Quick answer: A B-Form is a Child Registration Certificate (CRC) issued by NADRA for anyone under 18. You can apply online through the Pak Identity portal at id.nadra.gov.pk, or in person at any NADRA Registration Centre or Mega Centre. The standard fee is Rs 50 for the first issuance (free in some cases for newborns) and the document is usually ready within a few days to two weeks depending on the processing category you choose.

The B-Form is one of those documents that nobody tells you about until you need it, and then you need it urgently. The most common situations where it comes up are school admissions, passport applications for minors, opening a bank account for a child, and the first CNIC application when the child turns 18. If you have a newborn or a young child and have not yet registered them, getting the B-Form sorted early saves a lot of last-minute hassle later.

What exactly is a B-Form?

The B-Form is the common name for the Child Registration Certificate, which is the official NADRA document that records a child’s identity in the national database. It contains the child’s full name, date of birth, place of birth, parent’s names, parent’s CNIC numbers, and a unique 13-digit identification number. Once a child has a B-Form, they are in the NADRA system, and the B-Form serves as their identity document until they turn 18 and become eligible for an adult CNIC.

The document is called the B-Form because of its original form number in the NADRA system, and the name has stuck. The official name on the document itself is “Child Registration Certificate,” but everyone including NADRA staff will recognise “B-Form” instantly.

Documents you need to apply

Before you start the application, gather the following documents. The full list depends slightly on whether both parents are available, but the standard set is:

• Parents’ original CNICs (both father and mother, originals plus photocopies)
• Nikah Nama (Nikahnama) — the marriage certificate, registered with the relevant Union Council
• Child’s birth certificate — issued by the Union Council or hospital, depending on where the child was born
• Passport-size photographs of the child (some NADRA centres take photos on-site)
• Proof of address — utility bill, rent agreement, or property document in the parent’s name
• Application fee — Rs 50 for the first issuance (often free for newborns at certain hospitals); Rs 100 for reissue

If only one parent can accompany the child, the absent parent typically needs to provide a signed affidavit or, in some cases, a special power of attorney. The exact requirement depends on the specific NADRA centre, so calling ahead is a good idea if the situation is non-standard.

Option 1: Apply online through Pak Identity

The simplest route for most people is the online application through the Pak Identity portal. Here is the step-by-step process.

Step 1: Create a Pak Identity account

Go to id.nadra.gov.pk and register a new account. You will need your CNIC number, a mobile number that is registered against your CNIC, and an email address. The system will send a one-time password (OTP) to your mobile to verify it. The verification is required because the system uses your CNIC as the primary identifier, and the mobile number must match the one on your NADRA record.

Step 2: Log in and select the B-Form service

Once your account is verified, log in and look for the “Child Registration Certificate” or “B-Form” service in the service menu. The exact wording varies slightly as NADRA updates the portal, but it is in the family-related services section.

Step 3: Enter the child’s details

You will need to enter the child’s full name (as it should appear on the certificate), date of birth, place of birth, and gender. The system will pull in the parents’ details automatically from your CNIC record, but you should double-check that the spelling of the mother’s name matches what is on her CNIC. Spelling mismatches between parents’ CNICs and the child’s record are a common source of delays and corrections later.

Step 4: Upload supporting documents

Upload scanned copies of the Nikah Nama, the birth certificate, and any other required documents. The portal accepts PDF, JPG, and PNG formats, and there are size limits for each upload (typically 2-5 MB per file). If you do not have a scanner, most phone camera apps that produce a clear, well-lit, straight-on image of the document will work fine.

Step 5: Pay the fee

Pay the application fee through the payment options on the portal. The standard payment methods are 1Link, bank challan, debit card, JazzCash, and Easypaisa. The fee for a new B-Form is Rs 50, and for an urgent or executive processing tier you will pay more.

Step 6: Submit and track

Submit the application. The system will generate a tracking ID, which you can use to check the status of the application through the same portal. The standard processing time for a B-Form is 7-10 working days for the normal tier, 3-5 days for urgent, and 1-2 days for executive. The actual time depends on the verification workload at the relevant NADRA centre.

Step 7: Receive the B-Form

Once processed, you can download a digital copy of the B-Form from the portal for immediate use. The physical document can be collected from the NADRA office you specified during the application, or delivered by post for an additional fee. For most practical purposes (school admissions, passport applications), the digital copy is accepted, but it is worth checking the specific requirements of the institution you are dealing with.

Option 2: Apply in person at a NADRA centre

For families who cannot or prefer not to use the online system, the in-person process at a NADRA Registration Centre or Mega Centre is straightforward. The trade-off is the wait time at the centre, which can be significant at busy locations, particularly during the start of the school year.

Step 1: Find your nearest NADRA office

Most district headquarters have a NADRA office, and there are additional offices in major cities. Mega Centres are the larger, higher-volume facilities, and they tend to be faster but more crowded. Smaller regional offices are usually quieter but may have a narrower range of services.

Step 2: Book a token (optional but recommended)

The Pak Identity portal lets you book a token in advance at the NADRA office of your choice. The booking cuts down the wait time significantly. Walk-in is also possible at most centres, but the queue depends on the day and time, with Monday mornings and the start of the school year being the busiest.

Step 3: Arrive with the documents

Bring the full set of documents listed above, including originals and photocopies. Arrive during operating hours, which are typically 9am to 5pm on weekdays, though some centres have extended hours or Saturday openings.

Step 4: Submit at the B-Form counter

Submit the application at the B-Form or child registration counter. The NADRA officer will verify your documents, enter the family data into the system, and take the child’s biometrics (a small thumbprint and a photograph).

Step 5: Pay and get a receipt

Pay the fee at the office counter or through one of the payment options on site, and get the receipt. The receipt has the tracking ID and the expected delivery date, which you will need for any follow-up.

Step 6: Collect or receive delivery

For normal processing, the B-Form is usually ready in 7-10 working days. You can collect it from the same office or have it delivered by post for a small additional fee. The digital copy is also usually available through the Pak Identity portal within a day or two of the physical document being ready.

Common issues and how to avoid them

A few things go wrong more often than they should, and they are all avoidable with a bit of preparation. The most common is a mismatch in the mother’s name spelling between her CNIC and the Nikah Nama, which can cause the application to be put on hold. The fix is to get the spelling corrected on whichever document has the error before you apply, not after. The second most common is using a mobile number in the online application that is not the one registered against your CNIC, which causes the OTP verification to fail. The third is uploading a birth certificate that is not from a Union Council or registered hospital, which can lead to additional verification requirements.

If you run into any of these issues, the NADRA helpline at 0800-11786 is staffed during business hours and can give you specific guidance for your situation.

What to do if the B-Form needs to be reissued or corrected

If the B-Form is lost, the child has turned 18 and needs an adult CNIC, or there is a correction needed (such as a spelling fix or a father’s name correction), the process is similar but the fee structure is different. A reissue typically costs Rs 100, and corrections are handled as modifications with their own fee tier. The Pak Identity portal handles both, and the in-person process at a NADRA office also covers both. For major corrections (such as a change in parentage), you may need to provide additional documentation, and the processing time can be longer.

For the broader NADRA context, our NADRA CNIC status guide walks through the related family document process. For the FRC family registration process, our NADRA FRC guide is relevant. For the new CNIC application process, our new CNIC online guide is useful. For the Pak Identity mobile app context, our Pak ID app setup guide is related.

Source: NADRA official website and Pak Identity portal; Union Council registration procedures; NADRA helpline guidance.