NADRA marriage certificate vs Nikah Nama
Pakistani couples usually have two marriage papers. The Nikah Nama is the handwritten Urdu contract signed at the nikah. The NADRA marriage registration certificate (MRC) is the computer-printed certificate the union council issues after it registers that Nikah Nama. They are not the same document, and visa offices often want both.
The difference at a glance
| Nikah Nama | NADRA marriage certificate (MRC) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | The marriage contract itself, on the printed form with 25 columns | A certificate that the marriage is registered |
| Language | Urdu, mostly handwritten | English, computer-printed |
| Who issues it | Filled in by the Nikah Registrar at the nikah | The union council, from NADRA's system, after registration |
| What it shows | Everything: vakils, witnesses, dower, conditions, divorce rights | The basics: names, date and place, registration details |
| Translation | Needs a full English translation for most visa files | Already in English |
Why visa files ask for both
The MRC proves the marriage is on record; the Nikah Nama shows its terms. Pakistani applicants to the US report that the National Visa Center asks for the Urdu Nikah Nama, its certified English translation and the NADRA certificate together (VisaJourney). A Canadian refugee board research note also records that a signed Nikah Nama is a valid marriage under Pakistani law, with registration done through the union council (IRB Canada).
How to get each one
- Nikah Nama copy: from the Nikah Registrar or the union council where it was registered. Ask for an attested copy if yours is damaged or unclear.
- NADRA MRC: from the union council, once the Nikah Nama is registered. Check the details against the Nikah Nama before you leave; spelling differences between the two are a common problem.
This site is unofficial and not connected to NADRA or any union council. For the official process, go to your union council or nadra.gov.pk.
Fastest fix: open NikahDraft, type what is written in each of the 25 columns, and it lays out the English translation in the form's own order, with mehr amounts in words and a translator's statement. The preview is free and runs in your browser; the clean PDF and Word file cost $9 once.
More guides
- Nikah Nama in English word format (Pakistan)The 25 columns as an editable Word table, filled in from your form.
- Nikah Nama translation in EnglishPrices, what a good translation includes, and how to check one.
- Nikah Nama columns explained in English: all 25Each clause with its Urdu heading and how to translate it.
- Nikah Nama translation for USCIS and the NVCI-130 and immigrant visa files: the rule, the certification wording.
- Nikah Nama translation for a UK spouse visaWhat the Home Office wants, and how to check your translator.
- NADRA marriage certificate vs Nikah NamaTwo different papers, and why visa files often ask for both.
- Haq mehr, mu'ajjal and ghair mu'ajjal in EnglishDower terms in columns 13 to 16, and amounts in words.
- Talaq-e-tafweez: column 18 in EnglishColumns 18 and 19, and how to translate a struck-out clause.
- Translator's certification statement: Urdu to EnglishA template worded to the USCIS rule, with the UK points covered.
- Nikah Nama translation for Canada (IRCC)Spousal sponsorship: certified translator or affidavit.
- نکاح نامہ کا انگریزی ترجمہ کیسے کریںUrdu guide for family in Pakistan helping with the translation.
- Nikah Nama Urdu words in English50 handwritten words with Roman Urdu and the usual English.
- Nikah Nama English translation: a full sampleEvery column filled in, with fictional names, to copy the style.
- Nikah Nama translation in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad and RawalpindiWhat to take to a translator in Pakistan, and what to check.
- نکاح نامہ لکھنے کا طریقہ: ہر خانے کی وضاحتUrdu: what goes in each of the 25 columns, in plain words.
- Nikah Nama special conditions (column 17)Common conditions in Urdu, and how to write them in English.