Islamabad: The National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) has launched a new chipless National Identity Card (CNIC) featuring a secure QR code, replacing the microchip used in Pakistan’s identity cards for the past 14 years.
The new card has been manufactured locally by the National Security Printing Company (NSPC) in Karachi according to Nadra’s technical and security specifications. The government had approved the issuance of the new card in February.
Instead of a microchip, the card carries a secure QR code containing the cardholder’s information and photograph. The code can be scanned and verified through a smartphone using Nadra’s Pak Identity (PakID) mobile application.
According to Nadra, the QR-based system will allow authorised institutions to retrieve names, addresses and other identity details more consistently, while reducing data-entry errors.
Telecom operators, banks, hospitals, Pakistan Railways, police and other authorised institutions will also receive software to scan and verify the QR codes.
The new card includes a family number and symbols identifying persons with disabilities, senior citizens, organ donors and citizens of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Names and addresses will be printed in both Urdu and English, while updated visible and covert security features have been incorporated.
Nadra said the chip-based Smart CNIC, introduced around 14 years ago, could not be fully utilised because chip readers and related infrastructure were not widely available. The QR-based system, by contrast, can be verified using ordinary smartphones or camera-enabled software.
The rollout will take place in phases, with the QR-based card replacing the standard CNIC from Friday. From January 2027, the new format will be extended to all categories, including National Identity Cards for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOPs) and Juvenile Cards. Pakistan Origin Cards (POCs) will transition to the chipless format in the final phase.
Nadra clarified that existing identity cards will remain valid until their expiry dates.
The shift follows amendments to the National Identity Card Rules, 2002 and Pakistan Origin Card Rules, 2002, notified by the government in February. The amendments formally recognise QR codes and other technological features as alternatives to microchips, allowing Nadra to adopt newer identity-verification technologies without requiring repeated changes to the rules.
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