ISLAMABAD – For years, sponsoring a visa for someone meant multiple visits to NADRA office, and facing long queues, and delays in biometric verification but the process is now becoming a thing of the past as NADRA introduced free home-based biometric verification service through its Pak ID app, allowing visa sponsors to complete the entire process from their smartphones in just minutes.
NADRA rolled out a new initiative that allows Pakistani citizens sponsoring visas for people traveling from abroad to complete biometric verification from the comfort of their homes, and that’s free of charge.
The newly introduced facility, available through NADRA’s official Pak ID mobile application, ends the long-standing requirement for visa sponsors to visit NADRA offices or designated biometric centers. Officials say the move is designed to speed up visa processing, strengthen security, and make Pakistan’s online visa system more efficient and user-friendly.
Launched under the government’s Digital Pakistan Vision, the service is expected to significantly reduce delays that have long affected visa sponsorship verification, particularly for families of overseas Pakistanis, business sponsors, and foreign visitors seeking entry into the country.
Once a visa application is submitted through the Pakistan Online Visa System, the sponsor in Pakistan will automatically receive an email containing the application details. The sponsor must then log into official Pak ID mobile app. First-time users will need to create an account by verifying their email address and completing digital identity authentication through facial recognition and fingerprint verification.
After activating the account, users can access the Visa Sponsorship option under NADRA Services and complete biometric verification for themselves or an eligible close blood relative directly from their smartphone.
Within seconds of a successful fingerprint scan, a “Verification Successful” message appears on the screen, while the visa application’s status is automatically updated on the online visa portal, allowing the application to move to the next stage without any physical paperwork or office visit. NADRA has confirmed that the service is being offered free of cost, with no additional charges for biometric verification.
The new service is expected to save applicants and sponsors countless hours previously spent traveling to NADRA centers, standing in long queues, and waiting for manual verification appointments, especially those living in remote regions. Officials believe the new biometric verification system will substantially strengthen the integrity of Pakistan’s visa process.
By linking sponsorship approval directly to biometric authentication, the system also rules out chances of fake sponsorships, identity theft, and document fraud while improving the credibility of Pakistan’s immigration framework.
By integrating secure biometric authentication into visa sponsorship process, NADRA claims to improve transparency, make the application process smoother, and boosting international confidence in Pakistan’s immigration system.
Nadra introduces facility to update identity records from home via Pak-ID app
