The Succession Certificate is essentially a legal document issued by the Court or Authority competent to that effect, allowing the rightful heirs of a deceased person to inherit and manage assets, properties, and debts in case of intestacy or dubiousness of the will. In other words, this is the way of lawfully acknowledging the heirs for their sake, wherein they are allowed to distribute the estate of the deceased person by claiming and dealing with all such assets as noted on the succession certificate.
If the person dies without a will, or if there arises a doubt to the validity of a will, the court issues a letter of succession or administration to the genuine successor. This thereby establishes that the ownership over the movable and immovable properties had passed into the hands of the rightful heirs or successors.
Now, here’s the interesting part: in January 2021, the NADRA, or National Database and Registration Authority, introduced an online system through which Pakistanis can apply for a succession certificate. The URL is succession.nadra.gov.pk.
Now, let us detail the process step by step:
1. Process Initiation:
Before all else, you need to provide your National Identity number and the death certificate of the deceased whose succession you are claiming. This is the document that you are going to require at the very first instance.
2. Identification of Heirs and Assets:
Secondly, you will be asked to reveal all the important information regarding the legal heirs and full information pertaining to the movables and immovable properties held by the deceased. Be very cautious and detailed.
3. Verification and Approval:
After the provision of information, the legal heirs will be required to visit a NADRA Registration Center for the purpose of Biometric Verification to ensure legitimacy and authenticate the process further.
4. Public Notification:
NADRA believes in transparency, and so they publish a notice in newspapers so that people can raise objections against the specific application. This allows any person who may have a reason to raise their objection within a stipulated period.
5. Final Steps – Printing and Issuance:
In the absence of objections during this 14-day period, NADRA prints and issues that respective certificate or letter. And that’s it! The process is concluded.
Here you are. Now, getting a succession certificate in Pakistan through the process of NADRA’s online system will be easier and more convenient. Just follow the steps to provide the required documents, and you will be all set to take over and manage the assets of your loved one.
