COST AND TIMING

NADRA fees and delivery categories

What actually determines the price of a NADRA CNIC application: the service type, the delivery category (Normal, Urgent, Executive), where you apply from, and which exemptions exist. Plus how to check the current official fee before you go.

UPDATED 2 SEPTEMBER 2026 · 6 MIN READ

Almost every “NADRA fee” argument online comes from people comparing figures for different services. The price is not one number — it is a grid, and four variables decide which cell you land in.

The four things that set the price

  1. Which service. A first-time registration, a renewal of an expired card, a modification (name, address, marital status), a duplicate for a lost card, and a card-type change are all priced separately.
  2. Which delivery category. Normal, Urgent and Executive are the standard tiers. The card is identical; you are buying processing speed.
  3. Which document. CNIC, Smart CNIC, NICOP, POC, CRC and FRC each have their own schedule. See the guide to card types if you are not sure which you need.
  4. Where you apply from. Domestic applications are priced in rupees at a NADRA Registration Centre. Overseas applications through NADRA’s international channels are priced in foreign currency and are substantially higher.

Current fee schedule

WE DO NOT PUBLISH A FEE TABLE HERE

NADRA revises its fee schedule from time to time, and a stale figure for a government service is worse than no figure at all — people budget on it and arrive short.

Check the current amount directly on nadra.gov.pk or on the notice board at any NADRA Registration Centre before you travel. Ask for the fee by service and delivery category together — that is the only way to get a number that means anything.

Reading a quoted fee correctly

When you see a figure quoted — at a centre, on a forum, in a WhatsApp forward — pin down all four variables before you trust it:

  • Is it for a new card or a renewal? These are routinely different.
  • Which delivery tier? An “Executive” quote next to a “Normal” quote will look like a scandal and is just a different product.
  • Domestic or overseas? Overseas figures in dollars or pounds are not comparable to rupee figures.
  • How old is the quote? Anything more than a year old should be re-checked.

What the fee does not depend on

Two things that come up often and do not change the price:

  • Your district. The regional prefix on your number has no bearing on what you pay. Fees are national.
  • Applying at a busier centre. The schedule is the same at every NADRA Registration Centre. If someone quotes you a different figure at the counter, ask to see the posted schedule.
BEFORE YOU GOBring the fee in cash unless you have confirmed the centre accepts another method, and take the documents listed in the CNIC documents checklist. An incomplete file is the most common reason for a wasted trip — more common than a fee dispute.
INDEPENDENT REFERENCEThis site is not affiliated with NADRA and cannot process applications, check status, or quote you a binding price. Always confirm with NADRA directly.

COMMON QUESTIONS

What are NADRA's delivery categories?

NADRA prices most services in tiers by how quickly the card is produced. These are commonly labelled Normal, Urgent and Executive, in ascending order of both speed and cost.

The tier changes only the processing speed and price. The card you receive is identical in every case.

Why do quoted CNIC fees differ so much online?

Because they are usually quoting different things: a different service (new card versus renewal versus modification versus duplicate), a different delivery tier, a domestic versus overseas application, or an out-of-date schedule.

Always match all four variables before comparing two figures.

Is a CNIC ever free?

NADRA has run fee waivers and subsidised categories at various times, including for certain first-time applicants and specific groups. Whether one applies to you depends on the scheme in force when you apply, so ask at the registration centre rather than assuming.

Does an urgent application change what documents I need?

No. The delivery category affects processing speed and fee only. The documentary requirements are the same across tiers.

CONTINUE READING

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USE THE REGISTER

Look up a CNIC codeComplete district code listAll guides

Sources. Administrative data adapted from Wikipedia (CNIC, Administrative units of Pakistan, Districts of Pakistan) under CC BY-SA 4.0, with changes; prefix mapping cross-checked against public administrative and community-compiled lists. Reviewed 2026-09-02. Full sources, accuracy and ethics. Unofficial reference — not affiliated with NADRA, and not proof of identity or domicile.