Affidavit of Financial Support (Pakistan)

An Affidavit of Financial Support in Pakistan provides a formal sworn account of the facts it concerns, executed in the manner the law requires for it to be relied on.

The Qanun-e-Shahadat Order 1984, which replaced the Indian Evidence Act 1872 in Pakistan and incorporates Islamic principles of evidence, governs the admissibility and weight of affidavit evidence in Pakistani courts under Article 164, which authorises courts to direct that particular facts be proved by affidavit. The Affidavit of Financial Support functions as formal sworn evidence of the sponsor's financial commitment — carrying greater legal weight than an unsworn letter of support — for submission to foreign embassies, universities, courts, hospitals, and Pakistani government departments.

The Oaths Act 1873, a federal statute operative throughout Pakistan, prescribes the form of oath administered to persons making sworn declarations. Muslims swear on the Holy Quran; members of other faiths affirm or swear on their religious text. A false declaration in an Affidavit of Financial Support constitutes perjury under Section 193 of the Pakistan Penal Code 1860 (PPC), punishable by imprisonment of up to seven years and a fine — a deterrent that gives the affidavit its legal weight.

The Stamp Act 1899, administered provincially by the Boards of Revenue in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan, requires the affidavit to be executed on non-judicial stamp paper of the appropriate denomination — typically PKR 50 to PKR 100. An unstamped affidavit is inadmissible in evidence under Section 35 of the Stamp Act 1899.

The practical contexts for an Affidavit of Financial Support in Pakistan are diverse. Foreign embassies and high commissions — including the UK High Commission, German Embassy, US Embassy, and UAE Consulate in Islamabad and Karachi — require this affidavit from Pakistani sponsors supporting visa applications for family members, students, or workers. Pakistani universities and foreign educational institutions require it when a family member sponsors a student's tuition and living expenses. The Directorate General of Immigration and Passports requires financial support declarations for certain passport applications. Family Courts in Pakistan require it in maintenance proceedings under the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance 1961 and the West Pakistan Family Courts Act 1964. The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) may request it during tax assessments to establish the source of funds supporting an individual's lifestyle or expenditure.

Distinctions apply based on the sponsor's location: where the sponsor is an overseas Pakistani providing support from abroad, the affidavit must be executed before a Pakistani consular officer at the relevant Pakistani Embassy or High Commission abroad (in London, Washington DC, Dubai, Riyadh, or other cities) or before a local Notary Public and then apostilled under the Hague Convention (to which Pakistan acceded in 2023) for use in Pakistan.

An Affidavit of Financial Support in Pakistan is required across a wide range of visa, educational, legal, and administrative situations.

An Affidavit of Financial Support is needed when a Pakistani citizen sponsors a family member's visa application to a foreign country — for example, sponsoring a spouse, parent, or sibling applying for a UK Visitor Visa at the UK High Commission Islamabad, a Schengen Visa at the German Embassy or French Embassy in Islamabad, or a UAE Visit Visa. The sponsoring Pakistani resident or overseas Pakistani must declare their income, assets, bank balance, and commitment to cover the beneficiary's travel and living expenses, supported by bank statements and salary certificates.

An Affidavit of Financial Support is required when a parent or guardian sponsors a student's higher education — whether at a Pakistani university (University of the Punjab, University of Karachi, LUMS, NUST, COMSATS) or a foreign university — and the institution requires a formal financial support declaration confirming the sponsor's ability to fund tuition fees, accommodation, and living expenses for the duration of the programme.

An Affidavit of Financial Support is needed when a Family Court in Pakistan is determining maintenance obligations under the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance 1961. A spouse or parent filing for maintenance may present an Affidavit of Financial Support from a third-party sponsor — for example, a brother committing to fund a sister's maintenance while a court order is awaited — as evidence of interim financial provision.

An Affidavit of Financial Support is required when a patient is admitted to a private hospital or specialist medical facility in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, or another city, and a family member or employer provides a formal financial guarantee for the patient's medical expenses in lieu of immediate upfront payment.

An Affidavit of Financial Support is needed when a Pakistani employer sponsors a foreign national employee's work permit or employment visa application with the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports, confirming the employer's commitment to pay the employee's salary, provide accommodation, and repatriate the employee on contract completion.

An Affidavit of Financial Support is required when an applicant for the Hajj or Umrah pilgrimage funded by a sponsor must demonstrate to the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony or to a private Hajj organiser that adequate financial arrangements have been made for the pilgrimage expenses under the Hajj Policy issued annually by the Government of Pakistan.

A valid Affidavit of Financial Support in Pakistan under the Qanun-e-Shahadat Order 1984 and the Oaths Act 1873 must contain the following essential elements.

Stamp Paper: The affidavit must be executed on non-judicial stamp paper of the denomination required under the Stamp Act 1899 as applicable in the province — PKR 50 to PKR 100 — purchased from a licensed vendor of the provincial Board of Revenue. The stamp paper serial number must appear on the affidavit. Failure to use proper stamp paper renders the document inadmissible under Section 35 of the Stamp Act 1899.

Sponsor's Identity: The full legal name of the sponsor as it appears on their NADRA CNIC (or NICOP for overseas Pakistanis), father's name, age, CNIC number, occupation, employer name and address (or business name and address for self-employed sponsors), and residential address. For corporate sponsors, the company's SECP registration number and the name of the authorised signatory must be stated.

Beneficiary's Identity: The full name, CNIC or B-Form number, relationship to the sponsor, age, and address of the person being financially supported. The relationship between the sponsor and the beneficiary — parent-child, sibling, employer-employee, or other — must be clearly stated.

Financial Capacity Declaration: A clear statement of the sponsor's financial position — monthly or annual income, source of income (salary from named employer, business income, rental income, remittances), bank name and account type (savings account or current account at a scheduled bank regulated by the State Bank of Pakistan), and estimated bank balance or net worth. This is supported by bank statements, salary certificates, or FBR tax returns — referenced in the affidavit but submitted as exhibits.

Scope and Duration of Support: A specific statement of what expenses the sponsor undertakes to cover — tuition fees, accommodation, living expenses, medical costs, travel — and for what period (the duration of a visa, academic programme, or medical treatment). Vague commitments ('I will support my son') are less effective than specific ones ('I undertake to pay GBP 15,000 per academic year for three years for my son's postgraduate studies at the University of Manchester').

Verification Clause: The standard verification clause under the Oaths Act 1873: 'I, [sponsor name], the deponent, do hereby solemnly swear/affirm that the contents of this affidavit are true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief and nothing has been concealed.' This makes the declaration sworn testimony subject to perjury consequences under Section 193 of the Pakistan Penal Code 1860.

Attestation: The affidavit must be signed and attested by an Oath Commissioner appointed under Section 139 of the Code of Civil Procedure 1908, a First Class Judicial Magistrate, or a Notary Public commissioned under the Notaries Ordinance 1961. For affidavits executed abroad for use in Pakistan, attestation by a Pakistani consular officer or a foreign Notary Public followed by apostille (under the Hague Convention, to which Pakistan acceded in 2023) is required.

Exhibits: The affidavit should list and refer to all supporting documents submitted as exhibits — CNIC copy, bank statements for the last 3-6 months, salary certificate from HR department or employer, income tax return filed with FBR, property ownership documents — to substantiate the financial capacity declared in the affidavit.

Forms-legal.com provides this Affidavit of Financial Support (Pakistan) template as a starting point. For visa sponsorship affidavits, sponsors should verify the specific requirements of the relevant embassy or high commission, as requirements differ significantly between the UK High Commission, German Embassy, UAE Consulate, and US Embassy in Pakistan.