Eligibility quiz
Were you born in Pakistan after its citizenship law took effect?
Benefits
Benefits for youBenefits for you
Pakistani passport and ID
Pakistani citizens can hold a Pakistani passport and an identity card.
An ordinary passport lasts five or ten years, but no more than five years for children under 15.
Citizens can renew it or get one from a Pakistani mission abroad, whatever their residence status there.
Live in Pakistan for life
Pakistani citizens can enter, live in and leave Pakistan without a Pakistani immigration visa.
Citizenship has no routine expiry or renewal date.
Citizens are equal before the law and can move, gather, form groups and use the courts, within legal limits.
Attend school for free
Children aged five to sixteen have a right to free education in Pakistan.
What is available and who can attend a particular school can depend on the province, age and school.
Work in Pakistan
Pakistani citizens can work and run a business in Pakistan.
Some jobs and professions have special requirements or restrictions.
Get help abroad
Pakistani citizens can seek help from Pakistani missions abroad, including emergency travel documents and help returning to Pakistan.
They can also seek help if detained or without money, legal aid and registration of a Pakistani child’s birth abroad.
Own property in Pakistan
Pakistani citizens have a right to property, with legal limits and special restrictions on some property.
Vote in elections
Pakistani citizens can register to vote from age 18 if they live, or are treated as living, in an electoral area.
A person declared by a court to be unable to make sound decisions cannot register, and only registered citizens can vote.
How to apply
Applying at a local officeApplying at a local office
Find your district office
Find the officer authorised to take citizenship applications in your birth district. If you live in Pakistan and cannot apply in your birth district for a reason beyond your control, find the authorised officer in the district where you live instead.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “Which officer handles Pakistan citizenship by birth applications in your city district?”
Download the application form
Download Form B for your citizenship application or your child’s application.
Download Form BFill in the form
Fill in two copies of Form B for yourself or your child. Complete the birth claim and cross out the claims that do not apply.
Get form filling helpSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I fill in Pakistan citizenship by birth Form B?”
Gather your documents
Prepare the required documents for the district office.
See required documentsArrange a sworn statement
If you are under 21, arrange for your parent or guardian to have a statement recorded on oath. If you are applying for a child under 21, arrange for your statement as parent or guardian to be recorded on oath.
Find statement guidanceSearches DuckDuckGo for “How does a parent or guardian have a statement recorded on oath for Pakistan citizenship by birth?”
Hand in your application
Submit both completed copies of Form B and the required documents to the authorised officer in the right district. Ask the office how it accepts applications.
Find submission guidanceSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I submit a Pakistan citizenship by birth application to the district officer?”
Wait for the decision
The district officer will review your application and the provincial government will decide whether to grant a citizenship certificate. Answer any requests for more information; if a certificate is granted, you can use it as evidence of Pakistani citizenship.
See how to follow upSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I check the status of a Pakistan citizenship by birth application?”
Documents needed
Required to applyRequired to apply
Birth certificate
Bring your birth certificate showing that you were born in Pakistan. It must be issued by a village officer, the officer in charge of a police station, a municipal committee, town committee or corporation, or a registrar of births and deaths.
Application form
Bring two completed copies of Form B. Cancel the parts that do not apply to your claim.
Parent or guardian statement *
Bring a statement from your parent or guardian. The statement must be recorded on oath.
* Only if you are under 21.
Considerations
Things to think aboutThings to think about
Limits on public office
Having another citizenship can limit which public offices a Pakistani citizen can hold.
Citizenship can be lost
Pakistani citizenship can be given up or taken away in certain cases, including cases involving fraud or other actions that break the rules.
Getting another citizenship may affect Pakistani citizenship, depending on the other citizenship.
Discuss
Online communitiesOnline communities
r/pakistan
English Reddit group for people interested in Pakistani local life
Join on Redditr/PakistanAsks
English Reddit group for people interested in Pakistani local life
Join on Redditr/Bahawalpur
English Reddit group for people interested in Pakistani local life
Join on RedditConsultation
Talk to a professionalTalk to a professional
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