How Overseas Pakistanis Can Invest in National Savings From Abroad With a Foreign Draft

Short answer: An overseas Pakistani can invest in National Savings by sending a bank draft or cheque in any foreign currency to a National Savings office in Pakistan, with the filled application form and a copy of a passport, CNIC, NICOP or Pakistan Origin Card. The money is converted to rupees at the official rate.

Many Pakistanis abroad want a safe place for savings back home. National Savings schemes are backed by the Government of Pakistan, and the department says the investment is fully guaranteed. The question is how to buy from another country.

We read the National Savings FAQ page and its product pages on 13 October 2026. This guide follows the department's steps and flags what the pages do not say.

You can send a foreign currency draft or cheque

The FAQ says investment from abroad can be made through a bank draft or cheque in any foreign currency, in favour of any National Savings office. You send it with the filled application form and copies of your identity papers.

The papers for an overseas Pakistani are a copy of the NICOP or the Pakistan Origin Card. The FAQ also mentions a passport or CNIC copy for the foreign-draft route. If you do not yet hold a Pakistan Origin Card, read how to apply for a Pakistan Origin Card.

1. Pick the scheme and download or collect its application form. It is free at National Savings Centres.
2. Fill in the form and attach your identity copies.
3. Get a bank draft or cheque from your foreign bank, in favour of the National Savings office you choose.
4. Post or hand over the draft with the form and papers.
5. Wait for the draft to clear. The certificate is issued after clearance.

The money is held in rupees at the official rate

The FAQ says investment in the schemes is maintained and expressed in Pakistani rupees only. Money received in foreign currency is converted at the prevailing official exchange rate through normal banking channels. Your certificate is a rupee certificate.

That means exchange-rate risk stays with you. If the rupee weakens against your currency, the same rupee amount buys less of your currency when you take it out. The department does not promise a rate. Check the day rate before you send, using a page such as the dollar rate against the SBP rate.

Principal and profit can be paid back abroad

The FAQ says the principal and profit on a certificate bought with foreign exchange received through remittance are payable abroad to the purchaser in foreign exchange, if the investor wants. The amount is converted at the official rate at the time of payment.

So the route can be a two-way one: money goes in as foreign currency, is held in rupees, and can come out as foreign currency. The pages we read do not describe the paperwork for the payback. Ask the National Savings office, in writing, how to claim payment abroad before you invest a large amount. For other ways to bring money in, see how to receive money from abroad.

Choose a scheme that overseas buyers can hold

The FAQ says overseas Pakistanis can buy Special Savings Certificates, Short Term Savings Certificates and Regular Income Certificates, and can open a Savings Account and a Special Savings Account. Defence and Behbood certificates are described differently.

For monthly income, read how to buy Regular Income Certificates. For a long-term certificate paid every six months, see the Special Savings Account. Overseas Pakistanis also have Naya Pakistan Certificates, covered in a separate page on profit rates and how overseas Pakistanis buy.

Check tax, clearance time and the office before you send

The FAQ says a draft prepared in Pakistani rupees clears faster than a foreign currency draft. It also suggests the draft be payable in the city where you plan to invest. These small choices reduce delay.

The FAQ gives a withholding tax of 15 percent for filers and 30 percent for non-filers on profit for many schemes. It does not say how the rule applies to a person living abroad, so ask the office. Before you send anything, call the helpline (051) 111 267 268 or write to info@savings.gov.pk and confirm the office address, scheme rules and current rate. Do not send money to a person or a personal account. Pay only to a National Savings office.

We did not test the foreign draft route ourselves, and the pages do not give a time limit for issue. Allow extra weeks for post and clearance. The profit starts only after the certificate is issued.

Common questions

Can I buy National Savings certificates from outside Pakistan?

Yes. The FAQ says investment from abroad can be made through a bank draft or cheque in any foreign currency, with the application form and identity copies.

Which identity papers do I need as an overseas Pakistani?

A NICOP or Pakistan Origin Card copy, as the product pages say. The FAQ also mentions a passport or CNIC copy for foreign drafts.

Is my investment kept in dollars?

No. The FAQ says investment is maintained and expressed in Pakistani rupees only. It is converted at the official rate when received.

Can I take my money back abroad?

The FAQ says principal and profit on a certificate bought with remitted foreign exchange are payable abroad in foreign exchange, if you want, at the official rate then.

Is the investment guaranteed?

The FAQ says investment in National Savings schemes is fully guaranteed by the Government of Pakistan. It does not guarantee the exchange rate.

Where do I send the draft?

In favour of any National Savings office, as the FAQ says. Confirm the address with the helpline before you post anything.

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 National Savings FAQ page and the product pages on savings.gov.pk, run by the Central Directorate of National Savings (CDNS). The FAQ page shows "Last Updated: 26 August, 2025", so a rule may have changed since. We did not test the foreign draft route, and we found no processing time. Confirm with your National Savings Centre or the helpline (051) 111 267 268 before you pay.