ISLAMABAD (The Thursday Times) — If you plan to drive on any of Pakistan’s motorways, you need an M-Tag: the prepaid RFID sticker that pays your toll automatically as you pass through the plaza. Without one, the National Highway Authority (NHA) charges extra, and since January 2026 you cannot even drive into Islamabad.
Here is what the M-Tag is, how to get one and what happens if you don’t.
What the M-Tag is
The M-Tag is a small RFID sticker fixed to the inside of your windscreen. Readers at motorway toll plazas detect it and deduct the toll from a prepaid balance linked to your vehicle, so you can drive through dedicated lanes without stopping to pay cash. It was first introduced on the M-2 between Lahore and Islamabad and is now used across the motorway network.
Why you need one
- Motorways: the NHA made M-Tag registration compulsory for all vehicles on motorways from 5 February 2024.
- Surcharge: since 1 February 2025, vehicles without an M-Tag, or with too little balance, pay an extra 25 per cent on top of the normal toll.
- Islamabad: from 1 January 2026, vehicles without an M-Tag are not allowed to enter the federal capital, on the instructions of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. Tag readers are installed at entry points and checkpoints around the city.
How to get your M-Tag
1. Go to a registration point. M-Tags are issued at customer service booths at major motorway toll plazas and service areas. In Islamabad, the district administration has set up 16 facilitation points to cope with demand for the entry requirement.
2. Bring your documents and your vehicle. You will need your original CNIC and your vehicle’s registration book or card. The tag is fixed to the car on the spot, so bring the vehicle you are registering.
3. Fill in the form. Staff will record your name, contact number, CNIC, vehicle registration number and model. Check the details carefully: errors are the most common cause of delays.
4. Pay and get tagged. The tag costs Rs250 at the Islamabad facilitation points. Once it is issued, staff will stick it to the inside of your front windscreen. Do not move it to another vehicle; each tag is linked to one registration number.
5. Load a balance. Add money before you travel. Top-ups can be made at the M-Tag booths and through supported banking apps and mobile wallets. If your balance runs short at the plaza, you will pay the surcharge.
Managing your account
The tag, branded “One Country One Tag”, can be managed through the One Network app, which shows your balance, toll deductions and travel history, and carries motorway alerts on fog, diversions and road closures from the National Highways and Motorway Police.
Before you set off
- Check your balance before every long trip; a toll from Lahore to Islamabad will take a noticeable bite out of it.
- Keep the tag clean and unobstructed. Tinted film, dashboard clutter or a damaged sticker can stop readers detecting it.
- If you sell your car, have the tag cancelled or transferred at a booth so tolls are not charged to your account.
- Use the M-Tag lanes at plazas; cash lanes are where the surcharge is applied.
This guide was updated on 28 October 2026 to reflect the current M-Tag rules.
