If you are a Pakistani family working in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, the UK or anywhere else abroad, and your roots are in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, there are MBBS and BDS seats in KP's government colleges kept only for children like yours. They are called OPF seats, after the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation, and they charge the same low fee as open merit, not a dollar fee.
Very few families use them well. Some don't know the seats exist. Others find out too late that the father's OPF card had expired, that the remittance card named in the policy has been replaced, or that the OPF recommendation letter had to be in hand before KMU's closing date. This guide puts every step in order so that does not happen to you.
It is based on Khyber Medical University's (KMU's) latest admission policy for public sector medical and dental colleges, published on the KMU admission portal, together with what the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation, the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and the Sohni Dharti Remittance Program say on their own official pages.
The short answer: KMU's latest policy keeps 9 OPF seats (5 MBBS and 4 BDS) in KP's public colleges for the children of overseas Pakistanis who hold a KP or Merged Districts domicile. Your father or mother must have a valid OPF membership and a valid remittance card on KMU's closing date. You need the usual 60% in HSSC and an MDCAT pass (55% MBBS, 50% BDS). You make two applications: one through the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and OPF, and one on KMU's portal, and you must get an OPF recommendation letter before the closing date. The seats pay the open merit fee, and you can apply for open merit, self-finance and Merged Districts seats at the same time.
What is the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF)?
The Overseas Pakistanis Foundation is the federal government's welfare body for Pakistanis working abroad and their families. It works under the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development. On its websites, OPF describes services such as its own schools and colleges, scholarships, help with dues and compensation for workers abroad, and support for families of overseas Pakistanis who die or are disabled abroad.
Education is a big part of that work. The Ministry's OPF page says OPF runs its own educational institutions across Pakistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir, where children of overseas Pakistanis get the first right of admission and a 50% concession in monthly tuition fee. OPF also keeps a list of reserved seats for children of overseas Pakistanis in colleges and universities across the country. The 9 seats in KMU's public medical and dental colleges are the ones that matter for MBBS and BDS in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
KMU's policy still uses the ministry's older name, the "Ministry of Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis". It is the same ministry under which OPF works today.
The 9 OPF seats in KMU colleges
In KMU's seat table these are listed as federal seats for "Overseas Pakistanis of KPK". All nine are inside the 1,580 seats that PM&DC sanctions for KP's public colleges.
| College | Programme | OPF seats |
|---|---|---|
| Khyber Medical College (KMC), Peshawar | MBBS | 3 |
| Ayub Medical College (AMC), Abbottabad | MBBS | 2 |
| Khyber College of Dentistry (KCD), Peshawar | BDS | 1 |
| Ayub Dental Section (ADS), Abbottabad | BDS | 2 |
| Bacha Khan Dental Section (BKDS), Mardan | BDS | 1 |
| Total | 5 MBBS, 4 BDS | 9 |
The other public colleges (Saidu, Gomal, Khyber Girls, Bannu, Bacha Khan Medical, Nowshera, Gajju Khan and Saidu College of Dentistry) have no OPF seat. You can still get into any of them on open merit or another category you qualify for.
One difference to know about: OPF's own reserved-seats page lists Khyber College of Dentistry with 2 seats and Ayub Dental Section with 1. KMU's latest policy lists them the other way round, KCD 1 and ADS 2. The total is 9 either way. Admission is made by KMU under its policy, so we follow KMU's figures, but list both dental colleges in your preferences and check KMU's merit notice for the final split.
Who is eligible for an OPF seat?
These are KMU's eligibility criteria for OPF seats, word for word:
I. The candidates seeking admission against the reserved seats must fulfill the requirements laid down by the Ministry of Labor and Manpower, Government of Pakistan and KMU.
II. The students who have studied and passed HSSC 12th grade examination or equivalent with physics or maths, Chemistry and Biology recognized in Pakistan and have obtained a minimum of sixty percent (60%) marks therein, or a higher percentage as may be notified by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council.
III. Have passed MDCAT examination score with minimum 55% marks for admission MBBS and 50% marks for admission BDS.
IV. Only those candidates will be considered for admission, whose application are recommended by OPF office Islamabad. Recommendation letter from OPF must be obtained by the candidate before closing date for admission. The application should be recommended to the Chairman KMU-AC through the concerned Ministry.
V. The candidate must have domicile of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa/MDs.
VI. The candidate's Father / Mother must have valid OPF Membership and Foreign Exchange Remittance Card (Sohni Dharty Card).
VII. The KMU-AC will finalize the admission on merit cum-choice basis.
VIII. The OPF candidates from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Merged Districts (MDs) applying for these seats can also apply on open merit, GSF and MDs seats separately.
In plain words:
- Your domicile counts, not where you live. You may have grown up in Riyadh or Dubai, but you need a Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or Merged Districts domicile.
- Either parent can qualify you. The policy says "Father / Mother", so the parent with the OPF membership and remittance registration can be either one.
- There is no relaxation in marks. You need at least 60% in HSSC with physics or maths, chemistry and biology, and an MDCAT pass. On the 180-mark MDCAT that is 99 marks for MBBS and 90 for BDS. See MDCAT passing marks.
- Foreign qualifications need IBCC equivalence. If you studied in a Gulf, British or American system, attach your IBCC equivalence certificate before the closing date. Our guide to the KMU documents checklist explains the equivalence rules.
- The OPF letter is the gate. KMU considers only candidates recommended by the OPF office in Islamabad, and the letter must be obtained before the closing date.
Step 1: Make sure your parent's OPF membership is valid
The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis' page on OPF explains that there are two kinds of OPF membership:
| Membership | Who it is for | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Compulsory | Overseas Pakistanis who registered with the Protectorate of Emigrants (the government's emigration office) before going abroad for work | Card issued without any charge |
| Voluntary | Overseas Pakistanis who have gone abroad for at least one year but did not register with the Protectorate of Emigrants | A membership fee; check the current amount with OPF |
According to the Ministry, overseas Pakistanis can apply for membership online through OPF's web portal (webportal.opf.org.pk), through the Pakistan Embassy in the country where they live, or by visiting OPF's head office or regional offices. The fee for voluntary membership is not the same on every official page we checked, so confirm it with OPF before you pay.
What "valid" means for you: KMU's documents list asks for the parent's OPF membership card "valid on the closing date of application form for admission". If the card is close to expiry, renew it months before KMU advertises admissions, not in the last week.
Step 2: The remittance card, now the Sohni Dharti Remittance Program
This is the part that confuses most families. KMU's policy asks for a "Foreign Exchange Remittance Card (Sohni Dharty Card)". The old Foreign Exchange Remittance Card (FERC) scheme no longer exists in its old form.
The Pakistan Embassy in Denmark has published the State Bank of Pakistan's notice that the Sohni Dharti Remittance Program (SDRP) replaced the FERC scheme when the Prime Minister launched it. According to that notice and to 1LINK, the company that runs the programme with the State Bank and the Ministry of Finance:
- SDRP is a points-based loyalty programme for non-resident Pakistanis who send money home through banks or exchange companies.
- The remitter registers in the Sohni Dharti mobile app (Android and iOS) and earns points on remittances sent through official channels.
- Remitters are placed in tiers, starting with Green, according to how much they send each year, and can add family members as beneficiaries and transfer points to them.
- Points can be used for services from government bodies, such as passport and NADRA fees and PIA tickets.
What we advise: the parent with the OPF membership should register in the Sohni Dharti app as a remitter, send remittances through a bank or exchange company, and keep proof of registration and their tier (for example, a printout or screenshot of the app's card screen). Because KMU's policy still uses the old card's name, ask OPF and KMU's admission office well before the closing date exactly which proof they accept, and get it ready in the form they ask for. Like the OPF card, it must be valid on the closing date.
Step 3: Apply through the Ministry and get OPF's recommendation letter
KMU's policy says candidates for these seats "shall have to apply through the Ministry of Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad in addition to their direct online application through KMU portal". It adds that only candidates "recommended by OPF office Islamabad" are considered, and that the recommendation goes to the Chairman of the KMU Admission Committee "through the concerned Ministry".
So you have two applications to make, and the first one takes longer:
- Through the Ministry and OPF, for the recommendation letter. Contact OPF's head office in Islamabad (Shahrah-e-Jamhuriat, Sector G-5/2; UAN 051-111-040-040, as listed on OPF's education website) as soon as KMU's admission advertisement appears, and ask for the current procedure and forms for KMU's reserved seats.
- On KMU's portal, cas.kmu.edu.pk, like every other applicant.
The recommendation letter "must be obtained by the candidate before closing date for admission". A letter that arrives one day late does not count, so start the OPF side first.
Step 4: Apply on KMU's portal, in every category you can
On the KMU form, tick the overseas Pakistanis' (OPF) seats and upload your documents. Then use the rule that most OPF families miss: the policy says OPF candidates "can also apply on open merit, GSF and MDs seats separately". With only 9 OPF seats, this matters a lot.
- Open merit: 893 seats in all 13 colleges, at the same low fee.
- General self-finance (GSF): the same colleges and classes at a much higher fee. Read KMU self-finance vs open merit.
- Merged Districts seats: if you and your father hold a Merged Districts domicile. See Merged Districts MBBS and BDS seats.
List every college you would accept, in the order you really want them, including the five colleges with OPF seats. KMU never offers you a college that is not on your list. If you would accept BDS, apply for BDS too, because medical and dental are separate applications.
How the OPF seats are filled
Selection in every category is "on the basis of inter se merit amongst the eligible applicants". You compete only with other eligible OPF candidates, ranked by the normal KMU aggregate: 10% Matric, 40% FSc and 50% MDCAT. KMU-AC then places candidates on merit-cum-choice: the highest-ranked candidate gets their highest available preference, and so on down the list.
Because there are only 3 OPF seats at KMC and 2 at AMC, the cut-off on these seats can be high. Work out your aggregate with our aggregate calculator, and read how KMU merit lists and upgrades work so you understand the placement interview, the fee deadline and upgrades.
A parent or legal guardian must come with you to the placement interview, and the fee must be deposited within three working days of your offer letter. Families based abroad should plan this travel early.
What fee do OPF seats pay?
The open merit fee. KMU's fee schedule says candidates on the nine OPF seats "shall pay fee equivalent to Open Merit Fee", and its normal-fee list includes "Federal Seats for Overseas Pakistanis of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa origin".
| Year | KMC and AMC | Dental colleges |
|---|---|---|
| 1st year | Rs 102,000 | Rs 87,000 to Rs 102,000 |
| 2nd year | Rs 102,000 | Rs 83,500 to Rs 102,000 |
| 3rd year | Rs 112,000 | Rs 90,750 to Rs 112,000 |
| 4th year | Rs 123,200 | Rs 99,825 to Rs 123,200 |
| Final year (MBBS) | Rs 135,520 | BDS ends after 4th year |
| Total | Rs 574,720 (5 years) | Rs 361,075 to Rs 439,200 (4 years) |
Both OPF medical colleges, KMC and AMC, are on the higher of the two open merit rates. KMU's policy does not say which rate each dental college pays, so the BDS fee is shown as a range. Hostel, books and living costs are extra. See the full KMU fee structure.
OPF seat vs foreign self-finance vs open merit
Families abroad often mix these up. An OPF seat is a rupee-fee seat for Pakistani children with a KP link; foreign self-finance is a dollar-fee seat.
| Point | OPF seat | Foreign self-finance | Open merit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seats | 9 | 51 | 893 |
| Domicile | KP or Merged Districts | KP | KP |
| Extra papers | OPF letter, OPF and remittance cards | Undertaking to pay in foreign exchange | Standard documents only |
| Where you apply | Ministry/OPF and KMU portal | KMU portal | KMU portal |
| Fee | Open merit fee | US$7,000 to 7,500 a year plus rupee charges | Open merit fee |
If you qualify for both an OPF seat and a foreign self-finance seat, the OPF seat is far cheaper over five years. Read more in our guide to KMU foreign self-finance seats, and see every option for families abroad in KMU seats for Afghan, foreign and overseas Pakistani students.
Documents checklist for OPF candidates
- Detailed marks certificates of Matric and FSc (or equivalent), and an IBCC equivalence certificate for a foreign qualification, attached before the closing date
- Your domicile of KP or the Merged Districts, and your father's (or your mother's, with your father's death certificate, if he has died)
- Your CNIC or Form B, and your father's CNIC
- Your parent's OPF membership card, valid on the closing date
- Your parent's remittance proof (Sohni Dharti registration), valid on the closing date, in the form OPF and KMU accept
- The OPF recommendation letter, obtained before the closing date
- A certificate from the institution you last attended, with your duration of stay
Every certificate must be issued before the closing date, and once uploaded on KMU's portal it cannot be changed. The full list is in our KMU admission documents checklist.
Mistakes that cost OPF candidates their seat
- Applying only on the OPF seat. With 9 seats, also apply on open merit, self-finance and Merged Districts seats if you qualify.
- An expired OPF card. It must be valid on the closing date. Renew early.
- Relying on an old FERC card. The scheme has been replaced by the Sohni Dharti Remittance Program. Register and ask which proof is accepted.
- Starting the OPF side too late. The recommendation letter must reach you before KMU's closing date.
- Missing IBCC equivalence. A foreign qualification without an equivalence certificate attached before the closing date is not counted.
- Forgetting the interview trip. A parent or guardian must attend the placement interview, and the fee is due within three working days.
What about OPF's wider quota news?
OPF's reserved-seats page also mentions new quotas for children of overseas Pakistanis, including in universities and a 15% quota in medical colleges across Pakistan, citing a PM&DC letter. Those announcements are separate from KMU's policy. For KP's public medical and dental colleges, KMU's latest policy lists the 9 OPF seats described above, and that is what KMU's merit lists follow. If a new quota is applied to KMU's colleges, KMU will announce it in its admission notice.
Frequently asked questions
How many OPF seats are there in KMU colleges?
Nine: 3 MBBS at Khyber Medical College, 2 MBBS at Ayub Medical College, and 4 BDS seats (1 at Khyber College of Dentistry, 2 at Ayub Dental Section and 1 at Bacha Khan Dental Section), according to KMU's latest policy.
Who can apply on KMU's OPF seats?
Children of overseas Pakistanis whose father or mother holds valid OPF membership and a valid remittance card, who have a KP or Merged Districts domicile, at least 60% in HSSC with physics or maths, chemistry and biology, and an MDCAT pass of 55% for MBBS or 50% for BDS.
Do I apply to OPF or to KMU?
Both. You apply through the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and OPF for the recommendation letter, and separately on KMU's online portal. Only candidates recommended by the OPF office in Islamabad are considered.
The Foreign Exchange Remittance Card no longer exists. What do I submit?
The State Bank of Pakistan replaced the FERC scheme with the Sohni Dharti Remittance Program. Your parent should register in the Sohni Dharti app as a remitter and keep proof of registration. Because KMU's policy still uses the old name, confirm with OPF and KMU before the closing date which proof they accept.
How does my parent get OPF membership?
According to the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis, online through OPF's web portal, through the Pakistan Embassy abroad, or at OPF's offices. Workers registered with the Protectorate of Emigrants get the card free; others who have lived abroad for at least a year pay a fee.
Is the OPF seat fee in dollars?
No. OPF seats pay the open merit fee in rupees, Rs 102,000 in the first year at KMC and AMC. The dollar fee applies to foreign self-finance seats.
Can I apply on open merit as well?
Yes. KMU's policy says OPF candidates can also apply on open merit, general self-finance and Merged Districts seats separately. Each category has its own merit list.
Can a student who studied abroad apply?
Yes, if they have a KP or Merged Districts domicile and an IBCC equivalence certificate showing at least 60% with the required science subjects, attached before KMU's closing date, plus an MDCAT pass.
Being abroad does not have to mean a weaker MDCAT preparation. ePrepare's online MDCAT courses work from anywhere, with KPK textbook MCQs, full-length tests and a predicted score, so your child can aim for an OPF seat and open merit at the same time. When the result is out, check your chances with the KP college predictor.
Sources: Khyber Medical University, latest Admission Policy for Public Sector Medical and Dental Colleges of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (seat distribution, seats for overseas Pakistanis and their eligibility criteria, documents required and fee schedule), on cas.kmu.edu.pk; Overseas Pakistanis Foundation, reserved seats page on OPF's education website (opf.edu.pk); Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, frequently asked questions about OPF (ophrd.gov.pk); Embassy of Pakistan in Copenhagen, notice on the closure of the Foreign Exchange Remittance Card (pakistanembassy.dk); 1LINK, Sohni Dharti Remittance Program (1link.net.pk). Procedures and fees outside KMU's policy can change; always confirm with OPF and KMU before the closing date.
