Pakistan Postal Code Format Explained

A Pakistan postal code is a five-digit number. It is written without a space, hyphen or letters, for example NNNNN, and it is placed after the city name in an address. The code is issued within the national postal system run by Pakistan Post.

Structure of the code

The five digits are numeric only. They are assigned so that mail can be grouped by region, city and delivery area, which means codes for places that are close together tend to look similar. Large cities usually have several codes, one for each group of neighbourhoods or delivery offices, while smaller towns may share one code across a wider area.

The detailed meaning of each individual digit is not something most senders need. What matters is that the full five digits match the area of the address. Treat the number as a lookup value rather than something you can construct from a pattern.

Examples of valid format

These are generic format examples, not real recommendations for any address:

Written form	Valid?	Reason
NNNNN (five digits)	Yes	Correct length, digits only
NNNN (four digits)	No	Too short, usually a digit was dropped
NNNNNN (six digits)	No	Too long, may be mixed up with another country's code
NNN NN	Avoid	Spaces are not part of the standard written form

Common mistakes

• Dropping or adding a digit. Forms that expect a different country's length will reject or corrupt the value.
• Using the code of a neighbouring area. Cities have more than one code, so copying the code of a relative's address in another part of town can misroute a parcel.
• Leaving it blank. Some online shops make the field optional, but couriers and the postal service still benefit when it is present.
• Confusing it with a phone area code or a UPCS code. A UPCS code looks like PK-XXXX-XXXX and is a separate, unofficial exact-location code.

Postal code versus exact location

The postal code only gets mail to the right area. For the final few hundred metres, couriers depend on the written street, sector or society and often a landmark. A UPCS code for Pakistan can be added next to the address to mark the precise gate or entrance, but it never replaces the official number.

If you do not know the code for an address, read how to find a Pakistan postal code. To see where the code goes in a full address, see the Pakistan address format page.