By documentشناختی کارڈ
CNIC and Identity Card Translation
The CNIC is the document every other document in your file is checked against, which makes it the least interesting to translate and the most important to get right. It is also the one most often translated unnecessarily, because modern cards already carry English.
What is a cnic?
A CNIC is Pakistan's Computerised National Identity Card, issued by NADRA. Modern cards carry both Urdu and English, so a translation is frequently unnecessary and attested copies are what is actually needed. Where translation is required, from Rs. 1,000. The CNIC is the reference every other document in a file is matched against.
- Starting price
- Rs. 1,000
- Turnaround
- Standard delivery at the normal rate. Among the fastest documents we handle.
- Issued by
- NADRA, as the Computerised National Identity Card
Fields that must match your passport
A mismatch here is the commonest avoidable rejection.
- Cardholder's full name, matched to the passport being submitted
- Father's or husband's name, waldiyat, exactly as printed
- Permanent and present address
- Place of birth and district
Who usually asks for it
- Embassies, as supporting identity evidence in nearly every visa file
- Gulf employers and sponsors
- Banks, courts and government departments
Why this document gets rejected
- Paying for a translation of a card that is already bilingual, when attested copies were what the checklist meant
- Using a different English spelling of the name in the CNIC translation than appears on the passport, which undermines the one document the officer uses as the reference point
Where attestation sits
Where a destination requires it, the CNIC copy goes to MOFA then the embassy, then translation. Many checklists ask only for a clear copy, so confirm before starting a chain you may not need.
Read the attestation sequenceFirst: you probably do not need this
Modern NADRA cards are bilingual. Name, father’s name, and the main fields are printed in Urdu and English.
Which means for most people a CNIC translation adds nothing, and what the checklist actually wants is attested copies.
This is one of the most commonly wasted purchases in Pakistani document preparation, and we would rather tell you than take the order. Send a photograph of both sides and we will say which you need.
Where a translation genuinely is required:
- Older card formats with Urdu-only fields
- A handwritten annotation or endorsement in Urdu
- A receiving authority that specifically requires a full certified translation of the document rather than a copy — uncommon, but the checklist wording will say so
Why getting the name right matters more here than anywhere
The CNIC is the document everything else in your file is matched against.
An officer reviewing a visa application uses it as the fixed reference point: does the name on the degree match the CNIC? Does the Nikah Nama? Does the FRC?
So if the CNIC translation uses a different English spelling from your passport, you have undermined the one thing the officer was using to anchor the file. Everything downstream now disagrees with the reference.
Send the passport with the job, every time. The spelling on the passport is the correct one, whatever a translator might otherwise prefer.
Same for waldiyat — the father’s or husband’s name — reproduced exactly as printed, including where the card uses a shortened form.
Both sides, always
The reverse of the card carries the permanent address, the date of issue and expiry, and sometimes annotations.
A single-sided copy produces an incomplete translation, and an incomplete translation of an identity document looks like something was withheld. Photograph both sides, flat, in daylight.
CNIC, NICOP, POC — not interchangeable
| Card | Who it is for |
|---|---|
| CNIC | Pakistani residents |
| NICOP | Overseas Pakistanis |
| POC | Foreign nationals of Pakistani origin |
A checklist naming one will not usually accept another, and the layouts differ. Tell us which you hold when you send it.
Do you need an attestation chain?
Often not. Many checklists ask only for a clear copy of the CNIC, not an attested and translated one.
Before starting a chain you may not need — MOFA, then embassy — read the wording. Confirm, then act. An attested and translated CNIC where a photocopy was requested is money spent for nothing.
Roman spellings people search
CNIC · shanakhti card · NIC · national identity card. All the same document.
Related
FRC translation covers the family registration certificate, which CNICs are always checked against. NADRA birth certificate translation covers the children’s side of a family file. For the general service, official document translation.
Send both sides of the card and your passport. If the card is already bilingual, you will hear that first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my CNIC already in English?
Very probably. Modern NADRA cards carry the name, father's name and other fields in both Urdu and English, which means a translation adds nothing and attested copies are what your checklist is likely asking for. Send a photograph of both sides and we will tell you plainly, including when the answer is that you do not need us.
When does a CNIC genuinely need translating?
Where the card is an older format with Urdu-only fields, where a handwritten annotation or endorsement is in Urdu, or where a receiving authority specifically requires a full certified translation of the document rather than a copy. That last case is uncommon but it does happen, and the checklist wording will say so.
Which spelling of my name should be used?
The one on the passport you are submitting. The CNIC is the reference document that an officer matches everything else against, so if the CNIC translation uses a different spelling from the passport, you have undermined the only fixed point in your file. Send the passport with the job every time.
What is the difference between CNIC, NICOP and POC?
The CNIC is for residents. NICOP is the National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis, and POC is the Pakistan Origin Card for foreign nationals of Pakistani origin. They serve different purposes and a checklist naming one will not usually accept another. Tell us which you hold, since the layouts differ.
Do you need both sides of the card?
Yes, always. The reverse carries the permanent address, the date of issue and expiry, and sometimes annotations, all of which a receiving authority may check. A single-sided copy produces an incomplete translation that looks like something was withheld.
What does CNIC translation cost?
From Rs. 1,000, the simple document rate, and it is among the fastest documents we handle. If you are translating a family set, send the CNICs with the FRC, birth certificates and Nikah Nama so one spelling is applied throughout.
Send the document and we will quote it
Photograph every page and both sides, include your passport so names match, and tell us where it is being submitted. Price and turnaround confirmed before any work starts.