Send an Inheritance Share Abroad From Pakistan: What the 2026 SBP Circular Says

A legal heir who lives outside Pakistan can ask to send their share of an inheritance abroad, and the State Bank of Pakistan now accepts a NADRA succession certificate as proof. The change is in EPD Circular Letter No. 11 of 2026, dated 12 May 2026. The State Bank decides each case, and the circular sets no amount limit.

We read the circular and its annexure on sbp.org.pk on 7 October 2026. It is written for authorized dealers, which are the banks allowed to deal in foreign exchange. So you will not see a form for it. You will see your bank's foreign exchange desk, and that desk needs the right papers from you.

This page sets out what the circular lets you do, the three things the State Bank wants to see, and what happens to money it will not release. It also says plainly what the circular leaves out.

Heirs living abroad can ask to remit their share, case by case

The circular rewrites a paragraph of the State Bank's Foreign Exchange Manual on legacies. A non-resident heir who wants to send their share of a dead person's estate abroad must have the application referred to the State Bank for a decision. It is not automatic, and it is not handled at branch level.

The State Bank gives its reason in the circular. It wants to make things easier for non-resident legal heirs, and NADRA has now been empowered to issue Letters of Administration and Succession Certificates. The new wording recognises that. The paragraph before the change is not quoted in the circular, so we cannot list what was removed.

The circular names no start date. It is dated 12 May 2026 and tells banks to comply meticulously, so we treat it as in force from that date.

The application must carry three things

The application is a letter. The State Bank asks for the details of the dead person, the legal paper that proves who the heirs are, and a full statement of the assets left in Pakistan. Without all three, the application is incomplete.

The legal paper must be authenticated by the authority that issued it, or by a Notary Public, Judge or Magistrate. That can be in Pakistan or in the country where the person lived, if they died abroad.

If you still need the paper, our guide on how to get a succession certificate online in Pakistan covers it. Our guide to inheritance shares in Pakistan explains who the heirs are and how big each share is.

Money the State Bank will not release goes into a blocked account

If the State Bank does not allow all of the money to go abroad, it lets the rest be credited to a blocked account in the name of the executor or administrator, at a bank in Pakistan. The heir does not lose that money. It stays in Pakistan under the administrator's name.

The circular does not say when a blocked account can be unlocked, or what decides how much is allowed out. We found no figure, ratio or ceiling in the text, so nobody should promise you a number.

Shares and property are treated differently. If securities, shares or real estate are specifically left to someone who lives abroad, and they are to be transferred to that person, the application must give full particulars of each item. For land and houses, our guide to an overseas Pakistani's property inheritance claim covers the ground steps.

How to prepare an application with your bank

Start with the legal paper, because everything else hangs on it. Then work through the list below in order and keep a dated copy of everything you hand over.

1. Get the succession certificate or Letters of Administration, or the probated Will, and have it authenticated as the circular requires.
2. List every asset the dead person left in Pakistan, with its value as best you can state it.
3. Write the details of the deceased: name, nationality, where they lived and for how long.
4. Take the set to your bank's foreign exchange desk and ask in writing that it be referred to the State Bank.
5. If you live abroad, decide who will act for you in Pakistan. Our guide on power of attorney from abroad explains how an agent can act on your behalf.

The circular says nothing about fees, tax or how long the State Bank takes. Ask your bank about its own charges and get tax advice for your case. Do not assume there is none.

If your bank will not refer the application, complain in writing

The circular tells banks to follow the rules, but it gives you no fixed deadline to enforce. If your bank refuses to refer a complete application or ignores you, write to its complaint unit and keep the reference.

If that fails, lodge the case on the SBP Sunwai complaint portal, which is open to overseas Pakistanis too. After that, the Banking Mohtasib complaint process is the next forum, and it needs a written notice to the bank first.

A refusal by the State Bank itself on the merits is a different matter. The circular says nothing about appeals, and we found no appeal route in it.

Common questions

Can I send my inheritance share abroad if I live outside Pakistan?

You can ask. The application goes to the State Bank, which decides. The circular does not promise approval or a time frame.

Is a NADRA succession certificate accepted?

Yes. The circular names Letters of Administration or a Succession Certificate issued by NADRA or the court as proof where there was no Will.

Is there a limit on how much I can send?

The circular states none. The State Bank may allow only part of the amount, and the rest can go into a blocked account in the administrator's name.

Who applies, me or my bank?

The circular is addressed to authorized dealers and says applications should be referred to the State Bank. Ask your bank's foreign exchange desk to do that for you.

Does this cover property as well as cash?

It covers securities, shares and real estate left to someone abroad. The application must give full particulars of each item.

How we verified this

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

Last checked on 7 October 2026. The circular and its annexure are on the State Bank's website: EPD Circular Letter No. 11 of 2026, Instructions for Legacies and other Distribution of Assets of Deceased Persons, dated 12 May 2026, with the revised Para 3 of Chapter 16 of the Foreign Exchange Manual attached. Every requirement above comes from that text. We did not file an application ourselves, and we could not find the old wording of the paragraph, a processing time or any fee.