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Pathway

Pakistan Origin Card

Pakistan Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

If you are a foreign citizen with documented Pakistani origins or an eligible family connection, you may qualify for a Pakistan Origin Card (POC). While valid, the card supports visa-free entry and residence under its conditions.

Who can apply
Specified former Pakistani citizens, eligible children or grandchildren, and qualifying foreign spouses
Records and nationality
Pakistan's identity-registration authority must accept the family records and confirm the nationality restrictions

Summary

The Pakistan Origin Card allows eligible foreign citizens with Pakistani family ties to enter and stay without a visa while the card is valid, covering specified former citizens, qualifying children or grandchildren, and certain spouses. Pakistan's identity-registration authority, NADRA, checks the family records and nationality restrictions before deciding eligibility.

While valid, the card supports entry and residence under its conditions, but it is not Pakistani citizenship or a passport. It differs from NICOP, the identity document for Pakistani citizens abroad. Establishing which status the applicant actually holds should come before choosing a card application.

Could this pathway work for you?

Eligibility

Published categories include former Pakistani citizens, children or grandchildren of Pakistani or former Pakistani nationals, and qualifying foreign spouses.

NADRA, Pakistan’s identity-registration authority, must accept your records and confirm that you meet the nationality restrictions. Check your specific category; a family connection or foreign passport alone does not establish eligibility.

Applying for a Pakistan Origin Card
  1. Confirm the exact category and nationality rules Check former citizenship or the qualifying family relationship.
  2. Prepare the official identity and family records Provide the relevant citizenship, marriage, and passport evidence.
  3. Apply through NADRA Follow the issued card’s conditions and renewal requirements.

The authority must verify the connection and nationality requirements.

What This Route Allows

The card permits visa-free entry and stay while it is valid. It also provides facilities for banking, property, and business, subject to the applicable laws.

What This Route Is Not

POC is not Pakistani citizenship or a Pakistani passport. It is different from NICOP, the identity card for Pakistani citizens living abroad.

This guide does not cover every extended-family or dependent-child situation.

Next Steps

  1. Check the former-citizenship or family category and all nationality restrictions.
  2. Gather the relevant citizenship, family, marriage, and foreign-passport records.
  3. Apply through NADRA’s current process and follow the card’s conditions and renewal rules.

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Discussed in these reports

Other routes in Pakistan, plus similar pathways elsewhere.

Sources