Dependency Certificate (Pakistan)

A Dependency Certificate in Pakistan records the details required for the process it supports, providing a clear written account that can be relied on.

The Qanun-e-Shahadat Order 1984 (President's Order No. 10 of 1984) governs the evidentiary weight and admissibility of sworn declarations — including affidavits attesting to dependency — in Pakistani courts and administrative proceedings. Article 3 of the Qanun-e-Shahadat Order 1984 establishes the competence of persons to testify, and Article 164 governs the use of affidavits as evidence in civil proceedings. Where the Dependency Certificate takes the form of a sworn affidavit, the deponent is subject to the perjury provisions of Section 193 of the Pakistan Penal Code 1860 for false declarations.

The Employees' Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) Act 1976, the Government Servants (Benefits) Act 1965, and the West Pakistan Civil Services Rules (Volume I — General Rules) together establish the framework for pension and gratuity benefits payable to the dependants of deceased or retired government servants. The definition of 'dependant' under these statutes typically includes the spouse, unmarried daughters, minor sons, widowed daughters, and other family members who were wholly or mainly financially dependent on the government servant at the time of their death or retirement. A Dependency Certificate is the primary documentary proof that a claimed family member falls within the legal definition of dependant for pension and service benefit purposes.

The Pakistan Citizenship Act 1951 and the Foreigners Act 1946 are relevant for dependency in visa and immigration contexts. A foreign national seeking a dependent visa to join a Pakistani citizen or permanent resident (including an Overseas Pakistani with NICOP) must prove their dependency relationship — typically through a Dependency Certificate declaring that the applicant is the spouse, minor child, dependent parent, or other legal dependant of the sponsoring Pakistani. The Directorate General of Immigration and Passports processes dependent visa applications based on such declarations, in conjunction with NADRA family registration records.

The Insurance Ordinance 2000, administered by the SECP, and the Takaful Rules 2012 require life insurance and takaful certificate holders to nominate beneficiaries. Where the beneficiary is a dependant — a spouse, child, or dependent parent — the insurer may require a Dependency Certificate as part of the claim documentation to verify the relationship and dependency status before releasing the death benefit or disability benefit. This is particularly relevant for group life insurance schemes arranged by employers for employees under the Industrial and Commercial Employment (Standing Orders) Ordinance 1968.

Foreign embassies and consulates issuing visas to Pakistani applicants as family members or dependants of visa holders — including the embassies of the United Kingdom, European Union member states, Canada, Australia, and the United States — require proof of financial dependency as part of the visa application. While each embassy has specific requirements, a sworn Pakistani Dependency Certificate is a commonly accepted supporting document in conjunction with financial statements, bank records, and employment documentation.

The Employees' Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) Act 1976 establishes the framework for pension and invalidity benefits payable to dependants of insured persons. Under the EOBI Act 1976, the dependants of a deceased insured person are entitled to survivors' pension (widow's pension and orphan's pension) upon the death of the insured — the EOBI defines dependant as the insured's spouse and legitimate children who were wholly or mainly financially dependent on the insured at the time of death. A Dependency Certificate is a required document for processing survivors' pension claims under the EOBI Act 1976, confirming the dependency relationship and the absence of other sources of income for the claimed dependants.

The West Pakistan Civil Services Rules (Volume I — General Rules) and the Fundamental Rules issued by the Establishment Division of the Government of Pakistan define "family" for government servant benefits — including housing allotment, medical facilities, LTC (Leave Travel Concession), and family pension. The definition of family under Rule 2(8) of the Fundamental Rules includes the government servant's spouse, legitimate children below 21 years (or married daughters whose husbands are not government servants), dependent parents, and other relatives who reside with and are wholly dependent on the government servant.

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan's need-based scholarship programs — including the HEC Need-Based Scholarship Program and the Prime Minister's Laptop Scheme — require applicants to submit documentary evidence of their family's financial situation, including a Dependency Certificate confirming that the student is financially dependent on the declared household head.

A Dependency Certificate in Pakistan is required across a broad range of administrative, employment, pension, insurance, immigration, and educational contexts where a person must formally prove that they are financially or physically dependent on another.

A Dependency Certificate is needed when the family members of a deceased or retired government servant — federal, provincial, or local government — claim pension, gratuity, family pension, or other service benefits under the Government Servants (Benefits) Act 1965, the West Pakistan Civil Services Rules, or the relevant provincial service rules. The pension sanctioning authority requires a Dependency Certificate to confirm which family members were dependent on the deceased servant and are therefore eligible to receive the family pension or survivorship allowance.

A Dependency Certificate is required when a Pakistani worker employed in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries — Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, or Oman — wishes to bring their spouse, children, or dependent parents to join them on a dependent/family visa (iqama). Gulf countries require proof of dependency and the sponsor's ability to financially support their dependants — a Dependency Certificate from Pakistan, combined with financial evidence, supports the visa application.

A Dependency Certificate is needed when parents or in-laws of a government servant apply for inclusion in the government's health insurance scheme (the Government Employees Health Facility — GEHF) or the Sehat Sahulat Programme operated by the Ministry of National Health Services. The health authority requires proof that the parents are dependent on the government servant and do not have their own independent income source.

A Dependency Certificate is required when students applying for scholarships from the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan, provincial education departments, or international scholarship bodies (such as the Fulbright Program or Commonwealth Scholarships) must prove their financial dependence on a parent or guardian as part of the financial need assessment for need-based scholarship eligibility.

A Dependency Certificate is needed when a widow, minor child, or dependent parent of a deceased Pakistan Army, Navy, or Air Force officer or soldier seeks pension and welfare benefits from the Directorate of Welfare and Rehabilitation, the Army Welfare Trust (AWT), the Shaheen Foundation, or the Bahria Foundation. Military welfare organisations require formal dependency proof before processing welfare claims.

A Dependency Certificate is required when an employee claims dependent allowances — House Rent Allowance (HRA), Dependent Education Allowance, or Medical Allowance — for family members listed as dependants in their employment service record. Government departments and public sector entities require annual Dependency Certificates from employees claiming such allowances to prevent fraudulent claims for dependants who have become financially independent.

A Dependency Certificate is required when a retired government servant's dependants apply for medical reimbursement under the Government Employees Health Facility (GEHF) or the Pakistan Civil Servants Medical Attendance Rules 1990. The GEHF requires documentary proof that the dependants listed on the government servant's medical claim — spouse, children, or parents — are genuinely financially dependent on the government servant.

A Dependency Certificate is needed when a Pakistani worker employed abroad files an injury or death compensation claim with the Overseas Employment Corporation (OEC) or the Workers Welfare Fund (WWF) on behalf of their dependants under the Workers Compensation Act 1923 and the Workmen's Compensation (Amendment) Act 2006.

A valid Dependency Certificate in Pakistan under the Qanun-e-Shahadat Order 1984 — whether in sworn affidavit form or as an official government certification — must contain the following essential elements to be accepted by pension authorities, embassies, insurance companies, and government departments.

Form of the Certificate: The Dependency Certificate may take two forms in Pakistan. First, a sworn affidavit before an Oath Commissioner appointed by the relevant High Court (Lahore High Court, Sindh High Court, Peshawar High Court, Balochistan High Court, or Islamabad High Court), a First Class Judicial Magistrate, or a Notary Public under the Notaries Ordinance 1961 — this form is used where no competent government authority is available to issue an official certificate. Second, an official certification signed by a competent government authority — the Head of Department, District Officer, Tehsildar, or Deputy Commissioner — on official letterhead with government stamp, based on the applicant's file and evidence. The receiving institution's specific requirements should be confirmed before choosing the form.

Declarant Identity: Full legal name of the declarant (the person on whom the dependant relies) exactly as on their NADRA CNIC, CNIC number (13-digit format: XXXXX-XXXXXXX-X), father's name, age, occupation, employer (if applicable, with designation and department), and complete residential address. For government servants, the service number, BPS grade, and current posting should be included.

Dependant Identity: Full legal name of the dependant as per their NADRA CNIC or B-Form (for minors under 18, the child's NADRA Form B / Family Registration Certificate is used in lieu of CNIC), CNIC number or B-Form number, date of birth, relationship to the declarant (spouse, son, daughter, father, mother, sibling), and complete residential address. The dependant's address must match the declarant's address or the declaration must explain why the dependant resides at a different address.

Nature of Dependency: A clear description of the nature and extent of the dependency — financial dependency (the declarant provides all or the majority of the dependant's living expenses including food, housing, clothing, education, and medical care), physical dependency (the dependant is unable to care for themselves due to age, disability, or illness), or both. The declaration should state explicitly that the dependant has no independent source of income sufficient to meet their needs — this is the critical element for pension, scholarship, and visa dependency claims.

Duration of Dependency: The period during which the dependency relationship has existed — particularly important for pension benefit claims where the government servant's service rules define 'dependant' as a person who was dependent during the relevant service period. For visa purposes, current dependency at the time of application is the relevant criterion.

Absence of Other Support: A statement confirming that the dependant is not employed, does not receive income from any other source (business, rental income, pension from another source), and is not maintained by any other person. This negative declaration is essential for government pension and scholarship purposes — the relevant rules typically require that the dependant have no other means of livelihood.

Stamp Paper and Attestation (for affidavit form): Non-judicial stamp paper of the denomination prescribed by the provincial Board of Revenue under the Stamp Act 1899 (typically PKR 50 to PKR 100), attested by an Oath Commissioner, Magistrate, or Notary Public who has verified the declarant's CNIC. The perjury warning under Section 193 of the Pakistan Penal Code 1860 must be included.

Supporting Documents: A list of supporting documents attached to the application — NADRA Family Registration Certificate (showing the dependant as a family member of the declarant), birth certificates or Form B for minor children, marriage certificate (Nikahnama) for spouse dependency claims, school enrollment certificate for student dependants, disability certificate from a government hospital for physically disabled dependants.

Forms-legal.com provides this Dependency Certificate (Pakistan) template for individuals navigating government, pension, immigration, and insurance procedures. The template reflects the Qanun-e-Shahadat Order 1984, the EOBI Act 1976, the Government Servants (Benefits) Act 1965, and Section 193 of the Pakistan Penal Code 1860. For pension and government service benefit claims, the specific service rules of the relevant department should be consulted to confirm the exact documentation required.

Verification Clause: The Dependency Certificate should include a verification clause conforming to Article 4 of the Qanun-e-Shahadat Order 1984 — the declarant verifies that the contents are true to the best of their knowledge and belief and that nothing material has been concealed. This verification clause strengthens the evidentiary value in administrative and judicial proceedings.

Medical Dependency Statement: For dependants who are physically or mentally incapacitated and therefore unable to earn a livelihood, the Dependency Certificate should include a reference to the supporting medical certificate from a government hospital or PMDC-registered specialist confirming the nature and permanence of the disability. Physical or mental incapacity is a ground for continued dependency status beyond the normal age limits.

Photograph of Dependant: Where required by the receiving institution — particularly for government pension and health benefit claims — a recent passport-size photograph of the dependant should be attached to the Dependency Certificate and attested by the Oath Commissioner, Magistrate, or Notary Public who attests the main document. Forms-legal.com provides this Dependency Certificate (Pakistan) template for individuals navigating pension, visa, scholarship, and insurance claims under Pakistani law. For government service benefit claims, consulting the HR department of the relevant ministry or department regarding the specific documentation required under the applicable service rules is strongly recommended.