Update Your CNIC After Marriage: NADRA Charges Rs 400, and You Can Keep Your Father's Name
Change your CNIC to married at NADRA for Rs 400 with the Union Council marriage certificate. Wives may keep their father's name. See the steps and B-Form link.
To change your CNIC to "married", NADRA needs the computerised marriage certificate from your Union Council, Cantonment Board or CDA. Without it, the change is refused. The update is a CNIC modification, Rs 400 at normal speed in 15 days. A woman does not have to take her husband's name: NADRA says she may choose to keep her father's name or use her husband's.
Couples who skip this step often find out later. A baby's B-Form, a Family Registration Certificate and a spouse visa file all lean on the marriage being on the NADRA record. If it is missing, each of those gets stuck.
A Union Council marriage certificate is the one document you cannot skip
NADRA's own answer is direct. You cannot update marital status to "Married" without a marriage certificate issued by the Union Council, Cantonment Board or CDA. The handwritten Nikah Nama on its own is not enough at the NADRA counter.
So the order is fixed. The nikah registrar registers the Nikah Nama with the Union Council. The Union Council issues the computerised marriage certificate. Then NADRA updates your CNIC. The NADRA marriage certificate process covers that middle step in full, and if the Nikah Nama was never registered, start with registering the nikah.
Lost the Nikah Nama? The Union Council keeps a copy, and a copy of your Nikah Nama can be had from the same office.
A woman can keep her father's name after marriage
Yes. NADRA says that under its current policy a woman may voluntarily choose to keep her father's name or her husband's name on the CNIC. Nothing forces the change. The choice is yours.
Think about your other documents before you decide. Your passport, degrees, bank account and property papers probably carry your father's name. Switching the CNIC to your husband's name means a mismatch with all of them until each one is updated. Your marital status still changes to "married" either way, and your husband is linked to your record.
| Choice | What the CNIC shows | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Keep father's name | Daughter of your father, marital status married | Matches existing passport, degrees and bank records |
| Use husband's name | Wife of your husband | Update passport, bank and other records to match |
The update costs Rs 400 at normal speed
Changing marital status or a name is a CNIC modification. NADRA's fee table lists CNIC modification at Rs 400 for normal processing in 15 days. Faster service costs more.
| Card | Normal | Urgent | Executive |
|---|---|---|---|
| CNIC modification | Rs 400, 15 days | Rs 1,150, 12 days | Rs 2,150, 6 days |
| Smart NIC modification | Rs 750, 31 days | Rs 1,500, 23 days | Rs 2,500, 9 days |
Pay for urgent only if a visa, job or bank deadline is close. For most couples, normal speed is enough.
How to update marital status at a NADRA centre
Take the original CNIC, the Union Council marriage certificate and your husband's or wife's CNIC. Then follow NADRA's counter steps for an update.
- Collect a token at the NADRA Registration Centre and wait for the one-window counter.
- Tell the counter you want to modify marital status, and name, if you are changing it.
- NADRA takes your photograph and fingerprints.
- Staff enter the new details. Check the spouse's name and CNIC number on screen.
- The officer in charge interviews you and approves the change.
- Pay the fee and keep the receipt with its tracking ID.
- Collect the new card when the processing time ends.
You can also start an update on NADRA's Pak ID app and upload the documents there. A centre visit may still be needed for the photo and fingerprints. If you change your address in the same visit, the steps for changing the address on a CNIC apply too.
NADRA says the full document list for any change sits in the "Change / Correction in Identity Documents" chapter of its registration policy. We have listed the papers NADRA names on its own pages. Carry photocopies of each as well.
Your child's B-Form needs the marriage on NADRA's record
NADRA says that if the parents' marriage is not updated in its record, the parents must update it first. That means a newborn's B-Form can stall at the counter until the mother's or father's CNIC shows the marriage.
The same applies to the Family Registration Certificate (FRC). NADRA says the applicant must update marital status and make sure the spouse is linked before a complete FRC can be issued. If your FRC shows no spouse, this is the reason. The FRC application needs that link in place, and so does the B-Form for your child.
Divorce, a foreign spouse and other cases
After a divorce, the record does not change by itself. NADRA says an ex-spouse keeps showing on the FRC until you submit the divorce documents and apply to modify the CNIC record. The NADRA divorce certificate is the paper to bring.
A foreign husband or wife cannot get a CNIC. NADRA says they can apply for a Pakistan Origin Card (POC) instead, and can then be added to the Pakistani spouse's family tree. A POC issued on the basis of marriage is valid for 5 years.
Applied by mistake as unmarried? NADRA says to file a complaint on its complaint portal or call 1777, with the tracking ID, citizen number and documents, and it will advise the fix.
Common questions
Can I change my marital status on CNIC without a marriage certificate?
No. NADRA needs the marriage certificate from the Union Council, Cantonment Board or CDA to show "married".
Do I have to put my husband's name on my CNIC?
No. NADRA says a woman may choose to keep her father's name or use her husband's name.
What is the fee to update my CNIC after marriage?
Rs 400 at normal speed, 15 days. Urgent is Rs 1,150 and executive Rs 2,150.
Why does my FRC not show my wife?
Your marital status is probably not updated, or your spouse is not linked. Update the CNIC first, then reapply.
Can my foreign wife get a CNIC?
No. She can apply for a Pakistan Origin Card and then be added to your family tree.
My ex-wife still shows on my FRC. What do I do?
Submit the divorce documents to NADRA and apply to modify your CNIC record.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 9 October 2026. The marriage certificate rule, the choice of father's or husband's name, the FRC, B-Form, divorce and foreign spouse answers, and the counter steps come from NADRA's CNIC page and its frequently asked questions. Fees and timelines come from NADRA's fee structure. The 5 year POC validity and the advice for applications filed as unmarried come from NADRA's Pak ID questions. We did not read the registration policy chapter on changes, so carry every marriage and identity paper you have.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
