How to Change the Name on a CDA Allotment in Islamabad: Forms EF-31 and EF-32

Short answer: To change the name on a CDA allotment in Islamabad, file Form EF-31 with an affidavit on Form EF-32, your attested allotment or transfer letter, present and previous CNIC copies, a newspaper notice clipping and your matriculation certificate. Married women add the attested Nikah Nama. CDA does not list a fee.

A name can change for ordinary reasons. A woman marries. A spelling error from an old CNIC finally gets corrected at NADRA. A person drops a surname. Then the plot file at CDA no longer matches the CNIC, and a sale or loan stalls at the first counter.

We read CDA's procedures page and forms page on 13 October 2026. Both are undated. We did not file a change of name, so this guide reports what CDA lists, and it says plainly where CDA gives no detail.

A name change is a legal check and not a simple edit

CDA does not just retype the name. The file goes through the Estate Management directorate and the Law Directorate for a legal opinion, and it can be sent to the Security or Inquiry Directorate for verification. That is why the document list is long.

CDA does not explain the reason. Our reading is that a plot is valuable property, so CDA wants to be sure the person asking for the change is the same person who was allotted the plot, and that nobody is using a new name to hide a dispute.

Fix your CNIC first if the error is there. CDA asks for both your present CNIC and your previous one, so the link between the two names must be on record at NADRA before you come to CDA.

CDA lists seven documents for a name change

CDA lists an attested allotment or transfer letter, attested present and previous CNIC copies, an attested Nikah Nama for a married woman, an affidavit as per the specimen, a press clipping of the published notice, an attested matriculation certificate and an attested passport copy if available.

On CDA's forms page, the application is listed as "Application for Change of Name" (EF 31) and the affidavit as "Affidavit (Change of Name)" (EF 32). Download both from cda.gov.pk, and follow the specimen wording on the affidavit.

The newspaper notice comes before the application

CDA asks for a clipping of the notice you published in a newspaper, so you must publish the notice first. The page does not say which newspaper, how many days or what words the notice must carry.

For a transfer to legal heirs, CDA asks for a notice in two leading newspapers with wide circulation across Pakistan. The name change page does not repeat that rule. Our advice is to ask the counter for the exact wording and newspaper requirement, so that you do not pay for a notice twice.

1. Correct your CNIC at NADRA if the old name is wrong there.
2. Download Forms EF-31 and EF-32 and fill them in.
3. Get the affidavit attested as the specimen says.
4. Publish the name change notice and keep the clipping.
5. Attest the allotment letter, CNICs, certificate, Nikah Nama and passport copies.
6. Submit the file at One Window Operation.

Three directorates review the file in turn

You submit at One Window Operation. The file goes to the Deputy Director of Estate Management, then to the Law Directorate for a legal opinion. CDA may refer it to the Security or Inquiry Directorate to verify your identity and papers.

CDA does not publish a time limit for any of these steps.

Expect more than one visit, and keep the receipt and file number from the first one. Ask the counter for a date to come back, and write it down.

If the file is stuck, write to the CDA public grievance cell. The contact page lists the phone numbers 051-9253016 and 051-9252962 and the email cdacares@cda.gov.pk, open Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm.

Use the new name for everything after approval

Once CDA changes the record, it issues documents in the new name. Use that name on bills, tax records and any later sale. CDA delivers title documents by registered post or hands them over after identification.

A change of name is not a change of ownership. If you also want to sell, the transfer steps are in the page on transferring a CDA plot or house. If your original letter is lost, handle that first with a certified copy of the allotment letter.

Check dues at the same time. Unpaid CDA dues can restrict any change to a property, and the page on checking CDA plot dues shows how to find out. Clearing them early avoids a second trip.

Common questions

Which forms do I need to change a name on a CDA plot?

You need Form EF-31, the Application for Change of Name, and Form EF-32, the affidavit, both on CDA's forms page.

Does a married woman need extra papers?

Yes. CDA lists an attested copy of her Nikah Nama.

Do I need to publish a newspaper notice?

Yes. CDA asks for a press clipping of the notice. It does not say which newspaper or how long it must run.

How much does a CDA change of name cost?

CDA does not list a fee for it on the pages we read. Ask the One Window counter before you go.

Which CDA offices review the file?

Estate Management, the Law Directorate and, in some cases, the Security or Inquiry Directorate.

Is a passport copy mandatory?

CDA lists it as an attested copy if available, so it is not required if you do not have one.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 13 October 2026, Pakistan time. We read the CDA procedures page and the forms and applications page. Both are undated. CDA lists no fee, no notice wording and no time limit, and we did not apply or call the office.