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Updated March 2024

Navigating the complex landscape of inheritance and estate distribution after the passing of a loved one can be a daunting prospect, especially when there is no explicit will or legal documentation in place. In such situations, the need for a NADRA succession certificate becomes paramount.

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Read on as Wego offers you an understanding of the intricacies of the NADRA succession certificates, their pivotal role in securing your inheritance rights, and the step-by-step process of acquiring one.

Table of Contents

What is the NADRA succession certificate?

A succession certificate is a legal document that confirms the rightful ownership of both movable and immovable property belonging to a deceased individual, and it is granted by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) in Pakistan, the exclusive authority responsible for issuing identity documents and maintaining the national citizen database.

This certificate becomes necessary in situations where the deceased person has not created a will or any other legal document that outlines how their assets should be distributed among their legal heirs.

The absence of a succession certificate can lead to challenges for the legal heirs when asserting their inheritance rights, particularly regarding assets like bank accounts, securities, insurance policies, pension funds, and other movable properties.

Succession certificate required documents

The following documents should be appended along with the succession certificate application:

death certificate of the deceased
family registration certificate (FRC)
list of the legal heirs and copies of their Identity cards
details of immoveable and moveable property in respect of which the succession certificate or Letter of Administration is applied
affidavit attested by the Oath Commissioner, which must mention the following:
- details of moveable and immoveable properties
- details of Legal heirs and their shares as certified to be provided in the personal law of such legal heirs
- any other document deemed appropriate by the Authority

How to apply for the NADRA succession certificate?

To apply for a succession certificate from NADRA, applicants must go through the following stages:

starting the application and providing deceased information: The applicant, who can be any of the legal heirs of the deceased, needs to furnish their own national identity number and the death certificate of the deceased individual.
details of legal heirs and assets: The applicant is required to supply pertinent information about the legal heirs, including their names, relationships, ownership shares, and identity cards. Additionally, the applicant must provide information about the movable and immovable properties of the deceased, such as bank accounts, securities, vehicles, land, and more.
verification and consensus from legal heirs: All legal heirs must visit a NADRA registration center for biometric verification and provide their consent. This step is designed to confirm that there are no disputes or objections among the legal heirs concerning the succession certificate.
advertisement: NADRA will publish a public notice in newspapers, inviting any objections to the application. The notice will contain details about the deceased person, the legal heirs, and the assets involved. A 14-day period will be specified during which objections can be filed.
printing and issuance: In the absence of any objections within the 14-day period, NADRA will print and issue the succession certificate to the applicant. The certificate will include various security features and offer real-time verification capabilities.

Succession certificate tracking

Applicants living abroad can monitor the progress of their application by accessing their registered account on the official website of the NADRA Succession Certificate.

Alternatively, if you are applying from within Pakistan, you can check your application status by sending a text message with your Application Tracking ID to the number “8400.”