The NADRA QR code CNIC rollout began in Pakistan on August 14, replacing the existing chipless Teslin card with a locally manufactured polycarbonate identity card.
The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) said the new card was developed and manufactured in Pakistan by the National Security Printing Company (NSPC) in Karachi. It replaces the microchip with a machine-readable QR code.
Cardholders and authorised institutions will be able to scan the QR code using smartphones and the PakID mobile application. NADRA said the code contains relevant identity information and the cardholder’s photograph.
The authority said authorised organisations could use the system to verify identities and transfer details such as names and addresses into their systems, reducing manual data entry.
The card will display names and addresses in Urdu and English. It will also include a family number and designated symbols for people with disabilities, older people, organ donors and residents of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
NADRA said banks, hospitals, telecom operators, Pakistan Railways and police departments would receive software for QR-code verification. The system is intended to reduce dependence on specialised chip-card readers.
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From January 2027, NADRA expects to extend the new format to all national identity-card categories, including the National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) and Juvenile Cards. The Pakistan Origin Card will shift later.
Existing identity cards will remain valid until their printed expiry dates, so holders do not need to replace them immediately.
