Legal help in Pakistan for Pakistanis living in the Netherlands.
Property, inheritance, family and child adoption matters in Pakistan, run from Lahore while you stay in The Hague, Rotterdam or Amsterdam.
Short answer. Pakistanis living in the Netherlands can instruct a Lahore firm on property, inheritance, family and child adoption matters in Pakistan without travelling. The power of attorney is signed through NADRA’s online system or at the Embassy of Pakistan, The Hague — but not by local notary and apostille, because the Netherlands objected to Pakistan’s accession to the Apostille Convention and it does not operate between the two countries.
Reviewed by Khalil Ahmad Bhullah, Founding Partner · Last reviewed 22 September 2026 · Pakistani law only
What Pakistanis in the Netherlands bring us.
No apostille between the Netherlands and Pakistan
The Netherlands objected to Pakistan’s accession in December 2022. The Dutch government states plainly that it does not recognise Pakistani apostilles, and the Convention does not run in the other direction either. Sign at the Embassy in The Hague, or use NADRA’s online power of attorney.
Pakistani papers for Dutch municipalities
A Pakistani death certificate, succession certificate or divorce document needed by a Dutch municipality goes through legalisation, not an apostille. Ask the municipality what it needs before we obtain certified copies in Lahore, so they are issued once, correctly.
Property occupied or sold behind your back
Relatives, qabza groups, tenants in default, forged transfers. Special courts for overseas Pakistanis, the Illegal Dispossession Act and civil suits.
Power of attorney from the Netherlands
Drafted narrowly for one property or one case, signed by the route that works from the Netherlands. Revocation if one is being misused.
Inheritance and succession
NADRA succession certificates with biometric verification from the Netherlands through the Pak ID app, inheritance mutation, and court cases when a share is withheld.
Divorce, khula and custody
Talaq notice, khula, maintenance and custody in Pakistan, with a straight note on how the Netherlands treats Pakistani family orders.
Documents from the Netherlands.
The single most expensive mistake overseas clients make is paying for the wrong signing route.
No apostille between the Netherlands and Pakistan
The Netherlands lodged an objection to Pakistan’s accession to the Apostille Convention, so a local notary plus apostille is not an accepted route. Execute the power of attorney at the Embassy of Pakistan, The Hague, or use NADRA’s online system and choose that mission.
NADRA’s online power of attorney
CNIC, NICOP and POC holders can apply at poa.nadra.gov.pk: upload the document, give biometrics for yourself and two witnesses, pay online, and take an online interview with the Pakistani mission you select. Foreign nationals with no Pakistani identity document must attend the mission.
Documents issued in the Netherlands for use in Pakistan
A death certificate or court document from the Netherlands needed in Pakistan goes through legalisation via the Pakistani mission, not an apostille. Ask the mission which local pre-certification it requires first.
Child guardianship and adoption.
Pakistan has guardianship, not adoption
Pakistani Family Courts appoint guardians under the Guardians and Wards Act, 1890; they do not make adoption orders. We file and argue the guardianship petition in Pakistan. Read the full guide.
Ask the Netherlands first
Whether a child under a Pakistani guardianship order can join you, and whether you can later adopt, is decided by the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security (Central Authority for intercountry adoption). Get that answer before a petition is filed in Pakistan; starting in the wrong order can damage the application at home.
Working with Lahore from the Netherlands.
- In Amsterdam, a 10:00 AM Lahore hearing is 6:00 AM outside daylight saving and 7:00 AM during it. Our office day, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM in Lahore, runs 5:00 AM to 2:00 PM (6:00 AM to 3:00 PM in daylight saving). Pakistan does not change its clocks, so the gap moves when yours do.
- WhatsApp is read Monday to Saturday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM Pakistan time. A message sent after hours is answered the next business morning in Lahore.
Questions from Pakistanis in the Netherlands.
The Netherlands lodged an objection to Pakistan’s accession to the Apostille Convention, so a local notary plus apostille is not an accepted route. Execute the power of attorney at the Embassy of Pakistan, The Hague, or use NADRA’s online system and choose that mission.
In Amsterdam, a 10:00 AM Lahore hearing is 6:00 AM outside daylight saving and 7:00 AM during it. Our office day, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM in Lahore, runs 5:00 AM to 2:00 PM (6:00 AM to 3:00 PM in daylight saving). Pakistan does not change its clocks, so the gap moves when yours do. We book calls in the overlap.
Usually, yes. With a power of attorney signed from the Netherlands, we file in Punjab’s special court for overseas Pakistanis’ property, under the Illegal Dispossession Act, 2005, or by civil suit, depending on the facts, and appear at the hearings. A court can require your attendance or evidence by video link at a particular stage.
That is decided under the law of the Netherlands, not Pakistani law. For a child, ask the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security (Central Authority for intercountry adoption) before anything is filed in Pakistan. For a divorce, take local family-law advice. We make the Pakistani process correct and properly documented so it has the best chance of being accepted.