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Birth Certificate for Child Born Abroad: Pakistan Guide
If you are a Pakistani parent based in a country like UAE, UK, Saudi Arabia, Canada, or elsewhere in the world, one of the most crucial things you will need to do after your baby's birth is to get him/her registered by Pakistani authorities, even if you already received your child's birth certificate from the hospital or other local governmental office. The child might have birth certificates like UAE MOHAP or UK NHS, but without the Pakistani birth certificate and NADRA B-Form, the child will be having major issues in the future: no passport from Pakistan or NICOP or CNIC when he/she turns 18, and no access to his/her rights as a Pakistani citizen.
This guide is intended for overseas Pakistani parents who want to get their child registered with the Pakistani authority, Union Council and NADRA, whether the birth just happened last week or it occurred a long time ago and was not registered.
Reason Why Your Child Needs a Pakistani Birth Certificate Even if Born Abroad
A local birth certificate from the UAE, UK, or Canada is a document endorsed by the competent authority of the concerned country. Although this document certifies the birth of your child, it does not imply anything about his nationality. Only the Pakistani birth certificate proves your child's legal identity as a Pakistani citizen, after which the family may obtain a B-Form or NICOP.
Your child cannot do the following without having a Pakistani birth certificate:
- Obtain a passport
- Apply for NICOP
- Apply for CNIC after reaching 18
- Get a parent-child relationship for UAE or GCC family visa
- Claim inheritance in Pakistan
- Enroll in any foreign school that has Pakistani quota requiring proof
Pakistani birth certificate serves also as the main document that needs to be legalized or attested beforehand, for example, before providing it to get a family visa for UAE. Make sure to follow a birth certificate attestation guide for more information. Many Pakistani parents, upon having their baby born abroad, will be presented with a combination of the two types of birth certification, namely:
- Local or Host Country Birth Certificate — which is given by the UAE MOHAP, UK NHS, Saudi Civil Affairs, or the respective agency in the country of residence.
- Pakistani Birth Certificate — which is obtained from the relevant Union Council and computerized through NADRA. This formal document is made obligatory for every task performed in Pakistan by the authorities, and for obtaining visas and traveling documents.
It must be understood that there is no relation between both and one cannot substitute for the other.
For more information on how Pakistani birth certificates are issued and how NADRA B-form and Union Council registrations work, please visit our Birth Certificate Pakistan service page.
NADRA B-Form vs. Union Council Birth Certificate — An Overview
Parents outside of country often confuse two distinct papers:
- The original birth certificate is produced by the Union Council after registering the child's birth.
- With the registration information, NADRA creates B-form or the Child Registration Certificate (CRC), which is the machine-readable document related to NADRA records.
Both documents are essential, but the latter one must be applied after the former. Read more about each step in our detailed birth certificate guide.
How to Register Your Child's Birth in Pakistan — Step by Step
Registering your child's birth does not come with geographical restrictions. However, the procedure of registration from abroad is more complicated, as one has to appoint a representative in Pakistan.
Step 1: Obtain the birth certificate from the country of origin
Obtain the official birth certificate from the issuing country (i.e. UAE MoHAP, UK General Register Office, Saudi Civil Affairs, etc.). However, if it is in any language other than English or Urdu, you will have to get a certified translation made. Many documents in GCC are already bilingual (English and Arabic) so this step is fairly easy for families living in UAE.
Step 2: Grant the authority through power of attorney
Unless you are planning to travel to Pakistan yourself, you need to grant authority to one of your trusted family members or representatives to act on your behalf in the Union Council. This is done through a notarized power of attorney, prepared, signed, and attested at the Pakistani embassy/consulate in your country of residence. Your representative visits the relevant Union Council in Pakistan (whichever is applicable to your family's area of residence, like Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, or whichever city in Pakistan).
Step 3: Submit documents at the Union Council
The representative of the applicant presents the necessary documents. After reviewing them, the Union Council checks the parent's data against the CNIC or NICOP records and makes an entry in the register of birth records. Some cases are straightforward, and the process is completed in a single visit while some cases may require more time for verification.
The next step is registering for a NADRA B-Form certificate. As soon as the birth certificate is received, one can apply for a B-Form (a certificate of child registration) at NADRA. This certificate links the child to the previously issued birth certificate.
Once the documents are ready, they can be sent by courier. Everything is taken care of for you at our company: we assist you in making the POA application, submit it at the Union Council, and help you with the registration at NADRA.
Documents Required for Registration
To get a baby of Pakistani origin registered in Pakistan, the following documents must be collected beforehand:
- The original birth certificate from the place of birth (Ministry of Health, UAE / National Health Service, UK / Office of the Civil Affairs, Saudi Arabia / similar)
- The certificate translated into Urdu or English, if it is not already in either of the languages
- The CNICs or NICOPs for both parents — photocopies only
- The parents' Pakistani passports — photocopies
- The Nikah Nama (marriage registration document) — original or an attested version of it
- The visa pages for the UAE/foreign residence of parents — photocopies
One very important point to keep in mind is that the documents issued by the foreign organizations, for instance, the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention birth certificate cannot be used in Pakistan unless they are attested by the Pakistani consulate in that country.
Late Registration — What if Your Child Was Never Registered in Pakistan?
This is one of the most common cases we deal with regarding overseas Pakistani families. Whether a child's birth took place two, five, or even fifteen years ago, born in Pakistan and not registered with a Union Council means they can still go through the registration process, even if it is a complicated journey.
For late registrations, you will generally need:
- A sworn affidavit issued by both parents explaining the reasons for the delay.
- Valid proofs of the child's date of birth and his/her identity.
- A confirmation from NADRA about the child not being registered under his/her name.
However, the registration process does not follow the same procedure as normal and is dependent on the Union Council. The sooner you begin the process, the easier it will be. In case of not being registered, feel free to contact us for a case evaluation.
Common Mistakes Overseas Parents Should Avoid
Mismatch of names
Your name on documents issued in Pakistan (like CNIC, Nikah Nama) must be identical with what is mentioned when registering the child. If you use a different name on either of the following: UAE visa, passport, or birth certificate of the host country, mention it first before submitting anything — mismatches can lead to immediate rejection.
Not getting documents of the host country attested
Normally, when applying for a UAE MOHAP birth certificate, it needs to be attested before acceptance back in Pakistan. Otherwise, it will get sent back to the Union Council, and you will have to start the process all over again. We check which documents require attestation before submitting them.
Waiting until the visa application stage
Most parents only remember that they have to register their child with the Pakistan authorities when applying for family visa or for school admission in UAE, which means that by this time, the child is already months or even years old. At that point, the process becomes longer as late registration rules take effect.
Utilizing an unqualified representative
The value of a Power of Attorney is determined by the competency of the individual being given these powers. If the appointed representative has not been trained in the Union Council procedures — which offices to approach, what forms to present, how to sort the queries out — the paperwork will either be mislaid or filed incorrectly. In this respect, it is our function to coordinate and ultimately interpret the events happening in this process so that nothing is lost on the way.
Once Your Child's Birth Certificate is Issued in Pakistan, What Are the Next Steps?
Should you need the document legalized for purposes of its usage in the UAE or any other country (in acquiring a family visa, dependent visa or entering a school) — it is necessary to undergo the attestation procedure: Union Council verification → Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan → UAE Embassy or Consulate.
Our guide on birth certificate attestation provides all information concerning the procedure, including the way for overseas Pakistanis to go through this procedure without coming to their home country.
How We Help Overseas Pakistani Families
We focus on providing help for Pakistani families who are living in foreign countries in managing the entire document lifecycle — starting from the initial registration to the attestation and final delivery. The services we offer to parents living abroad include:
- Guidance in drafting a POA and notarization support
- Coordinating Union Council registration from abroad
- Facilitating your NADRA B-Form application
- Translation of documents in the language of the foreign country
- Coordinating attestation of documents with Pakistan's embassies/consulates
- Collection of documents, processing of documents, and international delivery of documents to clients
- WhatsApp support in English and Urdu at any given time
WhatsApp: 0307-7056798
Email: support@pakattestation.pk
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get my child's birth certificate registered without visiting Pakistan?
Yes. By providing a Power of Attorney and getting a trusted agent in Pakistan, you can complete the Union Council registration and get a NADRA B-Form done.
How long is required to register abroad?
Normal processing takes about 2-4 weeks after all the papers arrive at our side in Pakistan. Complicated cases — registration delays, discrepancies in names, omission of medical documents — take more time. We can give precise estimates after our review.
My son is four years old and is not registered in Pakistan yet — am I too late?
No, you are not too late. Late registration is allowed, however, an affidavit signed by both parents, along with other necessary documents and further verification from the Union Council is needed. The earlier the better.
Is it necessary to translate the birth certificate of the UAE or the UK into Urdu?
Not necessary always. Documents written in English are typically accepted. Nevertheless, if the birth certificate issued by the country is in Arabic (with no other version available) a certified translation into either English or Urdu is needed to be done before applying in Pakistan. We can assist you to carry out the translation.
What's the difference between NICOP and B-Form?
The B-Form is issued to a child by NADRA if they are below the age of 18 years, linking the child to the database of Pakistani citizens. NICOP is the national identity document that you, as a parent, hold. They are different documents serving separate purposes.
Do You Want to Register Your Child's Birth Certificate?
Registering your child's birth certificate from Pakistan is easy if you have the proper guidance regardless if your baby was born recently or years ago. We will coordinate everything from the Power of Attorney authorization process to your NADRA B-Form application and international delivery. Just contact us or WhatsApp us at 0307-7056798 for our help.