ISLAMABAD: In a major step towards self-reliance, the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has introduced a Pakistan-made national identity card based on a secure QR code, aimed at making digital identity verification easier and more accessible.
The new chipless polycarbonate identity card has been manufactured in Pakistan by the National Security Printing Company (NSPC), Karachi, in accordance with NADRA’s technical and security requirements.
By replacing the imported microchip with a secure QR code, the new card eliminates dependence on chips sourced from abroad while making secure digital verification easier and more efficient.
The federal government approved the issuance of the new card on February 23, 2026. The microchip has been replaced with a secure QR code that can be scanned and verified on a smartphone through the Pak Identity (PakID) mobile application.
The QR code will contain relevant identity information and the photograph of the cardholder. This will enable various institutions to enter names, addresses and other required identity information into their computerised systems more easily and consistently, while also reducing errors during data entry.
The new card will also display the family number, along with specific symbols for persons with disabilities, senior citizens, organ donors and citizens of the State of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The cardholder’s name and address will be printed in both Urdu and English. Visible and hidden security features of the card have also been upgraded in line with current requirements and the manufacturing capabilities available in Pakistan.
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The chip-based Smart National Identity Card was introduced around 14 years ago. However, the facilities linked to the chip could not be utilised as intended because chip readers and the required infrastructure were not practically available.
The new QR code-based card addresses this practical obstacle as it can be verified using an ordinary smartphone or appropriate software connected to a camera.
Telecom operators, banks, hospitals, Pakistan Railways, police and other authorised institutions will also be provided with software that will allow them to scan and verify the QR code printed on the card.
The new identity card is being introduced in phases. In the first phase, starting August 14, 2026, the new QR code-based polycarbonate card will replace the currently issued simple, chipless national identity card made of Teslin material.
From January 2027, the same new card will be issued for all categories of national identity cards, including the National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) and Juvenile Cards.
In the final phase, the Pakistan Origin Card (POC) will also be shifted to the new chipless, QR code-based card.
All previously issued identity cards of every category will remain valid until their respective expiry dates.
