How to remove ex-spouse from NADRA records after divorce

ISLAMABAD: The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has issued an important clarification for citizens seeking to update their marital status and remove an ex-spouse’s name from their Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) and NADRA records after divorce.

According to NADRA, citizens are allowed to change their marital status from “Married” to “Divorced” in its database, provided the required legal documentation is completed.

To update the record, individuals must first obtain an official khula or divorce decree from the family court or arbitration council. Afterward, they must visit the Union Council (UC) where the marriage was originally registered.

At the Union Council office, applicants are required to submit a request for the issuance of a divorce certificate, along with necessary details such as the names of both parties, the date of divorce, relevant case numbers, copies of CNICs, and witness information. Once the process is completed, the divorce certificate can be collected from the UC office.

NADRA issued the clarification in response to a query raised on social media, in which a citizen stated that despite obtaining a divorce certificate from the Union Council, NADRA records still showed the former spouse as “wife.”

In response, NADRA explained that both the man and woman must individually update their marital status in NADRA records by submitting the computerized divorce certificate.

NADRA emphasized that marital status will only be updated once the official divorce documentation is provided and verified, ensuring accuracy and legal compliance in national records.