NADRA Office Timings 2026: All Cities Pakistan
Planning a NADRA visit without knowing the office timings is the most common reason people waste a trip in Pakistan. A centre that was open until the evening yesterday may follow a different shift today, a Friday visit can end at the Jummah break, and a small registration centre and a Mega Centre in the same city can keep completely different hours. The honest answer to “what are NADRA office timings” is that NADRA does not run one single timetable for the whole country. It runs different types of centres, on different shift patterns, and it changes hours by season and during Ramadan.
This guide explains NADRA office timings in the only accurate way they can be explained: by centre type. You will learn how five day and six day registration centres work, what a double shift centre is, which Mega Centres run two shifts and which run through the night, how Friday, Saturday and Sunday work, and how to confirm the exact timing of your own centre on the official NADRA locator before you leave home. Where a timing example is given in hours, it is taken from a specific NADRA announcement and labelled with its scope, because an example from one city or one season is not a national rule.
Quick Answer: NADRA Office Timings at a Glance
The quick answer is that your timing depends on the type of centre you visit. NADRA publishes a shift pattern for every centre in its official centre locator, instead of one national list of opening and closing times. The table below summarises what each centre type means in practice.
| Centre Type | Working Days | Shift Pattern | What It Means for You |
| Registration Centre, five day, single shift | Monday to Friday | One daytime shift | Closed on Saturday and Sunday. Visit on a weekday, and expect a shorter day on Friday. |
| Registration Centre, six day, single shift | Monday to Saturday | One daytime shift | Open on Saturday, closed on Sunday. Friday hours are shorter because of the Jummah break. |
| Double shift centre | Monday to Saturday | Morning shift and evening shift | Longer total day, with service continuing into the evening. Useful if you work during the day. |
| Mega Centre, two shifts | Includes Saturday | Two shifts | Day and evening coverage at a large centre with many counters. Sunday opening is not stated in NADRA data, so confirm first. |
| Mega Centre, three shifts | Includes Saturday, with a night shift | Morning, evening and night shifts | The closest thing to a 24 hour NADRA office. Only seven Mega Centres work this pattern. |
Two warnings belong with this table. First, NADRA changes timings during the year: it announces a special schedule for Ramadan and seasonal schedules such as winter timings for some regions. Second, the exact opening and closing time of one named centre is confirmed in the official locator or on the helpline, not in any general guide, including this one. The last sections of this article show you exactly how to check.
Why NADRA Office Timings Differ From Centre to Centre
Pakistan has 963 NADRA registration centres, along with mobile registration vans and man-pack units, according to NADRA’s own Footprint count. A small centre in a tehsil town does not need the same hours as a Mega Centre in Karachi that serves thousands of people a day. NADRA therefore sets hours by the size, workload and shift pattern of each centre, and it revises them when demand or the season changes.
This is also why so many websites disagree about NADRA timings. One page prints the hours of a five day centre, another copies a double shift centre, and a third repeats an old Ramadan schedule, and all three present their version as the national timing. When you read any timing online, ask which type of centre it belongs to and which announcement it came from. If a page cannot answer both questions, treat its timings as a guess.
NADRA Registration Centre Timings: Single Shift Centres
Most NADRA offices in Pakistan are ordinary registration centres working a single shift. They open in the morning, work through the day in one continuous session, and close in the late afternoon or early evening. Single shift centres come in two patterns, and knowing which one your centre follows decides whether a Saturday visit is possible.
Five Day Centres
A five day centre works from Monday to Friday and stays closed on Saturday and Sunday. As a labelled example of what a five day schedule looks like in practice, NADRA’s winter schedule for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, announced on its official Facebook page and effective from 19 November 2025, kept five day registration centres open in a single shift from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, while regional head offices and zonal offices on a five day week worked from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. That example is from one province and one season, and it shows the shape of a five day week rather than a promise for every centre in Pakistan.
Six Day Centres
A six day centre adds Saturday to the working week and closes only on Sunday. The single shift still runs in the daytime, and Friday remains a shorter day. Six day centres are common in busy urban areas where weekday demand is too high for a five day week. If your centre is six day, a Saturday morning visit is one of the better ways to avoid the Monday rush, but arrive early, because Saturday service can end sooner than a normal weekday at some centres and the locator entry for your centre is the final word.
Double Shift NADRA Centre Timings
A double shift centre splits its day into a morning shift and an evening shift, so it can serve people who cannot come during office hours. This pattern is used in larger cities and in centres with heavy footfall. The two shifts together can keep a centre working for most of the day, with a change of staff in the middle.
NADRA’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa winter schedule gives one clear example: double shift offices on a six day week worked a morning shift from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm and an evening shift from 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm, Monday to Saturday. Karachi shows how far the pattern can stretch. At the Shahrah-e-Quaideen Registration Centre, NADRA introduced a two shift system from 22 December 2025, with a morning shift from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm and an evening shift from 3:00 pm to 10:00 pm, keeping that one centre open for 14 hours a day. Both examples are real NADRA announcements, and both belong to the centres and seasons they were announced for. Your own double shift centre may start and end earlier or later, which is why its locator entry matters.
One practical point follows from the shift system. Arriving in the gap between shifts, or in the last few minutes of a shift, can mean your token is not taken up that day. If you are visiting a double shift centre in the evening, go at the start of the evening shift instead of near its end.
NADRA Mega Centre Timings and Shifts
A Mega Centre is a large registration centre with far more counters and staff than a normal office, built for the biggest cities. NADRA’s own centre data counts 14 Mega Centres in Pakistan: seven in Punjab, three in Karachi, two in Peshawar, one in Islamabad and one in Quetta. There is no Mega Centre in Azad Kashmir or Gilgit-Baltistan. Mega Centres matter for timings because they are the only centres that work two or three shifts, and NADRA’s data marks all 14 of them as open on Saturday.
Be careful with one thing here. NADRA does not publish opening and closing clock times for each Mega Centre. Its data lists the shift pattern only: three shifts or two shifts. Any website that prints exact opening times for a named Mega Centre is adding detail that NADRA itself has not published, so confirm a late visit on the helpline before you travel.
Three Shift Mega Centres: The Night Shift Centres
Seven Mega Centres work three shifts, adding a night shift to the morning and evening shifts. These are the centres people mean when they ask for a 24 hour NADRA office, because the three shifts together cover the night as well as the day.
| City | Three Shift Mega Centre |
| Karachi | North Nazimabad |
| Karachi | DHA |
| Karachi | Siemens Chowrangi |
| Lahore | Egerton Road |
| Islamabad | Blue Area |
| Rawalpindi | Murree Road (one of the two listings) |
| Gujranwala | GT Road |
Two Shift Mega Centres
The other seven Mega Centres work two shifts. They still offer a much longer day than a normal centre, including evening coverage, but they do not run through the night.
| City | Two Shift Mega Centre |
| Lahore | Peco Road |
| Lahore | Data Gunj Bakhsh (Sanda Road) |
| Rawalpindi | Murree Road (second listing) |
| Faisalabad | Faisalabad |
| Peshawar | University Road |
| Peshawar | Ring Road |
| Quetta | Quetta |
Karachi and Hyderabad also have large three shift centres that NADRA does not count in the 14 Mega Centres, including Big Center East on University Road in Karachi and Big NRC Hyderabad in Latifabad. And a centre with the word Mega in its name, such as Mega Sialkot or Mega Surjani Town, is recorded by NADRA as a normal registration centre, so do not assume it keeps Mega Centre hours. Names mislead; the shift pattern in the locator is what counts.
NADRA Office Timings on Friday
Friday is the day that catches the most people out. At five day and six day centres, Friday is a working day but a shorter one, because work stops for the Jummah prayer break. In NADRA’s announced schedules, the Friday morning session typically ends at 12:30 pm, and where an evening shift runs on a Friday, it resumes at 2:00 pm after the break. The practical lesson is simple: never plan a first visit to a normal centre late on a Friday morning. If Friday is your only free day, arrive early in the morning, or use a double shift or Mega Centre in the evening where one exists in your city.
NADRA Office Timings on Saturday and Sunday
Saturday depends entirely on your centre type. Five day centres are closed. Six day and double shift centres are open, and NADRA’s data marks all 14 Mega Centres as open on Saturday. Sunday is different: normal centres are closed, and NADRA’s data does not record Sunday opening even for Mega Centres. A three shift Mega Centre is your only realistic option for urgent Sunday work, but confirm on the helpline 1777 before travelling. Do not travel on the strength of any blog post that promises Sunday opening: the confirmation takes two minutes and saves a wasted journey.
Passport Counters at NADRA Mega Centres
Several Mega Centres also host passport counters, and these are the one place where NADRA’s map data does give exact hours. The passport counters at Egerton Road in Lahore and at North Nazimabad and Siemens Chowrangi in Karachi are marked 24/7 in NADRA’s data. The counters at Peco Road and Sanda Road in Lahore are listed as working day and night until 10:30 pm. Passport counters exist at five Mega Centres in total, three in Lahore and two in Karachi, and Peshawar’s Executive Passport Office is located at the Mega Centre there. Most normal centres have no passport counter, so check the locator if that is the service you need.
NADRA Timings in Ramadan and on Public Holidays
During Ramadan, NADRA announces a revised schedule for the whole country, with shorter daytime hours, an earlier Friday finish, and evening and night shifts at larger centres arranged around iftar and taraweeh. The Ramadan schedule changes every year, so last year’s Ramadan timings are not a safe guide for this year. The same caution applies to seasonal schedules: the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa winter timings used as an example in this article applied to one province for one season. Registration centres also close on public holidays announced by the Government of Pakistan, and a local holiday can close centres in one province while the rest of the country works normally. Before any Ramadan, winter or holiday visit, check the current announcement on NADRA’s official channels or confirm your centre on 1777.
Best Time to Visit a NADRA Office to Avoid Queues
Knowing the hours is only half the job; choosing the right hour inside them saves the real time. The first working hour of the day is usually the calmest at a normal centre, because the token queue has not built up yet. Mid morning on a Monday is the opposite, as everyone who could not come over the weekend arrives together. At a double shift centre, the start of the evening shift is often quieter than the morning peak.
Two more habits help. Avoid the last half hour of any shift, because tokens stop being served before the doors close. And where your work can be done from home, skip the visit entirely: many services, including the process covered in our CNIC renewal online guide, can be completed through the Pak ID app, and the app also lets you book an appointment slot at many centres so you are not standing in the token queue at all. For a child’s first registration, our Child Registration Certificate guide explains what can be done online and what still needs a centre visit, and the same planning helps for a Family Registration Certificate, which follows the family record already held by NADRA.
How to Check Your Own Centre’s Timing on the Official NADRA Locator
The official locator is the one source that describes your exact centre. NADRA’s own data sits behind the “Find a NADRA Service Centre” map on its website, and checking your centre takes only a few steps.
Step 1: Open the Official NADRA Website
Go to nadra.gov.pk and find the “Find a NADRA Service Centre” section on the homepage. Use the official website only; lookalike sites copy old timing tables.
Step 2: Open the Centre Map
Click the option to view the centres on the map. This opens NADRA’s mapping portal, which carries the current centre data, including mobile vans and e-Sahulat points.
Step 3: Show Registration Centres
In the facilities menu, choose NADRA Facilities and then the registration centre layer, marked NRC. The map will show the centres around you.
Step 4: Click Your Centre and Read Its Shift Pattern
Zoom to your area and click your centre. Note its address and its shift pattern: one shift, two shifts or three shifts. That pattern, with the centre type guide in this article, tells you whether it works five or six days, whether it has an evening or night shift, and whether a Saturday visit is possible.
Step 5: Confirm on the Helpline Before a Long Trip
If the visit is urgent, late in the day, on a Saturday, or during Ramadan, confirm by phone as well. The map shows the shift pattern, and the helpline can confirm the day’s actual hours.
NADRA Helpline and Contact Options
NADRA’s helpline is the fastest way to confirm a centre’s timing on the day you plan to travel. NADRA lists the helpline on its official contact page, and it works around the clock.
| Contact Method | Details | Best Use |
| Helpline (mobile) | 1777 | Confirming your centre’s timings, Saturday or Sunday opening, Ramadan hours |
| Helpline (landline) | 051-111-786-100 | Same confirmations from a landline or office phone |
| Official website | nadra.gov.pk centre locator | Finding your centre, its address and its shift pattern |
| Pak ID app | Appointment booking and online services | Booking a slot to skip the token queue, or completing the work online |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake 1: Trusting a City Wise Timing Table
Tables that print one timing for every centre in a city are the biggest source of wasted trips. Two centres in the same city can follow different shift patterns, as the two Murree Road listings in Rawalpindi show. Always check your named centre, not your city.
Mistake 2: Assuming Every Mega Centre Is Open 24 Hours
Only the seven three shift Mega Centres cover the night. The other seven work two shifts, and NADRA does not publish exact clock times for any of them. A centre being called a Mega Centre is not a promise that it is open at 2:00 am.
Mistake 3: Looking for a Separate Executive Centre Timing
Normal, urgent and executive are processing speeds that you choose at the counter, not different buildings with different hours. There is no separate executive centre timetable in NADRA’s data. What changes with the executive option is the fee and the delivery time, which you can compare in our CNIC fee structure guide before you go.
Mistake 4: Visiting Late on Friday or in Ramadan Without Checking
Friday ends early at normal centres because of the Jummah break, and Ramadan brings a different schedule altogether. Both are predictable, and both are announced. A two minute check on the locator or 1777 is all it takes to avoid them.
Quick Checklist Before You Leave Home
- Find your centre in the official locator and note whether it works one, two or three shifts.
- Check the day: five day centres close on Saturday, normal centres close on Sunday, and Friday ends at the Jummah break.
- In Ramadan, or near a public holiday, confirm the current schedule on 1777 before travelling.
- Aim for the start of a shift, not the end of one, and avoid the Monday mid morning peak.
- Carry your documents and the correct fee category for the speed you plan to choose.
- If the work is available on the Pak ID app, book a slot or complete it online instead of queueing.
Final Words
NADRA office timings are not a single national timetable, and any guide that prints one is guessing at your expense. The system is simpler than it first looks once you think in centre types: single shift centres work a daytime shift on five or six days, double shift centres add an evening shift, and the 14 Mega Centres work two or three shifts, with only seven of them covering the night. Friday is shortened by the Jummah break, Saturday belongs to six day and larger centres, and Sunday needs a confirmation call before you even think of travelling.
Make the official locator and the helpline 1777 your habit. Check your centre’s shift pattern before every visit, take Ramadan and seasonal announcements seriously, and arrive at the start of a shift with your documents ready. Two minutes of checking is the difference between a finished job and a wasted day outside a closed gate.
Official Sources
- NADRA, Find a NADRA Service Centre (official centre locator and shift data): nadra.gov.pk
- NADRA, Footprint page (centre, van and Mega Centre counts): nadra.gov.pk
- NADRA helpline and contact page: 1777 and 051-111-786-100
- NADRA winter timings announcement for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, November 2025
- Pak ID, official online services and appointments: id.nadra.gov.pk
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