M Tag Registration Guide in Pakistan: Everything You Need to Know in 2026
If you’re planning a drive on Pakistan’s motorways or you live in Islamabad, you’ve probably run into the term M Tag more than once this year. Two separate programs share the name, and mixing them up is the easiest way to get stuck at a toll plaza or turned away at a city checkpoint. This M Tag registration guide walks through both systems active in Pakistan right now: the motorway toll tag run by the National Highway Authority, and the newer Islamabad entry tag tied to the Safe City security network. You’ll find documents, fees, registration points, and what’s changing later in 2026.
One quick note before we get into it. Fees and deadlines for both tags have shifted more than once over the past year, so treat the figures below as accurate at the time of writing and confirm with the official channels listed further down before you head out.
What M Tag Actually Is
M Tag is a prepaid RFID sticker fixed to your vehicle’s windscreen. A reader at a toll plaza or checkpoint scans the chip as your car passes, then either deducts a toll automatically or logs the vehicle for security purposes, depending on which system you’re dealing with.
The idea isn’t new. It grew out of an earlier project called E Tag, which NADRA ran on the motorways before the system was rebranded and expanded under the M Tag name, now operated by a company called One Network on behalf of the National Highway Authority. Today the tag works on nearly every motorway in the country, with the M8 (the Hub to Hoshab stretch) as the main exception, and it also covers the Lahore Ring Road, according to background compiled on Wikipedia.
The Two M Tag Systems You’ll Run Into
A search for M Tag registration in 2026 turns up two different processes, and the mix up is common enough that Islamabad’s own Excise department had to issue a public clarification in November 2025 to calm confused motorists. Here’s the short version.
If you already carry a working motorway M Tag, you don’t need a second one for Islamabad. Excise Director Bilal Azam confirmed that an existing tag is accepted at city checkpoints, a point covered by The Express Tribune when the entry program launched.
How to Register for the Motorway M Tag
Documents You’ll Need
- Original CNIC
- Vehicle registration book or card
- Driving license, which some booths ask for though it isn’t always required
Step by Step Registration
- Drive to an M Tag registration point. These sit at toll plazas, motorway service areas, and dedicated One Network centers in cities including Peshawar, Islamabad, Mansehra, and Havelian.
- Hand over your CNIC and vehicle registration card so staff can confirm your details.
- Fill out the short application form with your vehicle and contact information.
- Pay the registration fee, currently reported at around Rs. 250.
- Staff fit the RFID sticker to your windscreen and activate it before you drive off.
- Download the M Tag One Network app to link the tag to your phone number and load your first balance.
You can also start the process inside the app, fill in your information there, then visit a center only to collect and fit the physical tag.
Registration Centers and Cost
One Network lists registration and recharge points spread across the country in its app store listing, concentrated along the M1, M2, and the routes feeding Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Pricing has moved around over the past year. Coverage from early 2025 put the fee at around Rs. 200, with a jump to roughly Rs. 250 reported since. Some registration desks also load a starting balance onto the tag, which can bring the total you hand over closer to Rs. 500.
Managing Your Tag Through the One Network App
The M Tag One Network app, available on Android and iOS, is the main tool for managing your tag once it’s active. It lets you check your balance, view travel history, top up your account, calculate tolls before a trip, and update your profile details, according to the app’s own feature list.
Recharge options include JazzCash, EasyPaisa, a debit or credit card inside the app, or cash at a physical center. If something goes wrong, One Network runs a helpline at 1313 and a support email at connect@onenetwork.pk.
Islamabad’s Entry M Tag: A Separate Registration
This program has nothing to do with motorway tolls. The Islamabad Capital Territory administration made the tag mandatory for every vehicle entering the federal capital starting November 18, 2025, on instructions from the Deputy Commissioner’s office and Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, according to The Express Tribune. The system links a vehicle’s identity to the Islamabad Safe City Authority, supporting traffic monitoring and security checks rather than toll collection.
Entry without the tag was blocked from January 1, 2026, with officials reporting close to 100,000 vehicles tagged in the weeks leading up to the deadline, per The Nation.
Documents and Where to Register
You’ll need the same basics as the motorway tag: your original CNIC and the vehicle’s registration card. Registration started at seven locations, including Kachnar Park, Lake View Park, F9 Park, Islamabad Club, Tarlai Kalan, Chungi No. 26, Gulberg Green, and the Islamabad Excise Office. That count grew to roughly 15 to 16 points across the city by early 2026 to handle demand ahead of the deadline.
Motorcycles Joined in February 2026
From February 20, 2026, every motorcycle entering or operating in Islamabad needed its own tag too. Owners apply at Excise centers, with locations reported in sectors such as H9, G10/4, F6, Rawat, Swan, and Bara Kahu. This process includes a physical check of the chassis and engine numbers against Excise records before the sticker goes on the bike, typically near the headlight.
Do You Need Two Tags?
No, as long as your existing motorway M Tag is active. The Excise Department confirmed vehicles already carrying one are exempt from a separate Islamabad tag, removing the need to register twice for the same purpose.
What Happens If You Travel Without One
On the motorways, vehicles without an M Tag pay extra at the toll plaza, with figures cited anywhere from around 25 percent to as much as 50 percent above the standard rate depending on the source and motorway, so the exact penalty is worth confirming at the plaza itself.
In Islamabad, the consequences are different. Once enforcement is fully active, vehicles without an entry tag risk being stopped, redirected, or denied entry at major checkpoints, according to officials quoted by Dawn.
What’s Changing Next
In June 2026, Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan directed authorities to speed up an Intelligent Transportation System rollout and bring free flow electronic tolling to major highways and motorways, with the M2 named as an immediate priority. The plan also calls for linking electronic tolling with the Safe City security network, which suggests the motorway and Islamabad systems may move closer together over time. No public timeline has been confirmed for when free flow lanes, the kind that let a car pass at speed without slowing at a barrier, will reach specific toll plazas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is M Tag mandatory in Pakistan? Yes, on the motorway side it has been required on the M2 since December 2021, and most other motorways now expect one too. In Islamabad, cars have needed an entry tag since January 2026, with motorcycles added from February 2026.
How much does M Tag registration cost? Recent reporting puts the fee at around Rs. 250 for both the motorway tag and the Islamabad entry tag, up from an earlier Rs. 200. Some centers add a starting balance on top, so confirm the total before you pay.
Can I use one M Tag for both motorway tolls and Islamabad entry? Yes. If your motorway tag is active, Islamabad checkpoints accept it, so there’s no need to register a second time.
How do I recharge my M Tag? Through the One Network app using JazzCash, EasyPaisa, or a card, or in person at a registration center.
What if my tag is lost, damaged, or my windscreen needs to be replaced? Visit a One Network center with your CNIC and vehicle documents to have a replacement fitted. Avoid peeling off a working tag yourself, since damaging the chip usually means starting the registration process again.
Do vehicles registered outside Islamabad still need the entry tag? Yes. The requirement applies to any vehicle entering the city regardless of where it’s registered.
Whichever system applies to you, the registration itself rarely takes more than 15 to 20 minutes once you’re at the counter with the right documents. Bring your CNIC and vehicle registration card, expect to pay around Rs. 250, and load the One Network app before you drive off so you can track your balance and avoid getting caught out at a toll plaza or checkpoint.
