Pakistani civil records run through the national registration authority rather than through consulates, and its family registration system is the backbone: your entry links to your parents, your spouse and your children. For families abroad, the key document for a child born in the United States is the birth registration certificate.
Quick facts
Missions keep facilitation desks for people who cannot complete the online steps, but the counters no longer handle most of this work.
Fees breakdown
| Service | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Child registration certificate | Registration authority fee | Applied for online |
| Family registration certificate | Registration authority fee | Proves relationships |
| Marriage registration | Charged by the union council | In Pakistan |
| U.S. certificate, apostilled | $15–$50 plus $3–$25 | Since 2023 the apostille works |
| Attestation where required | Mission tariff | Confirm with the receiving body |
Marriages are registered through the union council system in Pakistan, and a marriage celebrated in the United States generally needs to be documented there before it has effect for Pakistani purposes.
How to file
- Order the U.S. birth or marriage certificate from the state office.
- Apostille it, which since 2023 replaces the old legalisation chain.
- Apply through the registration authority’s portal for the child’s registration certificate.
- Upload the parents’ identity documents and the marriage certificate.
- Pay online and keep the tracking reference.
- Use the mission’s facilitation desk only if the online route fails.
Required documents
- Child’s U.S. birth certificate, apostilled.
- Both parents’ identity cards, national or overseas.
- Parents’ marriage certificate.
- Proof of address abroad.
- Pakistani passport, valid or expired, of the Pakistani parent.
- Scans to the portal’s specification.
Where to file
Through the registration authority’s online portal, with help from the facilitation desk at a mission if needed.
The Consulate General of Pakistan, Chicago
View details →HoustonPakistan Consulate General Houston
View details →Los AngelesConsulate General of Pakistan
View details →MaricopaPAK LINK - Pakistan Consulate Facilitation Services for US Citizens
View details →MillisConsulate General of The Islamic Republic of Pakistan
View details →New YorkConsulate General of Pakistan New York
View details →WashingtonEmbassy of Pakistan
View details →Additional notes
The family record matters
Relationships recorded centrally are what later procedures rely on, from a child’s card to an inheritance claim. Keeping them accurate is worth the effort.
Spelling of names
Transliteration from Urdu produces variations across documents. Consistency across the family record avoids problems years later.
Register children early
A child’s registration certificate is the basis for their overseas identity card and their passport.
Keep scans
Because the system is online, good scans of every document save repeated work.