Sohni Dharti Remittance Program: Full guide for NRPs

Remittances are a key way for people living overseas to send money back home to family and friends. Money sent through remittances can be used for family support, gifts, medical expenses, educational expenses, and many other purposes locally.

Sohni Dharti is a remittance program specifically for Pakistani citizens living outside the country. Read on to learn more about the Sohni Dharti Remittance Program, its benefits, and how it works.

Check out Wise Web/Android/ iOS app for low-cost transfers directly to a bank account in Pakistan.

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📝 Table of contents
What is it? What are the benefits? How to redeem points? Do points expire? How can I send money?

What is the Sohni Dharti remittance program?

The Sohni Dharti Remittance Program is a way to earn points when you send money home to Pakistan from abroad. It is a program created by the State Bank of Pakistan and the Ministry of Finance, and is available for free.

You can access the program by the Sohni Dharti Remittance Program mobile app available on the iOS/ Android. You will need your CNIC number, address, passport number, and full name to register.

Once you are registered, you can use the Sohni Dharti app to send money to Pakistan. And with every transaction, you will earn reward points into your Sohna Dharti account. The reward points are calculated as a small percentage of your transaction amount.

Here are the tier point levels for the Sohni Dharti Remittance program. The more that you send with the app, the more points you get and you can move up the tiers:

Loyalty tier	Amount sent in fiscal year	% converted to reward points
🟢 Green	Up to $10,000	1.00%
🟡 Gold	From $10,001 to $30,000	1.25%
⚪️ Platinum	More than $30,000	1.50%

All points are automatically calculated when using the app to send money to Pakistan. The points can then be redeemed for benefits, more on that in the next section. ¹

What are the benefits of the Sohni Dharti program?

There are two main benefits of the Sohni Dharti program. First, the app shows only trusted banks and exchanges to send money to Pakistan which ensures your money gets where it needs to go safely. Second, you can redeem the points you earn from your transactions at public service entities (PSE) in Pakistan.

Here is a list of places where you can use your points to pay for the following services:

• Pakistan International Airlines: to pay for air tickets or extra luggage fees
• Federal Board of Revenue: payment of duties on imported mobile sets or cars
• National Database and Registration Authority: for CNIC and NICOP renewal fees
• State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan: Life insurance or takaful premium payments
• Overseas Pakistanis Foundation Schools: for school fee payments
• Utility Stores Corporation: for purchases
• Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment: to pay for emigrant registration fees
• Directorate General of Immigration and Passports: to cover payment of passport renewal fees

An up to date list of places to redeem your points is available from the app’s home screen under View Loyalty Benefits.²

How can I redeem my Sohni Dharti points?

Your Sohni Dharti points will appear on the screen when you open the app on your mobile. The points are presented on a virtual card.

You can redeem your Sohni Dharti points through the app. Here are the quick steps:

1. Open your Sohni Dharti app on your mobile
2. Select Redeem Points
3. Select the relevant PSE or redemption partner
4. Follow the steps to redeem your points

Each PSE will have a different method so it's best to follow the directions provided on the screen. The points can not be used outside of Pakistan.

You can also transfer your points to a beneficiary in Pakistan. The beneficiary should be registered in the app already and you can select Transfer Points from the home screen. Beneficiaries should have a registered mobile number and a valid CNIC and will need to download the app too.

ℹ️ To give you an idea of how much you can use or pay, one loyalty point equals 1 PKR. ³

Do Sohni Dharti points expire?

Sohni Dharti's points do not expire. But your tier level resets at the Green level every fiscal year from July 1. So your points will continue to be added as you send money through the app, but every July you will start again from the starting tier for receiving reward points. ⁴

Roshan Digital Account holders can use the Sohni Dharti Remittance Program, but their points can not be redeemed outside Pakistan.

🔖 Read more: Full guide and best banks for Roshan Digital Accounts

How can I send money through Sohni Dharti?

The Sohni Dharti app shows options to send money to Pakistan through State Bank of Pakistan regulated banks and exchanges. The options provide direct bank deposits into Pakistan and you can choose the one that works best for you.

⚠️ The transaction must happen through the Sohni Dharti app to earn reward points.

But while the Sohni Darti app makes it convenient to find providers through the app, it doesn’t mean it is the cheapest way to send money to Pakistan. Most banks and exchanges have two main fees that can make your transfer expensive.

The first fee is a transfer fee. This fee is the cost for doing the transaction that is charged by the bank or exchange.

The second fee is the exchange rate fee, which is the markup that is put on the exchange rate you get. The markup is the difference between the rate you're offered to the real exchange rate rate which you can find on Google.

By creating a difference with the mid-market rate, the bank or exchange is able to take a fee on every dollar that is converted. And it can seem like a small difference, but it can make a difference to your wallet.

To save money on your next transfer to Pakistan, check out Wise. Wise uses the real mid-market exchange rate on every transfer and has only one small fee. Plus, with Wise money can be in Pakistan within a few minutes on popular routes.

Send money to Pakistan with Wise

Wise Web/Android/ iOS app is a fast, secure and cheap way to send money directly to bank accounts in Pakistan. There are no hidden fees or markups with Wise, just a low fee and the real exchange rate.

Here is a quick guide to getting started with Wise:

1. Head to Wise or download the award-winning app on iOS or Android play store
2. Use the calculator to enter how much you want to send. The amount, fees, exchange rate, and delivery time will appear on the screen.
3. Once it looks good, click on Get Started
4. Register for a free Wise account with your full name and a valid email address to confirm the registration.
5. Pay for the transfer with your bank account, debit, or credit card
6. That’s it. Your transfer will be confirmed and you will be updated on when it will arrive in Pakistan.

Join the over 13 million people around the world who use Wise to send money around the world, and see how much you can save on your next transfer to Pakistan.

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Sources used for this article:

1. Sohni Dharti Remittance Program
2. SBP SDRP
3. HBL SDRP
4. Point expiry

All sources checked as of 15 September, 2022