Sohni Dharti Remittance Account in Pakistan: What SBP's New Account Category Allows
SBP creates the Sohni Dharti Remittance Account in rupees for home remittances only, open to residents, non-residents and POC holders. Here is what it allows.
Short answer: The Sohni Dharti Remittance Account (SDRA) is a new rupee account category in SBP's onboarding framework. It can receive only foreign inward home remittances. Any Pakistani or POC holder, living at home or abroad, who sends or receives remittances can hold one, and it can be linked to a branch for cheque book and ATM services.
Families who receive money from abroad often use a regular savings account or a wallet. Cash from an exchange company can arrive at a counter or a courier, and nobody ties it to the account. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has now written a dedicated account type for this money in its customer onboarding framework.
We read the updated Consolidated Customer Onboarding Framework, Annex D, and the March 2026 circular that amended it, on 13 October 2026. The framework creates the category. We could not find which banks have launched it, so we cannot say where you can open one today.
SDRA is a rupee account that only accepts home remittances
The framework lists the SDRA as a "new category of account" in rupees only. The account can be fed only through foreign inward home remittances. That is its main rule, and the customer gives an undertaking that the source of funds is home remittances.
It is also a non-repatriable account. That means the money in it is meant for use in Pakistan and is not meant to be sent back out. If you need to hold and move foreign currency, other account types fit better, as in our guide to FCVA and NRVA accounts for non-residents.
Who can hold one
The framework says all Pakistani individuals and Pakistan Origin Card (POC) holders, resident or non-resident, are eligible. You can be the person sending the money, a person who plans to send, or the person receiving it in Pakistan.
A non-resident gives one more undertaking. It covers their non-resident status and a promise to tell the bank if their residency status changes. So a worker who returns home for good must update the bank.
What makes it different from a normal account
The framework lists several features that together define the SDRA.
| Feature | What the framework says |
|---|---|
| Funding | Only foreign inward home remittances can be credited |
| Currency | Rupees only |
| Branch link | The bank must give the option to house the account in a specific branch for cheque book and ATM |
| Cash remittance | With the customer's consent, a cash over counter remittance can be credited straight in |
| Matching | Beneficiary name and ID number must match the account title and CNIC |
| Repatriation | Non-repatriable |
The cash over counter feature is the new part for many families. If the exchange company's beneficiary name and CNIC match your account, the remittance can land in your account and not sit as cash to collect. The related Raast route is in our guide to getting your remittance in your account or wallet through Raast.
What to ask your bank before you switch
Because the framework gives few numbers for this account, ask the bank directly. The table in the framework lists no balance or monthly limit for the SDRA in the text we read, and a bank may set its own.
- Ask whether the bank offers the "Sohni Dharti Remittance Account" by that name.
- Ask which branch can hold it, and whether cheque book and ATM card are included.
- Ask what limits and charges apply, and get them in writing. The framework says banks must tell you any limits at opening.
- Ask how a cash remittance reaches the account, and what consent form you sign.
- Give the exchange company your exact account title and CNIC number.
Tax on remittances is a separate question. FBR's treatment is covered in remittances and FBR tax. If money sent to you has not arrived, use the steps in how to trace it and where to complain.
Where this fits with wallets and Asaan accounts
SBP's table gives a family several simple options. A branchless account takes remittances with no per day credit limit. An Asaan account allows a credit balance up to Rs 3 million but bars commercial remittances. The SDRA is for people who want the remittance money kept apart from other funds. Our guide to receiving remittance in a JazzCash wallet shows the wallet side.
Common questions
Can I receive a salary in a Sohni Dharti Remittance Account?
No. The account is only fed through foreign inward home remittances. Use a regular account for a salary.
Can I send money abroad from the SDRA?
No. It is a non-repatriable account, so it is for use inside Pakistan.
Is it a dollar account?
No. The framework lists the SDRA as a rupee account only.
Does it come with a cheque book and ATM card?
The bank must offer you the option to house the account at a branch for services such as the cheque book and ATM card. Ask which of them the bank issues.
Which banks offer it today?
We could not find a list. SBP's framework creates the category, so ask your bank by name.
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 SBP's Consolidated Customer Onboarding Framework, Annex D row 3, and BPRD Circular Letter No. 09 of 2026. We did not find a bank's product page for this account, and the framework text we read lists no rupee limit for it.
About the author
Technology Journalist & Multimedia Producer
Ahmad Ali is a technology journalist and multimedia producer at Pakistan Era, joining the team in October 2026. He covers consumer technology and digital life for Pakistani readers, combining research with hands-on product testing.
