NADRA to Simplify CNIC Renewal and Re-Issuance Across Pakistan

The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) will soon install self-service kiosks across Pakistan to simplify the renewal and re-issuance of Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs).

The move aims to reduce long queues and waiting times at NADRA centres while providing citizens with easier access to services, NADRA spokesperson Shabahat Ali said at Data Fest 2025 at the Pak-China Friendship Centre.

Data Fest 2025 brought together students from leading educational institutions, experts from the government and private sector, researchers, and other stakeholders to explore innovative approaches to data collection, analysis, and policy-making in the digital era.

Ali explained that the high-tech kiosks will allow citizens to renew or re-issue their CNICs without assistance from data entry operators or staff. Applicants will be able to capture their own photographs and thumb impressions directly through the machines.

Highlighting NADRA’s outreach efforts, the spokesperson noted that more than 85 percent of Pakistan’s population is already registered in the national database, with the authority actively working to include the remaining citizens.

He added that NADRA operates 256 mobile registration vans across the country, primarily to provide identity cards and registration services to residents in remote or underserved areas.