M-Tag Pakistan 2026: How to Get, Recharge and Use Your Motorway Tag

M-Tag has become a must have for every driver using Pakistan's motorways. From June 15, 2026, the National Highway Authority made the tag mandatory on all motorways, and vehicles entering without one now pay 25 percent extra toll. Whether you drive the Lahore to Islamabad motorway regularly or take the occasional family trip up north, this guide explains what M-Tag is, how to get one, how to recharge it online, and how to avoid the extra charges.

What Is M-Tag?

M-Tag is a prepaid RFID sticker fixed inside your vehicle's front windscreen. As you drive through an M-Tag lane at a toll plaza, an overhead scanner reads the sticker and deducts the toll automatically from your prepaid balance. There is no stopping, no cash handling and no queue. The system is run by One Network, the toll management company operating under the National Highway Authority (NHA).

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The simplest way to think about it: M-Tag is a prepaid balance for motorway toll, much like prepaid mobile credit. You load money once, and each trip deducts the toll for the plazas you cross.

M-Tag Rules in 2026: Everything That Changed

2026 brought the biggest overhaul of motorway tolling in years. These are the rules in force now:

• Mandatory from June 15, 2026. M-Tag became compulsory on all motorways across Pakistan.
• 25 percent extra toll without a tag. Vehicles without an M-Tag pay a quarter more than the normal toll at every plaza.
• Old tags were replaced. Tags older than five years, and tags of the previous design, had to be swapped for the new "One Country One Tag" design. Replacement was free until May 31, 2026, then cost Rs 150 from June 1 and Rs 300 from July 1. Old tags were blocked after July 1, 2026.
• Cash recharge ended June 30, 2026. One Network stopped cash top ups at toll booths. Recharging is now digital only.

If your tag is from the old design and you never replaced it, it no longer works. You need a fresh registration.

How to Get an M-Tag in 2026

Registration takes a few minutes. Here is the full process:

1. Visit a registration point. Go to an M-Tag registration booth at any motorway toll plaza or service area, an M-Tag customer care center, or a government facilitation center. During the 2026 registration drive, Islamabad alone set up 16 facilitation centers.
2. Carry two documents. Bring the original CNIC of the vehicle owner and the vehicle's registration card or book. These two are enough. There is no form to fill in advance.
3. Get the sticker affixed. Staff verify your documents and fix the RFID sticker on the inside of your windscreen on the spot.
4. Pay and load a balance. Pay the tag issuance fee and add an initial balance so the tag works from your very first trip.

About the fee: the issuance fee was widely reported at Rs 250 during the 2026 registration drives. Confirm the current amount at the registration booth or on the One Network helpline 1313 before you visit, since fees can be revised.

How to Recharge Your M-Tag Online

With cash top ups gone, digital recharge is the only way to add balance. The official method is the M-Tag One Network app:

1. Install M-Tag One Network from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.
2. Sign up with your CNIC and the mobile number linked to your M-Tag account, then set a PIN.
3. Open the Recharge section and top up using a debit or credit card (Visa or Mastercard).
4. Use the same app to check your balance, view toll deduction history and estimate trip cost with the built in toll calculator.

Many drivers also recharge through the JazzCash or Easypaisa apps, or through their bank's mobile app via 1Link billers. If the app does not work for you, call the One Network 24/7 helpline at 1313 for help.

How to Check Your M-Tag Balance

Sign in to the M-Tag One Network app to see your live balance and a complete history of toll deductions. Make it a habit to check before long trips. A tag with zero balance will still cause delays at the plaza, so keep a buffer loaded, especially before night travel when getting help is harder.

What Happens If You Drive on the Motorway Without an M-Tag?

You can still enter, but you will be directed to the manual lanes and charged 25 percent more toll than tagged vehicles. On a long route like Lahore to Islamabad, that surcharge adds up fast. Since the tag is now mandatory, registering once is far cheaper than paying extra on every single trip.

5 Practical Tips for M-Tag Users

• One tag, one vehicle. Each tag is linked to a single vehicle's registration record. Do not peel it off and stick it on another car.
• Reissue after a windscreen replacement. The sticker does not transfer cleanly to new glass. Get a fresh tag if your windscreen is changed.
• Top up before the trip, not at the plaza. Cash recharge is gone, so load your balance from home.
• Use the toll calculator. The in app calculator tells you the exact toll before you leave, which helps with budgeting fuel and toll together.
• Save 1313 in your phone. One Network's round the clock helpline is the fastest way to resolve a failed deduction or a blocked tag.

M-Tag has turned motorway toll into a tap and go experience. Get the tag, keep it loaded, and the plaza queues become someone else's problem.

Sources: One Network advisories as reported by ProPakistani, PakObserver and Suno News; Dawn, December 2025; TechJuice.