How to Get a Birth Certificate and Child Registration Certificate (CRC) from NADRA


If you need to enrol a child in school, apply for a passport, or complete a family record, you will very likely be asked for a birth certificate or a Child Registration Certificate (CRC), sometimes called a B-Form. Both documents are issued through Pakistan's National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), but they are not the same thing, and knowing which one you need will save you a wasted trip.

This guide explains the difference, the documents you will need, and how to apply, step by step. It also connects with our guides on getting a Family Registration Certificate (FRC) and renewing a CNIC online, which cover the next documents many families need after a child's registration.

Birth certificate or CRC — which do you need?

A birth certificate is usually the first record of a child's birth. In Pakistan, births are registered at the local level — typically through the union council — and the birth certificate issued there records the child's name, date and place of birth, and parents' details. It is the foundation document for most later records.

The CRC, often called the B-Form, is NADRA's registration document for children under 18. It is issued by NADRA and records the child in the national database, linked to the parents' CNIC records. Schools, passport offices and other authorities commonly ask for the CRC, because it confirms the child's identity in NADRA's system.

Step 1: Gather the required documents

Before applying, prepare the parents' original CNICs, the child's birth certificate from the union council, and, where applicable, any hospital birth record or proof of birth. Bring originals as well as photocopies, and make sure names and spellings match across documents — a spelling difference between a birth certificate and a CNIC is one of the most common causes of delay.

Step 2: Apply through NADRA

You can apply at a NADRA Registration Centre, or, where available, through the Pak-ID mobile application, which allows many NADRA services to be started online. At a centre, you will submit the documents, provide the child's details, and have biometrics or photographs taken where required.

Check the fee before you pay, and keep the receipt. Fees can change, and normal and urgent processing, where offered, may carry different charges.

Step 3: Track and collect

After applying, keep your tracking number safe. When the CRC is ready, collect it and check every detail immediately — name, date of birth, parents' names and CNIC numbers — since errors are much easier to correct at collection than months later.

Step 4: Correcting mistakes

If you spot an error, report it promptly through NADRA's correction process with the original documents proving the correct detail. Never alter a certificate by hand — it may then be rejected by schools and passport offices.

Frequently asked questions

Is the CRC the same as a birth certificate? No — the birth certificate records the birth locally, while the CRC registers the child with NADRA. At what age does a child need a CRC? Children under 18 are registered through the CRC; at 18 they become eligible for their own CNIC. What is the CRC used for? School admission, passport applications and family registration records are the common uses.

Once issued, keep both documents safe — they will be asked for again throughout a child's schooling and early adult life.

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