Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) is allowing eligible citizens to apply for their first Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) without a birth certificate until December 31, 2026. The temporary facility covers women aged 18 and above and men over 24 who have never held a CNIC. Applicants must meet NADRA’s family verification requirements.
NADRA first announced the facility in February after reviewing a decade of registration data. The authority put adult registration at about 98.3%, leaving a gap of roughly 1.7%. It found larger gaps among women and in districts with weaker civil registration. NADRA identified the lack of a computerised birth certificate as the main barrier in most of those cases. The authority’s board approved the alternative process under the NADRA Ordinance, 2000, and the NADRA NIC Rules, 2002.
CNIC requirements for married and unmarried women
Married women must bring a computerised marriage certificate from their local Union Council. They must visit a NADRA registration centre with their husband and either their father or mother. Both relatives must hold a valid CNIC or National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP). NADRA requires biometric verification of the husband and the accompanying parent.
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Unmarried women aged 18 and above need one parent with a valid CNIC or NICOP. That parent must undergo biometric verification. NADRA’s written guidance allows an authorised officer to waive biometric verification if both parents or the husband have died and their records remain in its database. The officer must verify the family link through those records and be satisfied with the applicant’s answers.
How men over 24 can apply
Men over 24 who have never obtained a CNIC need at least one parent and one sibling with a valid CNIC or NICOP. A parent must normally accompany the applicant to the registration centre for biometric verification. If both parents have died, the November guidance says the applicant must bring a brother or sister with a valid CNIC or NICOP. NADRA’s February announcement also makes any biometric exemption subject to checks against its records.
NADRA waives the fee for normal non-smart CNICs
NADRA will issue standard non-smart CNICs free of charge under the Normal category through this facility. The authority directs eligible applicants to their nearest NADRA registration centre. Staff will use the information applicants provide to enter their parents’ details, date of birth and place of birth in the National Identity System.
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“Once recorded in the National Identity System, parentage, date of birth and place of birth shall be irrevocable and non-changeable,” NADRA said. The authority urged applicants to check the accuracy of all three details during registration.
