NICOP and POC for Overseas Pakistanis: Which One You Need

If you travel to Pakistan on a foreign passport, one thing changed in July 2026 and it can stop you at the airport. An expired NICOP no longer gets you in without a visa, and airlines have been told to refuse boarding.

A valid NICOP is still fine. That distinction is the whole story, and it got lost in a wave of rumours that we want to clear up first.

One thing to be straight about before we start. NADRA's website returns a block to us and we could not open its own fee and rules pages from here, which we have hit before. So everything below is reported and corroborated across several outlets rather than read off NADRA's own page. Confirm anything that costs you money on Pak Identity before you pay it.

The rumour: British Pakistanis were not banned from using a NICOP

In July 2026 an airline advisory circulated widely and was read as meaning British Pakistanis could only travel to Pakistan on a Pakistani passport or with a visa from 17 July, valid NICOP or not.

That reading was wrong, and the government said so publicly. The directive targets travellers whose NICOP has expired, been cancelled or is otherwise invalid. If your card is valid, you continue to enter without a visa exactly as before.

It also is not a United Kingdom rule. It applies to departures from any country, including the United States and Europe.

What actually changed

The enforcement point is the check in desk, not immigration in Pakistan. Airlines have been instructed to deny boarding to passengers who can show neither a valid Pakistani visa nor a Pakistani passport. That means a card you assumed would be waved through can cost you the flight rather than a conversation on arrival.

NICOP or POC: they are not the same card

People use these names interchangeably and they should not.

NICOP is the National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis. It is for Pakistani citizens living abroad, including dual nationals.

POC is the Pakistan Origin Card. It is for foreign nationals who have Pakistani roots but are not Pakistani citizens. The common case is a foreign spouse of a Pakistani, or a second generation family member who never held citizenship.

Both give visa free entry, indefinite stay, and the right to work, open a bank account, buy and sell property and register a mobile SIM. Neither is a travel document on its own. You still fly on a passport.

What renewal costs, roughly

NADRA splits countries into two zones. These figures are reported rather than read off NADRA's site, so treat them as indicative.

Zone A covers the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and most of Europe. Zone B covers Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and most other countries.

Applications for NICOP, POC and Family Registration Certificates now run through NADRA's Pak Identity system. Reports say these services have been removed from consular offices, so the embassy counter is no longer the route it once was.

What to do before you book

1. Find the card and read the expiry date. Not the issue date. This is the single check that matters.
2. If it has expired, decide early. Renewing the NICOP and getting a Pakistani visa are both options, and both take time.
3. Do not plan on being waved through. The instruction to airlines is about boarding, so the decision happens before you fly.
4. Pay the urgent or executive fee if you are close to a travel date. The higher tiers exist for exactly this.
5. Check every traveller in the family separately, including children. Cards expire on their own schedules.

If you are going for Hajj or Umrah

Overseas Pakistanis performing Hajj from Pakistan are dealing with a separate set of documents and a separate registration system, and the identity card is not enough on its own. We set out the current registration route in the guide to registering for Hajj from Pakistan.

If you are travelling on a Pakistani passport rather than a foreign one, none of the NICOP rules apply to you, but the passport itself has to be current. The fees for that are widely misquoted and we published the official ones in the guide to what a Pakistani passport really costs.

Questions readers are asking

Can I enter Pakistan on an expired NICOP?

No. Since mid July 2026, travellers on a foreign passport whose NICOP has expired, been cancelled or is otherwise invalid need a Pakistani visa obtained before travelling.

Do British Pakistanis need a visa now?

Not if their NICOP is valid. An airline advisory in July 2026 was widely misread as meaning that, and the government issued a clarification. A valid NICOP still gives visa free entry.

What is the difference between NICOP and POC?

NICOP is for Pakistani citizens living abroad, including dual nationals. POC is for foreign nationals of Pakistani origin who are not Pakistani citizens. Both give visa free entry and the right to live and work in Pakistan.

How much does NICOP renewal cost?

Reported at USD 39 normal, 57 urgent and 75 executive in Zone A, and AED 75, 110 and 150 in Zone B. We could not open NADRA's own fee page, so confirm on Pak Identity before paying.

Can I still apply at the consulate?

Reports say NICOP, POC and FRC applications have moved to NADRA's Pak Identity system and been removed from consular offices.

Is a NICOP a travel document?

No. It establishes your right to enter without a visa. You still travel on a passport, Pakistani or foreign.