NTN Registration Online with CNIC on IRIS (2026): The First Step Before FBR Digital Invoicing
Register with FBR online using only your CNIC, a SIM in your own name and an email. Free, about 15 minutes, and your CNIC becomes your NTN. Steps inside.
The short answer
This guide shows you how to register with FBR online using your CNIC. It also shows why this is the first step before you can sell with FBR digital invoices.
Yes, you can register with FBR online using your CNIC. For an individual, FBR says the 13-digit CNIC itself becomes your NTN (National Tax Number, your income tax registration number). Companies and AOPs (associations of persons, like partnership firms) get a separate 7-digit NTN. Registration on FBR's own portal is free.
You register on IRIS (FBR's online tax portal, iris.fbr.gov.pk) through the option "Registration for Unregistered Person". You need three things: a valid CNIC, a mobile SIM registered in your own name, and your own email address. Most people finish in about 15 minutes.
The NTN is only the first step. To issue FBR digital invoices you also need an STRN (Sales Tax Registration Number), and the STRN sits on top of your NTN.
What you need before you start
Keep these ready before you open IRIS. Missing one of them is the most common reason people get stuck halfway.
1. A valid CNIC. It must not be expired, and your name and date of birth must match NADRA's record.
2. A mobile SIM registered against your own CNIC. FBR sends a one-time code (a short number you type in to prove the phone is yours) to this number. A SIM in your father's or brother's name will not work.
3. A personal email address that you can open right now. A second code goes to this email.
4. For a business: the business name, its address, and what it sells. Keep a utility bill or rent agreement for the premises and a bank account in your name (IBAN, your 24-character bank account number).
5. For a company or AOP: the SECP incorporation certificate (for a company) or the partnership deed (for an AOP). Companies and AOPs register through the person who is their principal officer or partner.
Step by step: registering on IRIS with your CNIC
Step 1: Open iris.fbr.gov.pk and click "Registration for Unregistered Person".
Step 2: Enter your CNIC, name, date of birth, mobile number and email. Type them exactly as they appear on your CNIC and SIM record.
Step 3: Enter the codes FBR sends to your mobile and email. If a code does not arrive, check that the SIM is in your name and look in your email's spam folder.
Step 4: Submit. FBR sends your login details (your CNIC as the user name, plus a password) by SMS and email. Log in and change the password to one only you know.
Step 5: If you run a business, add it to your profile. Open the registration form in IRIS (Form 181, the form used to change registration details) and add the business name, address and bank account. Only then does FBR link the business to your NTN.
Step 6: Download your registration certificate from IRIS and keep it safe. Banks, buyers and suppliers often ask for it. Anyone can check your status later, as shown in 'NTN, CNIC and STRN Verification in FBR Digital Invoicing'.
You can also start registration from FBR's Tax Asaan mobile app. The same CNIC, own-name SIM and email rules apply. The app is also useful to check invoices, as explained in 'How to Verify an FBR Invoice by QR Code, Tax Asaan App or SMS 9966'.
After the NTN: from registration to your first digital invoice
Getting an NTN does not mean you can issue sales tax invoices yet. Here is the order most businesses follow:
1. NTN on IRIS (this guide).
2. STRN, the sales tax registration. It needs extra papers and a NADRA biometric check (a fingerprint check at a NADRA e-Sahulat centre) within 30 days. 'Sales Tax Registration (STRN) in Pakistan: The Step Before FBR Digital Invoicing (2026)' covers it.
3. Digital invoicing setup: you apply for the FBR digital invoicing token (a secret key that lets your software send invoices to FBR) and connect your software. 'How to Register for FBR Digital Invoicing (Step by Step)' walks through it.
4. File your yearly income tax return from the same IRIS login. For tax year 2026 the last date is 30 September 2026, as covered in 'Income Tax Return 2026 Last Date (30 September): How to Match It with Your FBR Digital Invoices'.
This guide is general information, not tax advice. Once your STRN is active, Digi Invoice posts each sales invoice to FBR when you save it and stores the FBR invoice number for you. You can create a free account and set it up in minutes.
Difficult words in this guide
NTN — National Tax Number, your income tax registration number. For individuals it is the same as the CNIC.
IRIS — FBR's online tax portal, where you register and file returns.
STRN — Sales Tax Registration Number, needed before you can charge sales tax or issue FBR digital invoices.
One-time code — a short number sent to your phone or email to prove they belong to you.
Form 181 — the IRIS form used to change your registration details, such as adding a business.
For more terms, see 'FBR Digital Invoicing Dictionary — 25 Key Terms Explained'.