TechJuice on 11 November 2026. Confirm final details on the official portal.
📑 Table of Contents (show / hide)
- Two documents, two issuers
- Where the Pak ID app works today
- Documents to keep ready
- Register a birth in the Pak ID app
- Fees and time, worked out
- A sample timeline for a December baby
- What changed since 2025
- Where sources differ
- Why applications stall, and the fix
- Born abroad or living overseas
- Official links, helpline and fake sites
- FAQs
- Also read
- Sources
You hold a hospital slip. A neighbour says "go to NADRA" and a relative says "go to the Union Council". For a NADRA birth certificate online in 2026, both are right, in that order: the Union Council registers the birth, then NADRA issues the B-Form. This guide shows where the Pak ID app can do the first step, what each step costs, and what makes applications stall.
Two documents, two issuers
The birth certificate is a local-government record. The Union Council, a municipal committee or a cantonment board registers the birth. The B-Form, officially the Child Registration Certificate (CRC), is NADRA's record of the child. Pakistan Observer reported on 7 August 2026 that NADRA wants the birth registered with the local authority before it issues a B-Form. ProPakistani wrote on 7 April 2026 that parents should register the birth within one month and then get the first B-Form.
In pilot hospitals the hospital sends the birth notice to NADRA, and the parents get an app or SMS message that guides them to finish registration at the Union Council (Gulf News, 13 October 2025; ProPakistani, 12 October 2025).
Where the Pak ID app works today
Birth registration through the app is not nationwide yet. The latest published list (ARY News, 17 January 2026; Pakistan Connect, 1 August 2026) names:
- all districts of Punjab;
- nine Sindh districts: Karachi East, Karachi Central, Naushahro Feroze, Mirpurkhas, Shaheed Benazirabad, Larkana, Jamshoro, Tando Allahyar and Tando Muhammad Khan;
- Quetta district in Balochistan.
Dawn reported on 21 June 2026 that Islamabad residents can also register births online through the Pak ID app. ARY News adds that more districts are planned. Punjab's Local Government Department signed its agreement with NADRA in November 2025 (Daily Times, 26 November 2025). If your district is missing or the app shows no Birth option, register at the Union Council in person.
Documents to keep ready
- For the Union Council: CNIC copies of the parents, the hospital or birth-attendant certificate, and the Union Council form with signature and thumbprint (Punjab Local Government Department FAQ). Gulf News reported that a vaccination card may also be accepted, so ask your Union Council.
- For the B-Form: the Union Council birth certificate (or the CRMS number), and valid, unexpired CNICs of both parents (ARY News, 18 June and 8 August 2026).
- In NADRA's database: both parents' marital status must show "married" (Pakistan Observer, 7 August 2026).
- Child present: children over three must attend a NADRA centre (ARY News, 8 August 2026).
Register a birth in the Pak ID app
These steps follow ARY News (17 January 2026) and Pakistan Connect (1 August 2026). Menu names can change after an app update.
- Install the official Pak ID app and sign in. See our NADRA Pak Identity app guide.
- Open "Provincial Civil Registration Services", choose your province, then tap Birth.
- Pick the child from the list or add a new entry, then choose district, tehsil and Union Council.
- Choose the category, enter the date of birth, tap "Calculate Fee", then "Start Application".
- If the child is already in NADRA records, enter the B-Form or ID number. If not, fill in the details, then the parents' details.
- Biometrics depend on age: nothing under three, a live photo from three to ten, a photo and fingerprints above ten.
- Choose the address to print, pay and submit. The certificate appears in the "ID Wallet" section once processed.
ARY News listed card, Raast, EasyPaisa, JazzCash and e-Sahulat as payment options. The B-Form is a separate application, in the same app or at a NADRA Registration Centre (Pakistan Observer, 7 August 2026).
Fees and time, worked out
| Item | Fee | Time | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth registration and computerised certificate, Punjab, within seven years | Rs 0 | Not stated | Dawn, 21 May 2025; Express Tribune, 21 May 2025 |
| Birth registration elsewhere | Shown by "Calculate Fee" in the app | Not stated | ARY News, 17 January 2026 |
| B-Form, normal | Rs 50 | 7 days | ARY News, 24 September and 18 June 2026; Pakistan Observer, 7 August 2026 |
| B-Form, executive | Rs 500 | 1 day | ARY News, 24 September and 18 June 2026; Pakistan Observer, 7 August 2026 |
| B-Form, urgent | Not available | Not applicable | ARY News, 24 September 2026 |
As of 11 November 2026. Pakistan Observer calls the times working days; ARY News says days. Check NADRA's fee page before you pay.
The sum. A Punjab family that registers on time pays Rs 0 + Rs 50 = Rs 50 with the normal B-Form, or Rs 0 + Rs 500 = Rs 500 with the executive one. The extra Rs 450 buys six days (7 − 1), roughly Rs 75 per day saved (450 ÷ 6). This uses the B-Form fees and times in the table above and the Punjab fee rule. If no passport or school deadline is close, normal costs less. Outside Punjab, add whatever the app shows for the Union Council step.
A sample timeline for a December baby
Suppose a baby is born on 1 December 2026. The dates below are worked out from the day counts and ages in the reports; they are not official deadlines.
- 31 December 2026: 30 days later, a sensible target for Union Council registration (ARY News, 18 June 2026). ProPakistani says "one month", which lands on 1 January 2027.
- If you apply for the B-Form on 31 December: normal processing ends about 7 January 2027, executive about 1 January 2027.
- 1 December 2029, third birthday: the first B-Form, issued without a photo, runs out and a photo B-Form is needed (ProPakistani, 7 April 2026; Daily Times, 26 November 2025).
- 1 December 2036, tenth birthday: the next form, with photo and fingerprints.
- 1 December 2044, eighteenth birthday: the validity of that third form ends (ProPakistani).
What changed since 2025
| Point | Earlier | Now | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Punjab registration window | 60 days | One year (rules notified May 2025) | Dawn, 21 May 2025 |
| Punjab computerised certificate | Rs 100 (older department FAQ) | Free within seven years | Punjab Local Government Department FAQ; Dawn, 21 May 2025 |
| Late-registration fee waiver | Seven years | Extended by three years (September 2026 amendment, as reported) | TechJuice, 2 September 2026 |
| B-Form | One form | Three forms by age: to 3, 3 to 10, 10 to 18 | ProPakistani, 7 April 2026 |
As of 11 November 2026.
Where sources differ
- Deadline. ARY News gives NADRA's advice as 30 days; ProPakistani says one month; Dawn says Punjab's regular window is one year. Treat about one month as the target and one year as the Punjab legal window, then confirm with your Union Council.
- September 2026 amendment. TechJuice and Pakistan Connect (2 September 2026) say the fee-free period was extended by three years. Minute Mirror describes the late-registration period moving from one year to four. Ask your Union Council which applies to your child.
- Islamabad app. Dawn and ProPakistani (20 June 2026) name the Pak ID app. The News (20 June 2026) names NITB's "Pak App". Check the CDA or MCI notice before you download anything.
- Online B-Form age. ProPakistani (19 April 2025) said online B-Form applications were for children up to one year. Later reports mention renewals in the app (Daily Times, 26 November 2025), so check which options the app shows for your child's age.
Why applications stall, and the fix
- A parent's CNIC has expired. NADRA wants both cards valid (ARY News, 8 August 2026). Renew first with our CNIC renewal guide.
- Marital status or spouse details do not match. A record showing "unmarried" can block the B-Form (Pakistan Observer). Correct the record before applying.
- The Union Council record is incomplete. Complete the birth registration first.
- Mother's CNIC missing. If it was issued but is not with you, NADRA says the number or fingerprints can verify her. If it was never issued, family records may need fixing first (ARY News, 21 October 2026).
- Child over three not present. Take the child to the centre.
Born abroad or living overseas
A Union Council certificate is accepted for births in Pakistan and abroad, and at least one parent must hold a valid NIC or NICOP (ProPakistani, 19 April 2025). For a child born abroad, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs page lists a detailed foreign birth certificate and an S-1 birth registration form from the embassy or consulate. Daily Times (5 October 2026) repeats this. From outside Pakistan, the NADRA call centre number is +92-51-111-786-100 (Embassy of Pakistan, Oslo).
Official links, helpline and fake sites
- NADRA official website and its fee structure page
- Pak Identity portal
- Helpline: 051-111-786-100.
NADRA says its services run only on websites ending in .gov.pk (ARY News, 14 March 2026; Express Tribune, March 2026). Do not enter your CNIC details on look-alike sites or hand them to agents.
FAQs
Can I get a birth certificate fully online?
In the listed areas you can apply through the Pak ID app and download the certificate. Elsewhere, apply at the Union Council.
Is a B-Form the same as a birth certificate?
No. The Union Council issues the birth certificate; NADRA issues the B-Form, which needs the certificate first.
What if the mother has no CNIC?
See the stall list above. A lost card is not a big problem; a never-issued CNIC needs the family record fixed first. Our Family Registration Certificate guide covers family records.
Does my child need to come with me?
Yes, if the child is over three. Younger children need no photo.
What if I registered late?
Punjab's 2025 rules waive fees within seven years, with an extension reported in September 2026. Ask the Union Council for the current position.
Also read
- NADRA Pak Identity app: online services explained
- NADRA Family Registration Certificate guide
- How to check CNIC status online
Sources
- Punjab Local Government and Community Development Department: FAQ page (undated, older rule)
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs: NICOP fresh registration page, Milan consulate (undated)
- Embassy of Pakistan, Oslo: NADRA services page (undated)
- ARY News: birth registration via Pak-ID app (17 January 2026)
- ARY News: B-Form process and fees (18 June 2026)
- ARY News: B-Form key requirements (8 August 2026)
- ARY News: NADRA fee structure (24 September 2026)
- ARY News: B-Form without mother's CNIC (21 October 2026)
- ARY News: warning about fake websites (14 March 2026)
- Pakistan Observer: B-Form mandatory requirements (7 August 2026)
- Pakistan Connect: register your child's birth via Pak-ID app (1 August 2026); Punjab fee waiver extension (2 September 2026)
- Dawn: birth, death registration fees waived in Punjab (21 May 2025); registration goes online in the capital (21 June 2026)
- Express Tribune: free birth, death registration for seven years (21 May 2025); NADRA warns of fake website (March 2026)
- ProPakistani: new B-Form issuance system (7 April 2026); online B-Form registration (19 April 2025); Islamabad registration (20 June 2026); hospital notification (12 October 2025)
- TechJuice: Punjab extends fee waiver (2 September 2026)
- Gulf News: NADRA birth and death certificates (13 October 2025)
- Daily Times: Punjab citizens can register life events via Pak-ID (26 November 2025); new B-Form guidelines (5 October 2026)
- The News: MCI launches registration service through app (20 June 2026)
- Minute Mirror: Punjab extends registration deadline (September 2026)
Disclaimer: PakAlerts360 is an unofficial blog and is not affiliated with NADRA, any Union Council or any other government body. This article is for information only and is not legal advice. Fees, rules and the list of areas can change, so please confirm the final details on the official NADRA portal or with your Union Council before you act.
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