NADRA introduces QR code-based national identity card

ISLAMABAD: The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has introduced a new Pakistan-made, chip-free national identity card featuring a secure QR code, marking a shift towards greater self-reliance in the country’s identity documentation system.

The new card, being rolled out from August 14, will gradually replace the existing Smart National Identity Card and will eventually be extended to all categories of national identity documents.

NADRA said that the new identity card has been manufactured in Pakistan using polycarbonate material, while an imported microchip has been replaced with a secure QR code containing relevant identity information and the cardholder’s photograph.

The QR code will allow authorised entities to verify an individual’s identity using a standard smartphone.

Verification will also be possible through NADRA’s Pak Identity mobile application by scanning the QR code on the card, it said.

The authority said that the new system would help reduce errors in the entry and verification of key identity information, including names, addresses and other personal details.

Under the new arrangement, telecom operators, banks, hospitals, Pakistan Railways, police and other authorised institutions will be provided with software enabling them to verify identity cards through the QR code.

The new card will carry the cardholder’s family number as well as specific symbols identifying persons with disabilities, senior citizens, organ donors and citizens of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

The cardholder’s name and address will be printed in both Urdu and English.

NADRA said that the QR code-based card would initially be issued in phases from August 14, replacing the existing chip-less identity cards.

From January 2027, the new QR code-based card will be issued for all types of national identity documents, including the National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) and Juvenile Cards.

In the final phase, the Pakistan Origin Card (POC) will also be transitioned to the new chip-free, QR code-based format.

NADRA clarified that identity cards already issued will remain valid until their stated expiry dates, meaning existing cardholders will not need to replace their documents immediately.

The introduction of the new card marks a significant change in Pakistan’s identity verification infrastructure, with NADRA moving away from reliance on imported microchips and towards a locally manufactured, QR code-based system.