NADRA is preparing to let individual taxpayers, sole proprietors, and overseas Pakistanis complete their biometric verification remotely through its PakID app, removing the need to visit a physical e-Sahulat verification center. The rollout is tentatively planned for the first week of September 2026.
The feature would let eligible users complete verification from anywhere in the world, a significant change for overseas Pakistanis who have long faced difficulty accessing e-Sahulat centers, which are only available within the country.
Technology Ready, Approval Pending
According to officials, the technical functionality for remote biometric verification through PakID has already been built. What remains is formal approval from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to recognize the app as an accepted alternative to in-person e-Sahulat verification for tax purposes.
Once that approval comes through, taxpayers would no longer need to physically visit a verification center each year, a requirement that has long been flagged as a source of friction, particularly for people who travel frequently or live abroad.
Where the Demand Came From
Part of the push for this change came from the Faisalabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industry, which had raised concerns about the annual difficulty of completing biometric verification, especially for overseas Pakistanis and sole proprietors who often struggle to coordinate a center visit around their travel schedules or business commitments.
Part of a Wider Digitalization Push
The move is being framed as part of the government’s broader effort to modernize tax administration and make it easier to do business in Pakistan. If the FBR grants approval on schedule, the September rollout would give a large segment of taxpayers a faster, location-independent way to stay compliant with annual verification requirements.
How the Home Verification Will Work
NADRA Biometric Verification at Home is expected to use a secure mobile app combined with facial recognition and fingerprint capture, allowing taxpayers to confirm their identity without visiting a NADRA center or an e-Sahulat franchise. The system is designed to sync directly with FBR’s IRIS portal, reducing the delays that many small business owners and freelancers currently face when their tax registration gets stuck pending biometric confirmation.
Who Benefits Most
Sole proprietors, freelancers, and overseas Pakistanis who cannot easily travel to a physical NADRA office stand to gain the most from this change. Previously, many overseas filers had to rely on relatives or agents to complete verification on their behalf, or wait until their next visit to Pakistan, which often delayed their National Tax Number registration and refund claims for months.
Broader Push for Digital Tax Facilitation
The move is part of a wider effort by FBR and NADRA to digitize taxpayer registration and reduce in-person bottlenecks, following recent complaints about long queues and processing delays at verification centers in major cities. Officials say further digital services, including online address updates and document uploads, are also being planned to streamline the broader tax filing experience.
When It Will Roll Out
While an exact nationwide launch date has not been confirmed, officials say a phased rollout is being tested, starting with high-volume urban centers before expanding to smaller cities and overseas processing centers. Taxpayers are advised to keep their NADRA-registered mobile number and CNIC details updated to avoid delays once the service becomes available.