Proof of Life Certificate: What Pakistani Pensioners Need to Know

Proof of Life Certificate

ISLAMABAD: Pensioners across Pakistan can now obtain their Proof of Life Certificate (PoLC) free of charge, with the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) having expanded access to the document through multiple channels, including its PakID mobile application, registration centres, union councils and e-Sahulat franchises.

A PoLC is an official document that verifies a pensioner is alive and remains eligible to continue receiving pension payments. Banks and pension controllers require the certificate periodically, and its absence can result in a pause in disbursement.

Digital Service Launched Under PM’s Directives

The digital facility was introduced on the special directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in coordination with the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Defence, the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) and the Military Accountant General (MAG).

According to NADRA, the easiest option available to eligible pensioners is the PakID mobile application, through which the certificate can be obtained digitally from home. An immediate family member, including a spouse, son, daughter, parent, sister or brother, may also obtain the certificate on a pensioner’s behalf through their own PakID account, subject to the prescribed identity verification process. The pensioner is required to be present during this verification.

The service forms part of a wider reform under which NADRA has established a National Pensioners Register. In its first phase, the register covers pensioners administered by the CGA and the MAG. The authority has indicated that the register will be expanded in subsequent phases to include pensioners from other federal and provincial government organisations, public sector bodies and private institutions, once the relevant agreements and institutional arrangements are concluded.

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How the PakID Application Process Works

Officials say the process has been designed to be straightforward for pensioners applying from home. After downloading the PakID application and creating an account, a pensioner logs in and selects the Proof of Life option from the biometrics section. Applicants must indicate whether they are applying for themselves or on behalf of a blood relative.

Once the applicant’s details have been reviewed, the system proceeds to facial verification, followed by fingerprint verification. The request is then submitted for processing. Upon completion, the certificate is made available within the ID Vault section of the application, under My Documents, in a designated POLC folder. NADRA said the certificate is also transmitted electronically and directly to the relevant pension controller, meaning pensioners are not required to submit a printed copy to their bank. Once issued, the certificate keeps a pension active for the following six months.

Assisted and Offline Options Remain Available

For pensioners who are unable or unwilling to use a smartphone application, NADRA has said the certificate remains available, free of charge, through more than 5,000 e-Sahulat franchises nationwide. It is also available at over 988 NADRA Registration Centres and around 500 Union Councils, where pensioners are being given preferential service without having to wait in the regular queue.

For those unable to reach a service point altogether, the authority said the facility has been extended through mobile registration vans, biker services and ManPack registration services, catering specifically to citizens with limited mobility or restricted access.

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Provision for Overseas Pakistani Pensioners

A separate process applies to pensioners residing abroad. According to guidance issued by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, overseas pensioners may have their pension bill or life certificate attested at their nearest Pakistani Consulate or Embassy. Applicants are required to submit a copy of their Pakistani CNIC, NICOP or passport, along with a copy of a state identity document or driving licence. Where the certificate is sent by mail rather than presented in person, prior notarisation is required. No fee is charged for the attestation of a pension bill or life certificate, and notarisation is waived for applicants who appear at the consulate in person.

The Earlier Bank-Based Verification System

Prior to the 2026 digital expansion, federal government pensioners relied on the Biometric Verification Service (BVS), a mechanism linking banks, NADRA and the Accountant General Pakistan Revenues (AGPR). Under this arrangement, pensioners are required to complete biometric verification every six months at the bank branch where their pension account is maintained. A manually signed life certificate is only required where a pensioner is unable to complete biometric verification, whether due to bodily illness, infirmity, or the absence of legible fingerprints on account of old age or a genetic condition. Pensioners drawing their pension through AGPR Islamabad who encounter difficulty may contact their concerned NADRA centre or AGPR directly. This bank-based route continues to operate alongside NADRA’s newer digital services, particularly for pensioners who are yet to be brought onto the National Pensioners Register.

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What the Register Means for Pension Verification

Beyond the issuance of certificates, the National Pensioners Register is intended to reduce reliance on repeated physical and paper-based verification. NADRA said it now provides daily digital intimation to the concerned pension controllers in the event of a pensioner’s death, whether reported through the Death Notification Tool by a health facility or recorded through the Civil Registration Management System. Similarly, changes affecting the entitlement of secondary or family pensioners, including age and marital status, are communicated daily to pension controllers where such changes are reflected in NADRA’s records. Decisions regarding the continuation, alteration or cessation of a pension, however, remain with the competent pension authority under the applicable rules.

A separate verification service has also been made available to authorised banks, allowing them to check a pensioner’s proof-of-life status directly through the National Pensioners Register, providing a further digital channel for pension disbursement.

A Note of Caution

Given that the process involves CNIC and biometric information, officials and welfare-sector observers have flagged the risk of fraudulent websites imitating official portals, a pattern already observed with other welfare schemes. Pensioners are advised to rely only on the official PakID application, available through the Play Store and App Store, or NADRA’s own registration centres, and to avoid sharing personal or biometric details with any third-party website offering to expedite the process for a fee. The service, through every official channel, remains free of cost.

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