On this page 9 sections
A No Objection Certificate, or NOC, in Pakistan is a letter from your current employer saying they have no objection to you applying for another job. For a government employee, it is not optional. You cannot apply for another government post without it. Apply without one, and your application can be rejected, your interview can be refused, and your release can be withheld.
This guide explains what an NOC is, when you need one, how it differs from a DPC, what it must contain, how to get one, and the 2026 rule change that withdrew every old NOC.
What Is an NOC?#
An NOC is a certificate issued by your current department, stating that it has no objection to you applying for a specific post. It confirms three things: that you are employed in the department, that your service record is satisfactory, and that no departmental proceedings are pending against you. It names the post and the advertisement you are applying for. It is signed and stamped by the competent authority.
The rule behind it is simple. Under Rule 3 of the Government Servants (Applications for Services and Posts) Rules, 1966, no government servant can apply for a competitive examination or for appointment to any post other than the one he holds, except with the prior permission in writing of the head of his office, Ministry or Division. A civil servant must apply to any other post, government or non-governmental, through proper channel. If the head of the organisation refuses permission, he must give reasons in writing.
The NOC is that permission, in writing. Without it, your application is not in harmony with Rule 3, and you are not entitled to seek release for the new appointment.
When Do Government Employees in Pakistan Need an NOC?#
Whenever you apply for another government post. Most advertisements say it directly: in-service applicants must apply through proper channel, with an NOC. The FPSC and the PPSC both require it. Our documents required guide lists it among the documents a government applicant must have ready.
At the interview. The FPSC calls it a Departmental Permission Certificate, or DPC. For the CSS examination, in-service government servants, armed forces personnel and contract employees with at least two years of continuous government service must submit a DPC from the competent authority. An advance copy of the application may be submitted, but the DPC must follow. Our FPSC online apply guide explains the two-step process.
When you are selected. If you are selected after applying under Rule 3, your release for the new appointment cannot be withheld or refused if your selection was to a service in a higher group. That is Rule 5. But if you applied without permission, you have no right to release at all.
When you resign to join another department. If you resign to take up another government appointment with proper permission, your past service is not forfeited. Our resignation letter guide explains the NOC rule after resigning.
NOC vs DPC: What Is the Difference?#
| NOC | DPC | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | No Objection Certificate | Departmental Permission Certificate |
| Used by | All departments, all posts | FPSC and SPSC, in their forms |
| Form | A letter on letterhead | A prescribed certificate (Annex-D for CSS) |
| When | With the application | With the application, or at the interview |
| Effect | Permission to apply | Permission to apply, plus release on selection |
In practice they are the same thing: your department’s written permission. The FPSC and the SPSC call it a DPC because they use a prescribed form. Other departments call it an NOC because it is a letter. If an advertisement asks for a DPC, give it the prescribed certificate. If it asks for an NOC, give it the letter. Both must say the same things.
What Must the NOC Contain?#
Your particulars. Your name, father’s name, CNIC number, your substantive post, the post you currently hold, and the office or department you work in.
The post you are applying for. The post, the department, and the advertisement number and date. An NOC is post-specific: it names the job it covers.
The permission. A clear statement that you have been permitted to apply for the said post, and that the department has no objection.
Your service record. That you have been employed in the department since a stated date, that your domicile as accepted by the department is correct, that there is nothing on record which may render you ineligible for the post, and that your record of service is satisfactory and no departmental proceedings are pending against you.
The authority. The signature and stamp of the competent authority, with the date. For a teacher, the head of the institution signs and the Taluka or District Education Officer countersigns. If a departmental candidate is selected, the present department is bound to relieve him or her to enable joining the new post.
How to Get an NOC in Pakistan: 5 Steps#
Step 1: Read the advertisement. Check whether it asks for an NOC with the application or at the interview, and whether it uses a prescribed form. Download the form if there is one.
Step 2: Write an application to your head of department. State the post, the advertisement number and date, and ask for permission to apply. Attach a copy of the advertisement and your application form.
Step 3: Send it through the proper channel. Your application goes up through your head of department to the competent authority. Do not send it directly to the commission. The department forwards it, or issues the NOC itself.
Step 4: Fill in the certificate. You fill in your particulars. The department fills in the rest: your employment, your domicile, your record, and the permission. Check every blank is filled accurately before it is signed.
Step 5: Attach it and keep a copy. Attach the NOC or DPC to your application, or carry it to the interview as the advertisement directs. Keep a stamped copy for your record. Apply early: the department needs time, and the closing date does not wait.
Sample NOC Format#
NO OBJECTION CERTIFICATE This is to certify that Mr/Ms [Name], [Designation] (BPS-[Scale]), is employed in this Department/Office since [Date]. He/She has applied for the post of [Post] in [Department], vide Advertisement No. [Number] dated [Date]. This Department has no objection to his/her applying for the said post. His/Her record of service is satisfactory, and no departmental proceedings are pending against him/her. There is nothing on record which may render him/her ineligible for the post. [Name, Designation] Head of Department [Department] [Date, Signature and Stamp]
The 2026 Rule Change: Old NOCs Are Withdrawn#
The Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, 1964 have been replaced. The Civil Servants (Conduct) Rules, 2026 were notified by the Establishment Division through S.R.O. 638(I)/2026 on 13 April 2026, and came into force immediately. The new rules apply to every civil servant, on duty or on leave, in Pakistan or abroad.
Every NOC issued under the old rules stands withdrawn. By Establishment Division Office Memorandum No. 14-02-2026-D-II dated 10 August 2026, all No Objection Certificates and permissions issued under Rules 6, 16, 18, 20, 21 and 22, or any other provision, of the 1964 Rules stand withdrawn with immediate effect. The Federal Board of Revenue applied the same withdrawal to its officers on 25 September 2026.
If you hold an old NOC, apply afresh. Officers who require any permission or NOC must apply again under the relevant provisions of the Civil Servants (Conduct) Rules, 2026. An NOC issued under the 1964 Rules no longer operates. The Establishment Division publishes the rules at establishment.gov.pk.
This change does not affect the job-application rule itself. The 1966 Applications Rules still require prior permission in writing before a government servant applies for another post. What changed is the conduct-rules framework under which other NOCs and permissions are issued. Check which rule your NOC falls under before you rely on it.
Can My Department Refuse an NOC?#
Yes, but it must give reasons in writing. Rule 3 requires the Ministry or Division to give reasons in writing for refusing permission. A refusal can be justified: if you are under a service bond or undertaking, for example a five-year bond after training abroad funded by the government, the department can refuse the NOC, because granting it would negate the undertaking. The Islamabad High Court upheld such a refusal.
A refusal without reasons, or a refusal that is arbitrary, can be challenged. If your application was not forwarded and your NOC was not issued, and no reason was given, that inaction can be an arbitrary act against your vested rights. Keep every letter, every diary number and every date. If the department refuses, ask for the reasons in writing, and take the matter up through the proper channel. Our offer letter vs appointment letter guide explains what your appointment letter said about bonds and terms.
Frequently Asked Questions#
When do government employees need an NOC to apply?
Whenever they apply for another government post, or for a competitive examination. Under Rule 3 of the Government Servants (Applications for Services and Posts) Rules, 1966, no government servant can apply for any post other than the one he holds except with the prior permission in writing of the head of his office, Ministry or Division. Most advertisements say it directly: in-service applicants must apply through proper channel, with an NOC. The FPSC and SPSC require a DPC with the application or at the interview.
What is the difference between an NOC and a DPC?
They are the same permission in different forms. An NOC is a letter on department letterhead saying the department has no objection. A DPC, or Departmental Permission Certificate, is the prescribed form the FPSC and SPSC use, such as Annex-D for the CSS examination. Both must state the same things: your particulars, the post applied for, the permission, and that your record is satisfactory with no proceedings pending.
How long does it take to get an NOC?
There is no fixed time. It depends on your department and how many officers must sign it. Apply as soon as the advertisement appears, and follow up in writing. Do not wait until the closing date: the department needs time, and the closing date does not wait.
Can my department refuse an NOC?
Yes, but it must give reasons in writing. A refusal can be justified, for example if you are under a service bond or undertaking, such as a five-year bond after training abroad funded by the government. A refusal without reasons, or one that is arbitrary, can be challenged. Ask for the reasons in writing and keep every letter and diary number.
Is an old NOC still valid?
Not if it was issued under the Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, 1964. Those rules were replaced by the Civil Servants (Conduct) Rules, 2026, notified on 13 April 2026, and every NOC issued under the old rules was withdrawn with immediate effect by Establishment Division order dated 10 August 2026. If you hold an old NOC, apply afresh under the 2026 rules.
