NADRA issues new CNIC featurin QR code

The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) in Pakistan has introduced a new chipless national identity card featuring a secure QR code, in a move aimed at making identity verification more accessible while reducing reliance on imported microchips.

According to NADRA, the new polycarbonate card has been developed and manufactured in Pakistan by the National Security Printing Company (NSPC) in Karachi. The authority says the new format is designed to meet its technical and security requirements.

The federal government approved the introduction of the new ID card in February 2026. Instead of a microchip, the card carries a machine-readable QR code that can be scanned using a smartphone and the PakID mobile application.

The QR code contains relevant identity information and the cardholder’s photograph. NADRA says the system will allow authorized institutions to verify identity information more quickly and enter details such as names and addresses into their computer systems, potentially reducing errors during data entry.

The new card will also carry a family number and designated symbols for people with disabilities, senior citizens, organ donors and residents of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The cardholder’s name and address will be printed in both Urdu and English.

NADRA says the card’s visible and concealed security features have also been upgraded to reflect current requirements and local manufacturing capabilities.

NADRA introduced a chip-based Smart National Identity Card about 14 years ago. However, the chip-based system faced a practical limitation: the necessary card readers and supporting infrastructure were not widely available.

The new QR-based system is intended to address that problem by allowing identity cards to be verified using smartphones or other devices equipped with suitable scanning software.

NADRA says authorized organizations, including banks, hospitals, telecom operators, Pakistan Railways and police departments, will be provided with software to scan and verify the QR code.

When will the new cards be issued?

The new card is being introduced in phases.

From 14 August 2026, the QR-code-enabled polycarbonate card will initially replace the chipless CNIC currently issued on Teslin material.

From January 2027, the new format is expected to be extended to all categories of national identity cards, including the National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) and Juvenile Cards. The Pakistan Origin Card (POC) will be shifted to the chipless, QR-code-based format at a later stage.

NADRA currently lists QR-code versions of the CNIC, NICOP and POC among its identity-document formats.

Existing identity cards will remain valid until their stated expiry dates, meaning holders will not need to replace them immediately simply because the new format has been introduced.