Islamabad: The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has introduced a new QR code-based national identity card manufactured in Pakistan, marking a significant step toward self-reliance and reducing dependence on imported microchips.

The new chip-free identity card is made from polycarbonate material and replaces the imported microchip used in existing smart identity cards with a secure QR code. The QR code will enable authorized organizations to verify a citizen’s identity using digital verification systems, while verification will also be possible through an ordinary smartphone using NADRA’s PakID mobile application.

The QR code will contain relevant identification information and the cardholder’s photograph. NADRA says the new system is expected to reduce errors in the entry and verification of names, addresses and other identity-related information.

Authorized institutions, including telecom companies, banks, hospitals, Pakistan Railways, police and other government and private-sector entities, will be provided with software to verify the QR code.

The new identity card will also carry the family number along with special indicators for persons with disabilities, senior citizens, organ donors and citizens of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The holder’s name and address will be printed in both Urdu and English.


From Paper-Based Cards to Digital Identity

Pakistan’s national identity card system dates back to the 1970s, when the government decided to establish a formal mechanism for recording population data and issuing official identity documents. The initiative eventually evolved into the National Database and Registration Authority, commonly known as NADRA.

The first identity card issued during the establishment of the national identity system was reportedly issued in the name of then-Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. The card carried the address of the Prime Minister’s House in Rawalpindi and bore the number 00000001.

In its early years, identity cards were prepared using typewriters and, in some cases, handwritten entries. Photographs were not initially mandatory for women, with thumb impressions accepted in certain cases. Over time, the government expanded the use and requirements of identity cards, eventually making photographs mandatory for women as well.

As NADRA’s database expanded, the authority introduced computerized and chip-based identity cards. It also introduced the National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) for eligible citizens living abroad.


New QR Code System to Roll Out in Phases

The QR code-based identity card is being introduced from August 14, 2026, initially replacing existing chip-free identity cards on a phased basis.

From January 2027, the QR code-based system is expected to be extended to all categories of national identity documents, including NICOP and Juvenile Cards. In the final phase, the Pakistan Origin Card (POC) will also transition to the chip-free QR code-based format.

NADRA has clarified that identity cards already issued will remain valid until their stated expiry dates.

The locally manufactured card is being presented as an important move toward technological self-reliance, while eliminating the need to import microchips for national identity cards could also reduce foreign-exchange expenditure.

NADRA Launches Pakistan-Made QR Code National Identity Card