The Punjab government has decided to register newborns with the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) on the day they are born.
According to officials, the Local Government Department has adopted the initiative in collaboration with the Health Department and NADRA to speed up birth documentation across the province. The move aims to ensure that newborns receive their Child Registration Certificate (B-Form/CRC) without unnecessary delays.
Authorities said the new system seeks to remove long-standing bureaucratic hurdles and streamline the process of documenting a child’s identity shortly after birth. NADRA has noted that the B-Form remains essential for several key services, including applying for a passport, registering for board examinations, and meeting other legal requirements.
Parents will need to provide a valid National Identity Card (NIC) or National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP), along with an official birth record issued by the union council, to complete the registration.
Under existing NADRA rules, biometric data or photographs are not required for children younger than three. For children between three and ten, a photograph and, when possible, an iris scan are mandatory. For ages ten to eighteen, fingerprints, photographs, and iris scans are required. Each child receives an individual CRC with a defined validity period.