If you have applied for a food business licence in Punjab, you can follow the progress of your application online. The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) lists a licence tracking page on its official system, and also has a helpline for questions. This guide explains where to check, what happens after you apply and who to contact if your application seems stuck.
Where to Check Your Status
The PFA’s Resource and Licensing page says applicants can check their status at the licence tracking page on the PFA’s licensing portal:
I could not open this page to see which details it asks for, such as an application number or CNIC. Follow the fields on the page. Existing operators can also log in to their business profile on the PFA portal, according to the PFA’s page. The licence certificate can be downloaded through a link in that profile once it is issued.
Start from the PFA’s own website, pfa.gop.pk, and do not use links sent by agents or in messages.
How the Application Process Works
According to the PFA’s page, the steps are:
- Apply through the PFA online application or at a one-window facility. The PFA says a food business can apply once the business has started operating.
- Verification: A Food Safety Team from the Operations wing, or an Enforcement Team from the Resource and Licensing wing, checks the application.
- Fee message: After verification you get an SMS with the fee amount. The fee depends on the size and nature of the business.
- Payment: Pay at any Allied Bank branch or through Easypaisa.
- Certificate: You should get your certificate within one week of paying. It comes by courier to your business address, from the one-window facility or through the link in your online profile.
The licence is valid for one year.
What Your Status May Mean
The PFA’s page does not list the exact status labels used on the tracking page. Based on the steps above, you can usually tell where you are in the process:
- Submitted or under verification: a PFA team has not yet finished its check.
- Fee message sent: your application was verified, and payment is next.
- Fee paid: the certificate should follow within about a week.
These are general stages and not official status names.
If You Have Not Heard Back
- Check your SMS and the phone number you gave. The fee message goes to that number.
- Call the PFA helpline: 1223. The PFA’s Contact Us page lists it. The head office in Lahore is listed at 0800-80500.
- Email: info@pfa.gop.pk for general questions, or pfa.complaints@pfa.gop.pk for complaints.
- Visit the regional office: The contact page lists offices in Kasur, Sheikhupura, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Rawalpindi, Multan and other cities, each with its own number.
- Head office address: 83-C, New Muslim Town, near Naqsha Stop, Lahore.
Keep your application number, CNIC copy and payment receipt ready when you call.
Check Your Fee Category
The PFA’s page also links to a tool to estimate your licence category and fee: cell.pfa.gop.pk/home/calculate_license_category. Fees are not fixed and depend on the type and scale of the business, so confirm the amount in the PFA’s SMS.
Beware of Scams
- Pay only through the channels the PFA names, such as Allied Bank branches or Easypaisa, after you receive its fee SMS.
- Do not pay agents for a “guaranteed” or “fast” licence.
- If someone claims to be from the PFA and asks for money, call 1223 to confirm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I track my PFA licence application?
On the licence tracking page of the PFA’s portal, listed at cell.pfa.gop.pk/home/license_tracking.
What is the PFA helpline?
1223, according to the PFA’s Contact Us page.
How long does it take to get the licence?
The PFA says within one week of paying the fee.
How long is the licence valid?
One year.
How do I pay the fee?
At any Allied Bank branch or through Easypaisa, after you get the fee SMS.
What documents are needed?
The PFA’s page did not list them. A news guide says the PRA registration certificate is also needed, but check the application page for the current list.
Checking your status regularly, and acting quickly on the fee message, is the best way to avoid delays. If anything looks wrong, call 1223.
