UAE: No biometric verification required for expats to operate bank accounts in Pakistan

Dubai - State Bank of Pakistan gives relief to over 10m NRPs

The State Bank of Pakistan has exempted Pakistani residents living in the UAE and other countries from biometric verification to operate their bank accounts back home.

Pakistan Embassy in Abu Dhabi said in a statement that banks in Pakistan have been permitted to utilise the National Database and Registration Authority's (Nadra) e-Verisys instead of biometric verification.

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“Overseas Pakistanis would be only required to provide reasonable evidence/proof, likely copy of a valid passport, visa, CNIC (Computerised National Identity Card) and Nicop (National Identity Card of Overseas Pakistanis) of their residency status,” said the Embassy’s statement.

Earlier, non-resident Pakistanis (NRPs) would have to go to their home country for biometric verification to open or activate their dormant bank account.

The announcement follows Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan's strict instructions to government institutions and the country’s foreign missions to provide better services to overseas Pakistanis.

There are over 1.5 million Pakistanis living in the UAE and another nine million across the globe.

Under the Central Bank’s regulations, an account that is not operational for a year is classified as dormant. But a dormant account can be activated upon a formal request through postal/e-mail address, registered mobile, or landline number by the customer.

Usually, verification is done through Nadra's e-Verisys.

The embassy said NRPs can submit specific complaints against any bank that fails to facilitate them with the State Bank of Pakistan through its portal ops.helpdesk@sbp.org.pk, or by postal address at The Director, Banking Conduct and Consumer Protection Department, State Bank of Pakistani, II Chundrigarh Road, Karachi.

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Pakistanis living in the UAE and other foreign countries can contact their bank’s call centre from the registered phone number, email address, or bank’s mobile application to reissue their debit cards.

The bank will cancel the old card and issue a new one.

The customer will have to contact the call centre again for the activation of the card, the statement added.

waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai
• Pakistan