Legal Heirship Certificate Online: Applying Through the NADRA Portal

The online portal genuinely helps, but it is frequently oversold. Families read that the process is online, assume nobody needs to attend, and discover mid-way that every heir must appear for biometrics. Knowing that from the start changes how you plan, particularly where relatives live in different cities or abroad.

What the portal does and does not do

The one row in bold is the whole planning problem. Every heir must be biometrically verified, which means physically attending. Where heirs are scattered across cities or countries, coordinate that before you start rather than discovering it at the verification stage.

Applying step by step

1. Gather documents first - death certificate, CNICs of all heirs, family registration certificate, nikah nama for a surviving spouse.
2. Check every CNIC is valid. An expired card stops the process.
3. Open the succession facility on the official NADRA portal, typed directly rather than through a search advertisement.
4. Enter the deceased's particulars, matching the death certificate and CNIC exactly.
5. List every heir with CNIC numbers and relationships.
6. Upload the documents and pay the fee.
7. Book or attend biometric verification for all heirs.
8. Await the objection period, then collect the certificate.

Heirs living abroad

The most common obstacle by a wide margin. Options to explore:

• NADRA facilities abroad. Overseas Pakistanis holding NICOP may be able to complete requirements through NADRA's overseas arrangements - confirm what is available in that specific country.
• Timing around a visit. Many families simply wait for a scheduled trip home, which is often the least painful route.
• Power of attorney, where the process permits representation - see attestation from abroad.
• The court route instead, where representation by attorney is well established and several heirs abroad make administrative verification impractical.

If three or four heirs are overseas and none can travel soon, assess the court route seriously at the outset. Families spend months trying to assemble everyone for biometrics when a court application with attorneys would have moved faster.

Where applications get stuck

Most of these are avoidable by checking documents thoroughly before applying rather than discovering issues at verification.

Using the portal safely

• Type the address directly. Do not follow links from messages, advertisements or social posts.
• Never share an OTP with anyone, including someone claiming to help with the application.
• Be wary of agents charging fees to "get the certificate quickly" - the objection period and verification cannot be bypassed.
• Do not send CNIC copies of the whole family to unverified parties.
• Keep the tracking reference and check status yourself.

Because a heirship application involves the identity documents of an entire family, it is an attractive target. If you have shared details with someone you now doubt, see CNIC misuse and identity theft.

After the certificate issues

The certificate establishes the heirs. To actually receive anything you then need to:

1. Present it to each institution holding assets, each with its own requirements.
2. Apply for mutation of immovable property - see wirasat mutation.
3. Obtain a succession certificate where a bank or share registrar requires one.
4. Pursue employer dues and EOBI separately.
5. Agree the actual division between heirs according to their shares.

Take certified copies before the original goes into circulation - you will be presenting it repeatedly.

Tracking and following up

Applications stall quietly. Build in your own follow-up rather than waiting to be contacted.

• Keep the tracking reference issued at submission and screenshot the confirmation.
• Diarise the objection period so you know when it should complete.
• Check status yourself rather than relying on a notification arriving.
• Follow up in person at the centre if nothing moves, quoting the reference.
• Ask what is outstanding specifically, rather than asking for a status update.
• Keep a dated note of every enquiry and who you spoke to.

Where an application has been pending far longer than expected, the usual causes are an unresolved record discrepancy or an heir who never completed verification. Both are fixable once identified, which is why asking what is outstanding beats asking for a status.

Preparing before you open the portal

The application itself takes under an hour if you have everything. Assembling everything takes considerably longer, so do it first.

1. Death certificate obtained and in hand.
2. Full list of heirs agreed within the family, including those abroad and estranged.
3. Every heir's CNIC number collected, and each card confirmed valid.
4. Family registration certificate obtained and checked for accuracy.
5. Nikah nama located where there is a surviving spouse.
6. B-forms or birth certificates for minor heirs.
7. Verification logistics agreed - who attends, when, and at which centre.
8. Shares calculated so expectations are aligned before anyone sees the application.

Point seven is the one to settle first where relatives are scattered. Everything else can be produced; assembling people cannot be rushed.

Frequently asked questions