NADRA introduces QR code-based chipless identity cards in Pakistan

The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has introduced a new chipless national identity card in Pakistan. The new polycarbonate cards feature a secure QR code instead of an embedded microchip, a move designed to reduce dependency on imported technology and simplify the verification process.

Manufactured domestically by the National Security Printing Company (NSPC) in Karachi, the cards can be scanned using smartphones via the PakID mobile app. This system aims to resolve previous infrastructure limitations associated with chip-based readers. Authorized institutions, including banks, hospitals, telecom companies, and law enforcement, will be provided with software to facilitate rapid authentication.

The new cards include enhanced security features, bilingual text in Urdu and English, and specific symbols for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, organ donors, and residents of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

In a separate digital initiative to improve service efficiency, NADRA has also launched ATM-style ‘self-service kiosks.’ These automated machines allow citizens to renew identity cards, replace lost documents, and obtain family registration certificates through biometric fingerprint verification, reducing wait times at registration centers.