Convert a Foreign Driving Licence in Pakistan: NHMP Issues One Without a Test (Documents List)

Short answer: if you hold a driving licence from abroad, NHMP's licensing rules let you get a Pakistani computerised driving licence without the theory or driving test. A Pakistani applicant brings a CNIC, NICOP or Pakistan Origin Card and a copy of the foreign licence. A foreigner brings a passport, a valid Pakistani visa and a letter from the employer. NHMP's fee sheet adds two colour copies of the CNIC and licence and a verification letter from the authority that issued the licence. The foreign licence must be from a country on a list kept by NHMP's Inspector General, which we could not find published.

Many Pakistanis come home after years of driving in the Gulf, the UK or Malaysia. Many think they must start again with a learner permit. Under NHMP's rules they do not. This guide explains how to convert a foreign driving licence in Pakistan through the NHMP Drivers Licencing Authority (DLA) in Islamabad, what to take, and where the gaps are.

We read NHMP's Drivers Licencing Authority Rules 2014, with their 2016 amendments, on the NHMP traffic rules page, and the fee and documents sheet on the NHMP licensing portal, on 6 November 2026.

NHMP converts an overseas licence without the tests

Rule 15 of the DLA Rules is headed "CDL issuance to applicants with overseas licence". It says such applicants may apply for a computerised driving licence (CDL) "without undergoing the theoretical or practical driving tests", if they provide the listed documents.

That means no 42 day learner period, no sign test and no road test. You still go through the office in person, because the licence is printed with a digital photo and fingerprints taken at the DLA. Rule 17 says the medical and physical fitness test applies to applicants, and the fee sheet asks for 6/6 eyesight, with glasses if you need them.

NHMP's DLA office is at Street No. 5, Sector H-8/2, Islamabad. Its listed phone number is 051-9250449. The licence is sent by courier to the address on your CNIC.

The documents depend on whether you are Pakistani or a foreigner

Rule 15 sets two lists, and rule 5 adds documents every applicant must bring. The fee sheet on the DLA portal adds the overseas licence items. Here they are together:

The verification letter is the hardest part for most people. It must come from the authority that issued your licence, such as a traffic department in the UAE or a licensing agency in the UK. Ask for it before you leave that country, because it is easier to get in person.

The "original to show" line is our advice, not a written rule. An office that is asked to accept a copy will expect to see the original.

Only licences from listed countries qualify

Rule 15(c) says the copy must be of a driving licence "of countries as per the country list maintained by the Inspector General's office". So not every foreign licence is accepted without tests.

We looked for that list on the DLA portal and on NHMP's traffic rules page on 6 November 2026 and did not find it. The portal's menus cover documents, the fee sheet, test questions and FAQs, but no country list.

Before you travel to Islamabad, call the DLA on 051-9250449 and ask whether your country is on the list. If it is not, you will likely be treated as a fresh applicant, starting with a learner permit and the tests. Our guide to the NHMP driving licence covers that route.

Follow these steps at the NHMP office

The process below is drawn from the rules and the fee sheet. NHMP does not publish a separate step list for overseas licence holders.

1. Get a verification letter from the authority that issued your foreign licence.
2. Call the DLA and confirm your country is on the Inspector General's list.
3. Get a blood group report from a registered lab or hospital.
4. Book an appointment through "Reserve Your Appointment" on the DLA portal, and pay the fee at the National Bank of Pakistan in Islamabad.
5. Visit the office with your CNIC or passport, the licence and its copies, the letter, the report and the receipt. Take the eyesight check, then give your photo and fingerprints.

The fee sheet lists Rs 600 for a regular driving licence and Rs 600 for "conversion of driving licence". The rules describe that conversion fee as the one for converting another district's licence. We did not find a separate fee for an overseas licence, so confirm the amount when you call.

Foreigners' licences last only as long as the visa

Rule 7 says a foreigner's driving licence is valid for the length of the holder's Pakistani visa. A Pakistani who converts gets a regular CDL, which lasts five years like any other.

Diplomats follow a different rule. Rule 14 lets them get a CDL without tests, with a note verbal from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a passport with a valid visa, the diplomatic card and the home licence. That licence lasts as long as the diplomatic card.

Going the other way, a Pakistani leaving for work abroad can get an international driving permit from NHMP. Rule 16 says it needs a valid CDL, a passport and a visa, and the fee is Rs 800 for one year. See our guides to the international driving permit and to renewing a Pakistani licence from abroad.

Common questions

Can I convert my UAE driving licence to a Pakistani licence?

NHMP's rules allow a licence without tests for overseas licence holders from countries on the Inspector General's list. We could not find that list published, so ask the DLA on 051-9250449 whether the UAE is on it.

Do I need to take a driving test to convert a foreign licence?

No, under rule 15, if your country is on the list and your documents are complete. You still need the eyesight and medical check, a photo and fingerprints.

What is the verification letter for a foreign licence?

A letter from the authority that issued your licence confirming it is genuine. NHMP's fee sheet asks overseas licence holders for it, along with two colour copies of the CNIC and licence.

Can a foreigner get a Pakistani driving licence?

Yes. A foreign national brings a valid passport, a valid Pakistani visa, an employer's letter and the home licence. The licence is valid for as long as the visa.

Where is the NHMP licensing office?

Street No. 5, Sector H-8/2, Islamabad, phone 051-9250449, as printed on NHMP's fee sheet. The licence is couriered to the address on your CNIC.

Can I convert a foreign licence at a Punjab or Sindh licence centre?

This guide covers NHMP's rules only. Provinces follow their own procedures, which we did not check for this guide, so ask your provincial licence centre first.

How we verified this

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

Last checked on 6 November 2026. The no test route, the documents, validity, the diplomat and international permit rules and the fees are from the NHMP Drivers Licencing Authority Rules 2014 with amendments, rules 5, 7 and 14 to 17 and Schedule I. The overseas licence documents, eyesight rule, office address and phone number are from the fee and documents sheet on the NHMP licensing portal. We did not call the DLA.