The Parwaaz Card is a Punjab government scheme that lends people the money they need to take up a confirmed job abroad, without charging interest. This guide explains who qualifies, how much you can get, what it covers, and how to apply on the official portal, as of September 2026.

Its full name is the Maryam Nawaz Hunarmand Naujawan Parwaaz Card. It is run by the Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF), and the loan itself is approved, paid out and collected by The Bank of Punjab (BoP).

The problem it solves

Many Pakistani workers receive a genuine job offer from abroad and then lose it. Not because they lack the skill, but because they cannot pay the upfront costs before their first salary arrives.

Those costs typically include the visa and protectorate fees, medical tests, a trade or skill test, the air ticket, and the recruitment agent’s charges. Families often sell land or jewellery, or borrow from moneylenders at brutal rates, to cover them.

The Parwaaz Card is designed to remove that barrier by lending the money interest free, so a worker can leave for a job that will earn far more than the loan. Dawn reported that the first group of 135 workers set off for jobs in Saudi Arabia at the end of June 2026.

Who is eligible for the Parwaaz Card

According to the official portal and the Punjab government’s program page, you must:

  • Be 18 years or older
  • Hold a valid CNIC
  • Be a permanent resident of Punjab
  • Have a confirmed overseas job offer letter from a foreign employer
  • Have an offered salary below SAR 5,000 a month, or the same value in another currency

Men and women can both apply. The portal says the card is for skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers and professionals with overseas job offers.

No job offer yet? You can register as a Job Seeker for free and browse verified job demands posted by licensed recruitment agents. Once you receive an offer letter, you can move on to the loan application.

PSDF sets these rules and can change them. The portal also warns that all documents are checked against government databases, and false information leads to immediate disqualification.

parwaaz card: screenshot of the official parwaaz.psdf.org.pk page
Applications are submitted on the official PSDF portal at parwaaz.psdf.org.pk.

What it covers and how much

The loan is meant for pre-departure costs. The portal lists:

  • Medical tests
  • Visa and protectorate fees
  • Air tickets
  • Skill or trade testing, if required
  • Approved OEP charges
  • Other relevant expenses, with receipts

The portal does not publish a fixed loan amount. When PSDF and the Bank of Punjab signed their agreement in June 2026, Business Recorder and Dawn reported loans of up to Rs 1,000,000, for 45,000 people over two years. Dawn later reported individual loans ranging from Rs 300,000 to Rs 1 million. Your amount depends on your approved costs, so confirm it with PSDF or the bank before you plan your finances.

How the money is paid

The loan is not handed over as one cash sum. According to the portal:

  • 20% is released when you collect your Parwaaz Card at your chosen Bank of Punjab branch.
  • The remaining 80% is released after you upload proof of your visa. Of this, 20% is paid in cash and 60% by card swipe, for the air ticket and the OEP facilitation charges.

PSDF’s own page adds that you upload your payment receipts on the portal.

How to apply, step by step

Step 1: Get a genuine job offer first

You need a real offer letter from a foreign employer, showing the job title, salary, contract period and country.

A Parwaaz-registered Overseas Employment Promoter (OEP) must also verify it. Only OEPs licensed by the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BEOE) can register with Parwaaz. If you found the job yourself, the portal asks you to contact a registered Parwaaz OEP from its list. The OEP checks your offer, confirms it on the portal and gives you a Placement Demand Number to finish your application.

Check any agent’s licence with the BEOE before paying anyone anything. Unlicensed agents are a major source of overseas job fraud.

Step 2: Open the official portal

Go to parwaaz.psdf.org.pk. Many private websites use similar names. Only the PSDF portal is official.

Step 3: Register

Tap Register as Applicant and enter:

  • Your full name
  • Your CNIC number
  • Your mobile number, which must be registered in your own name
  • Your email address
  • A password of at least 8 characters, with a capital letter, a small letter, a number and a symbol
  • The code shown on screen

Then log in with your CNIC and password.

Step 4: Complete the application

Choose “Yes, I am a job holder”. The form then asks for your personal and family details, address, a live photo and signature, your education and work history, your OEP and job offer, and your loan and guarantor details. You also pick the Bank of Punjab branch where you will collect your card, and verify your mobile number with a 6-digit code.

Check everything carefully. The portal warns that you cannot change your selection after you submit.

Step 5: Upload your documents

The portal’s FAQ lists:

  • CNIC (front and back)
  • Passport (full copy)
  • Job offer letter
  • Police character certificate
  • Medical certificate
  • Skill certificate, if applicable

The form also asks for your education certificate and CV. For your guarantor, it asks for CNIC copies, a Tasdeeq report for both of you, and a personal guarantee form signed by you both. Each file must be a JPG, PNG, WEBP or PDF of up to 1 MB.

Step 6: Submit, verify and collect your card

Your application goes to the OEP and PSDF for checking. The portal says approval usually takes 7 to 10 working days after your documents are submitted.

After approval, you and your guarantor must go together to the Bank of Punjab branch with your original documents, for biometric and bank checks. You then receive your Parwaaz Card and the first 20% of the loan. Upload your visa proof to release the rest. Finally, upload your air ticket and your pre-departure training certificate. PSDF says this training is compulsory and covers soft skills, cultural orientation and financial literacy.

Before you accept: read the repayment terms

Interest free does not mean free. This is a real loan from the Bank of Punjab, and you are expected to repay it.

What the official sources say:

  • You repay only the amount you receive, with no interest and no hidden charges.
  • Repayment is in monthly instalments, and the Bank of Punjab manages it.
  • A guarantor is mandatory. The guarantor must be under 60, and the form asks for their annual income, which it says should be at least equal to your annual salary.

Before you sign, ask the bank directly:

  • When instalments start, and over how many months you repay
  • What happens if the visa is refused or the job falls through after money is released
  • What your guarantor has to pay if you cannot

Do not rely on a recruitment agent’s summary of the terms.

Protect yourself from overseas job fraud

Overseas employment attracts serious fraud, and a loan scheme attracts more. Protect yourself:

  • Verify the OEP licence with the BEOE before paying anyone.
  • Apply only on parwaaz.psdf.org.pk. Registering as a job seeker is free.
  • The portal tells OEPs that their facilitation fee (PKR 75,000 plus tax, as of September 2026) is paid through the Parwaaz Card, with no cash handling. OEPs may charge only government-approved fees, and PSDF can blacklist and report those who charge more.
  • Never share an OTP, password or login with an agent or a caller.
  • Be suspicious of any “guaranteed visa” or “guaranteed approval” offer.
  • Get receipts for every payment, and never hand your original passport to an unverified agent.

If you are asked for a bribe or suspect fraud, tell PSDF and report it through the Pakistan Citizen’s Portal.

Official contacts

  • Portal: parwaaz.psdf.org.pk
  • PSDF Helpline (UAN): (042) 111 11 PSDF (7733), that is 042-111-11-7733, Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, for portal help
  • Hunar Helpline: 0800 HUNAR (48627), Monday to Saturday, 8 am to 8 pm, for training and skills questions
  • Email: parwaaz.info@psdf.org.pk

Some websites give 1786 as the Parwaaz Card helpline. On the Punjab government’s official helplines list, 1786 is the Asaan Karobar helpline. The two numbers above are the ones listed for the Parwaaz Card.

If overseas work is not your route, other schemes may fit better:

To see which Punjab and federal programmes your household may qualify for, try our free eligibility checker.

GoPunjab is an independent information website. We are not PSDF or the Bank of Punjab, and we cannot approve a loan, arrange a job offer, or process your application. We only explain how the official process works so you can complete it correctly yourself.