How to Renounce Pakistani Citizenship With Form X and Cancel Your NADRA Record

Short answer: To give up Pakistani citizenship, you submit Form X at the Pakistan mission in the country where you live, with your original CNIC, a photocopy of your passport and an assurance letter of nationality from the other country. The Directorate General of Immigration and Passports (DGI&P) then issues a renunciation certificate, normally in about four weeks if the file is complete.

Some people take a second passport and assume the first citizenship simply lapses. It does not. Until you renounce, the state still counts you as a citizen, and your CNIC or NICOP stays live in the NADRA database. Renunciation is the formal step that closes that record.

We read the DGI&P immigration pages (renunciation, dual nationality, forms and FAQs) and NADRA's fee structure and cancellation pages on 11 October 2026. Where the two bodies' pages differ, we say so.

Renunciation is made under Section 14-A of the Citizenship Act

Pakistan lets a citizen renounce citizenship by a signed declaration under Section 14-A of the Pakistan Citizenship Act, 1951. The declaration is Form X. DGI&P, an attached department of the Interior Ministry, processes it and issues the certificate.

The same section covers coming back. DGI&P lists Form Y for a declaration of intention to resume Pakistani citizenship. Keep that in mind: renouncing is a legal act, and a person who later wants Pakistan back has to file a separate form and wait for clearance.

Dual nationality is a different matter. DGI&P lists 22 countries with which Pakistan has a dual nationality arrangement. Its page says citizens of those countries do not need to renounce their own nationality when they acquire Pakistani citizenship. The page does not say what that means for a Pakistani who takes up one of those nationalities, so confirm your case with the mission before filing.

You need three documents and the mission handles the filing

Bring the original CNIC, a photocopy of your passport and the assurance letter of nationality issued by the other country's government. DGI&P says you hand over the original CNIC, not the original passport, when you pay the application fee.

Form X is available from the Pakistan mission abroad, from DGI&P in Islamabad, and as a download on the DGI&P immigration forms page. Name only those children who live with you abroad. For each child, attach a copy of the birth certificate, NICOP or Pakistani passport.

The DGI&P pages do not print the renunciation fee, so we cannot quote one. Ask the mission what it charges before you travel to it.

The process runs in six steps

You file at the mission, DGI&P in Islamabad clears the case with the relevant departments, and the certificate comes back to the mission. Nothing is finished until you hold the certificate and have dealt with your NADRA record.

1. Download or collect Form X and fill it in with your CNIC or NICOP number and passport details.
2. Collect the assurance letter of nationality from the country whose citizenship you are taking.
3. Submit the form, original CNIC and passport photocopy at the Pakistan mission and pay the fee there.
4. Keep the case number the mission gives you, with the date and city of filing.
5. Wait for DGI&P to clear the case and send the renunciation certificate to the mission.
6. Collect the certificate, then ask NADRA to cancel your CNIC or NICOP record, as covered in the NICOP application steps for overseas Pakistanis.

NADRA cancellation has its own fee line

NADRA's fee page lists a separate line for cancellation of a NICOP, CNIC or CRC due to nationality surrender. In the Zone B table (Middle East and Africa) the normal track is USD 0 and takes 1 day. An executive track costs USD 15 and takes 2 days.

A Pakistan Origin Card (POC) cancelled because of surrender is listed at USD 15, 2 days. We did not find a nationality surrender line in the Zone A table (USA and Europe), so if you live there, ask the mission which rate applies.

NADRA's page does not state whether the cancellation comes before or after the DGI&P certificate. Our reading is certificate first, because NADRA names the surrender as its ground. Confirm the order with the mission when you file. For a death rather than a surrender, see how cancelling a CNIC after death works.

Delays come from missing papers, not from the queue

DGI&P says an incomplete file, a missing CNIC or missing papers for the children named in Form X can all hold the case. The department does not promise a fixed date. It says about four weeks if everything is attached.

The two DGI&P pages give different advice on chasing a case. The FAQ says to write after four weeks. The renunciation page says to write after three months. The safe course is to wait the longer period, then email immigration@dgip.gov.pk with your name and father's name, mission case number and date, city and country of filing, and CNIC or NICOP number.

The immigration section's phone number is listed as 051-9107076. If the mission itself is slow, a complaint can also go through the Pakistan Citizen Portal.

One more risk is using the card after you surrender. NADRA's FAQ lists exactly that question, and we could not read its answer. Treat the card as finished once the certificate is in your hand and apply for cancellation promptly.

Common questions

What form do I need to renounce Pakistani citizenship?

You need Form X, the declaration of renunciation under Section 14-A of the Pakistan Citizenship Act, 1951. It is on the DGI&P downloads page and at Pakistan missions abroad.

Where do I submit the renunciation application?

Submit it at the Pakistan mission in the country where you live. DGI&P's FAQ also names its Islamabad office as a source for the form.

How long does renunciation take?

DGI&P says normally four weeks when the file is complete. Missing documents or children's papers can add delay.

Can I take back Pakistani citizenship later?

DGI&P lists Form Y, a declaration of intention to resume citizenship under the same section. It is a separate application, so approval is not automatic.

Do I have to cancel my CNIC or NICOP?

NADRA lists cancellation due to nationality surrender as its own service. It is USD 0 on the normal track in Zone B and USD 15 on the executive track.

Do I have to give up my passport?

You hand over the original CNIC, not the original passport, when you submit the application. DGI&P does not describe what happens to the passport after the certificate, so ask the mission.

How we verified this

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

Last checked on 11 October 2026. We read the DGI&P renunciation page, its dual nationality, forms and FAQ pages, and NADRA's fee structure and cancellation pages. The DGI&P pages do not print the Form X fee, and we did not file an application. Confirm fees and steps with the mission before you go.