Biometric vehicle transfer with the NADRA Pak ID app, step by step

Biometric verification is the identity stage of a Punjab vehicle transfer, and the stage now runs on a phone. The seller and the buyer each verify identity inside the Pak ID application of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), through a facial scan and a fingerprint scan captured by the phone camera. One condition governs the whole stage: the biometric screens open only after the transfer case exists and the transfer fee stands paid on ePay Punjab. This guide gives the seller steps and the buyer steps in order, explains the Tracking ID and PIN Code that connect the two sides, and sits inside the wider transfer system described in MTMIS Punjab: the complete guide to online vehicle verification.

Table of contents

• How the biometric stage fits inside a transfer
• Before the application: create and pay the transfer case on ePay Punjab
• What each party needs before starting
• Seller steps on the Pak ID application
• Buyer steps on the Pak ID application
• After both verifications
• Problems and their fixes
• Frequently asked questions

How the biometric stage fits inside a transfer

Two systems share the work of a Punjab transfer. The Excise and Taxation Department holds the vehicle record and the transfer case, and ePay Punjab carries the fee payment for the case. NADRA holds the identity record, and the Pak ID application verifies that the seller and the buyer are the persons the CNIC numbers name. The biometric stage proves identity; the stage does not by itself move the ownership record. Ownership moves when the paid transfer case and both verified identities meet in the Excise system. How to transfer vehicle ownership in Punjab gives the complete transfer sequence around the biometric stage, including the documents and the fee challan.

The order of the stages matters. A party who opens Pak ID before the fee payment finds no transfer to verify, because NADRA reads the pending case from the Excise side. The correct order is payment first, biometrics second, record update last.

Before the application: create and pay the transfer case on ePay Punjab

The buyer side starts the case on ePay Punjab, through the application or the portal at epay.punjab.gov.pk.

1. Open ePay Punjab and select the Excise and Taxation service for transfer of ownership of a motor vehicle.
2. Enter the registration number of the vehicle.
3. Enter the CNIC number of the buyer exactly as the buyer CNIC shows the number.
4. Review the dues the service calculates: the transfer fee, any outstanding token tax, and the other charges for the case.
5. Generate the challan and note the 17-digit PSID.
6. Pay the PSID through a bank application, an ATM, or a mobile wallet.

Payment of the PSID marks the case as pending biometric verification in the Excise system. How to pay token tax online with ePay Punjab explains PSID payment and the confirmation habit that applies to every ePay challan. Both parties should start the biometric steps soon after the payment, because a pending case expects the verifications to follow without a long gap.

What each party needs before starting

• A Pak ID account signed in with the CNIC of the party, on the phone of that party
• The original CNIC at hand, for the numbers and the record comparison
• A smartphone with a working camera and a stable internet connection
• A plain, well-lit place for the facial scan, without a hat or glasses during the capture
• The Tracking ID and PIN Code from the seller, for the buyer side

An overseas Pakistani seller or buyer uses the National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) in place of the CNIC inside the same application flow. The overseas route removes the embassy visit and the power of attorney file that an overseas transfer once required, because the live biometric scan proves the identity from any location.

Seller steps on the Pak ID application

The seller opens the sequence, because the seller application creates the Tracking ID and PIN Code that the buyer needs.

1. Open the Pak ID application and sign in.
2. Open Apply Digital Cards and select Vehicles.
3. Select the vehicle under transfer from the list of vehicles in the seller name, and select Transfer Now.
4. Complete the facial verification: position the face inside the frame on the screen, in good light, and follow the capture guidance until the scan accepts.
5. Complete the fingerprint verification: follow the camera guidance and present the fingers the application requests.
6. Enter the CNIC number of the buyer with care, digit by digit.
7. Submit the application.
8. Read the Tracking ID and PIN Code on the confirmation screen, and send both values to the buyer at once.

A wrong buyer CNIC at step 6 sends the case to the wrong person, and the buyer side cannot open the case with a different CNIC. The seller should read the buyer CNIC from the buyer card itself, never from memory or from a forwarded message.

Buyer steps on the Pak ID application

The buyer completes the second half of the stage with the Tracking ID and PIN Code from the seller.

1. Open the Pak ID application and sign in with the buyer CNIC.
2. Open Government Services and select Vehicle Transfer.
3. Enter the Tracking ID and the PIN Code, and select Get Details.
4. Read the case details on the screen: the registration number, the chassis number, the engine number, and the seller name.
5. Stop the process at any mismatch, and resolve the mismatch with the seller before any scan.
6. Complete the facial verification and the fingerprint verification, in the same manner as the seller scans.
7. Select Done to close the buyer verification.

The detail review at step 4 is the last free check in the transfer. The buyer confirms at that screen that the case names the correct vehicle and the correct seller, against the vehicle documents and the portal record the buyer checked before payment.

After both verifications

Both completed scans update the transfer case on the Excise side, and the case moves forward for the ownership record change. The seller side holds the proof of the stage inside the application: the biometric slip rests in the ID Wallet, under My Documents, in the Vehicle Transfer folder, and both parties should keep a copy of the slip with the sale documents. The department then issues the registration smart card in the buyer name through the normal card process, and the fee position for that card appears in the Punjab vehicle transfer fees and taxes in 2026 guide on this site.

The buyer should run one final confirmation after the record update period: a verification search on mtmis.excise.punjab.gov.pk against the registration number should show the buyer name as the owner. A record that still shows the seller name after a reasonable period deserves a call to the Excise helpline 1035 with the Tracking ID and the payment receipt at hand.

Problems and their fixes

The application shows no vehicle or no pending case. The transfer fee stands unpaid, or the payment has not yet updated the case. Confirm the PSID payment first, allow the update period to pass, and only then reopen the application.

The fingerprint scan fails repeatedly. Worn fingerprints defeat camera capture for many manual workers and elderly sellers. The application offers the facial verification route, and a successful facial match carries the verification where the fingerprint capture fails. Good light and a plain background decide most facial captures.

The buyer cannot open the case. The Tracking ID or the PIN Code carries an error, or the seller entered a different buyer CNIC. The seller re-reads both values from the confirmation screen, and a wrong CNIC entry requires the seller side to correct the application before the buyer retries.

One party delays the scan. A pending case expects both verifications in sequence, and a long delay can force the parties to restart the case work. Both parties should agree a time for the scans before the fee payment, and complete the scans in the same sitting where distance allows.

Frequently asked questions

Is biometric verification compulsory for a Punjab vehicle transfer?

Yes. The transfer record moves only after the identities of the seller and the buyer stand verified, and the Pak ID application is the standard route for that verification. A sale completed with cash and a letter, without biometrics, leaves the Excise record in the seller name.

Does the biometric stage need a visit to an Excise office or a NADRA centre?

No. The biometric stage runs on the phones of the two parties, and neither party attends an office for the scans. Offices remain relevant for record corrections and for cases that the application rejects, and the helpline 1035 guides such cases.

Can an overseas Pakistani complete the biometric verification from abroad?

Yes. The Pak ID application accepts the NICOP of an overseas Pakistani, and the facial and fingerprint scans run on the phone in the same flow. The overseas party needs no embassy visit and no attested power of attorney for the biometric stage.

What connects the seller application to the buyer application?

The Tracking ID and PIN Code connect the two sides. The seller application generates both values at submission, the seller passes the values to the buyer, and the buyer enters the values under Government Services, Vehicle Transfer, to open the same case.

Where does the proof of the biometric verification rest?

The biometric slip rests inside the Pak ID application, in the ID Wallet under My Documents, in the Vehicle Transfer folder. Both parties should save a copy of the slip with the sale agreement and the payment receipt, because the three documents together prove the completed transfer.