A death certificate online in Punjab is usually the first paper a family needs after a death: to cancel the CNIC, claim a pension, close a bank account or settle an inheritance. This guide explains who issues it, what you can do online or from home, the documents, the fee as of September 2026, and what to do next with NADRA.
We know this is a hard time. The steps below are kept as short as the rules allow.
How a death certificate online in Punjab works
In Punjab, the Union Council (or Municipal Committee or Cantonment Board) where the family lives registers the death and issues the computerised death certificate. The Local Government Department’s FAQ says the Union Council or Municipal Committee issues the “Computerized Death Registration Certificate”. Union Councils do this in the Civil Registration Management System (CRMS), which NADRA provides to provincial and local governments.
That is where NADRA comes in. NADRA does not issue the death certificate itself. It uses the Union Council certificate to cancel the deceased person’s CNIC, update the family record and issue succession certificates. The rules are on lgcd.punjab.gov.pk, and NADRA’s services are on nadra.gov.pk.
Report the death within one year
The Punjab Local Government (Registration of Births and Deaths) Rules 2025 say a relative should report a death as soon as possible, and not later than one year, on Form-B, either at the office or through the online system. A hospital can also report the death, but the family still has to apply. If you apply online, the Union Council may ask you to visit so it can verify the details, and you then sign or give a thumb impression.
If more time has passed, the process gets longer:
| When you report the death | What happens under the 2025 rules |
|---|---|
| Within one year | The Union Council registers it and issues the certificate |
| After one year, up to seven years | A committee led by the Deputy Director checks it, a newspaper notice invites objections (you pay for it), and you get a decision within 30 days |
| After seven years | Registration needs a court decree |
For a death abroad, the rules give six months to register it in Pakistan, with the foreign hospital’s death certificate attested by the Pakistan Embassy or Consulate, and attested CNIC copies of the deceased and the relative.
Documents you need
For a death reported within one year, the 2025 rules list:
- Form-B, the death registration form
- Copies of the CNICs of the applicant and the deceased
- The hospital death slip showing the cause of death, if the death happened in hospital
- The burial slip from the graveyard management committee, if available
The e-Khidmat Markaz also lists an affidavit and witnesses’ CNICs, and asks for originals plus copies attested by an officer of grade 17 or above. If the death happened at home, e-Khidmat says to contact your nearest e-Khidmat Markaz first.
For a late registration (one to seven years), add an affidavit by a relative on Rs 300 stamp paper, witnessed by two people who were present at the burial, and copies of the CNIC or birth certificate of the deceased and the relative.
What you can do online or from home
- Online application. The 2025 rules allow a relative to apply “through online system”. NADRA ran a pilot in 2025 that let families in three Punjab districts register deaths in its PakID app, APP reported in October 2025. In November 2025, Punjab’s Local Government Department and NADRA agreed that certificates would be available through PakID, ProPakistani reported.
- Doorstep service. The Dastak Citizen App lists Death Certificate among its services. A facilitator visits your home, collects the papers and brings back the certificate. Call 1202 for help, or read our Maryam Ki Dastak guide.
- One-window counter. An e-Khidmat Markaz accepts death certificate applications, Monday to Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm.
The fee
As of September 2026:
- Registration and the computerised certificate: free within seven years. The 2025 rules set this at nil, Dawn reported in May 2025 that all related fees were waived for registrations within seven years, and the Express Tribune reported in July 2026 that those fees had been abolished.
- After seven years: the 2025 rules list Rs 1,000. In September 2026, ProPakistani reported that the government extended its waiver of late registration fees by another three years, so ask the Union Council before you pay.
- Duplicate certificate: Rs 200, issued the same day. Correction: Rs 500, or free if the office made the mistake.
- NADRA CNIC cancellation after a death: free, one day, on NADRA’s fee page.
- Dastak: a doorstep service charge is added.
The e-Khidmat Markaz page still lists a Rs 200 processing fee and a 7 working day delivery time. Parts of that page, such as sending every case after 60 days to court, do not match the 2025 rules, so it may be out of date. Always ask what a payment is for, and get a receipt.
After the certificate: NADRA and the next steps
1. Cancel the CNIC. NADRA says a Union Council, Cantonment Board or CDA death certificate is mandatory for this. The cancellation is free, takes one day, and can be done at any NADRA centre or through the PakID app. It does not have to be the district where the death happened, there is no time limit, and a lost original CNIC is not a problem if you have a verified death certificate and the CNIC number.
2. Update the family record. The widow’s marital status and the family’s record should be corrected with NADRA. Some Punjab schemes check this, for example the Rehmat Card for widows. Our NADRA FRC guide shows how NADRA has recorded your family.
3. Apply for a succession certificate if there is property or money. NADRA issues succession certificates and letters of administration without going to court. It asks for the death certificate, the NADRA CNIC cancellation certificate, a Family Registration Certificate, a list of heirs with CNIC copies, the property details and an attested affidavit. NADRA lists a fee of Rs 20,000 for assets worth Rs 100,000 or more, or Rs 10,000 below that, and about 14 days after publication.
4. Pensions. The death certificate is also needed for survivor pensions, for example the EOBI pension.
Our NADRA succession certificate guide explains each step of claiming a deceased relative’s money or property.
Fixing a mistake or getting a copy
- Clerical error: a relative applies on plain paper to the Union Council. The Assistant Director publishes a notice inviting objections within 15 days, then orders the correction.
- Any other change: the 2025 rules require a court decree.
- Duplicate: any relative, or another person, can apply with an attested CNIC copy and the Rs 200 charge.
Stay safe from fraud
- Registering a death within seven years is free. Nobody needs to be paid to “arrange” a certificate.
- Use only the Union Council, an e-Khidmat Markaz, a facilitator booked in the Dastak Citizen App, or NADRA.
- Never share an OTP or password. Families are often targeted after a death, so be careful with calls about pensions or bank accounts.
- Report bribe requests or long delays on the Pakistan Citizen’s Portal.
Related support
- NADRA FRC online, to check how NADRA has recorded your family
- Rehmat Card, Punjab’s support for widows, which needs an updated NADRA record
- EOBI pension, including the survivor pension
- Birth certificate online in Punjab, the same Union Council system for births
To see which Punjab and federal programs your household may qualify for, try our free eligibility checker.
GoPunjab is an independent information website. We are not a Union Council, the Local Government Department or NADRA. We cannot register a death or issue a certificate. We only explain how the official process works so you can do it yourself.