NADRA announces quicker CNIC delivery for citizens

LAHORE: al Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has reduced the delivery time for Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) and implemented comprehensive improvements to family registration certificates.

In an official statement, NADRA’s representative announced that the delivery time for CNICs in the normal category has been reduced from 30 days to 15 days. Applicants opting for the urgent category will now receive their CNICs within 12 days by paying a fee of Rs 1,150, while those choosing the executive category will get their CNICs in just six days for Rs 2,150.

NADRA has announced that first-time applicants will receive their CNICs free of cost. To streamline the process, the authority has upgraded its non-chip identity cards by adding bilingual text, displaying names and parentage in both Urdu and English, and including a QR code to improve digital verification. Despite these enhancements, NADRA has not increased the card issuance fee.

As part of broader reforms, NADRA has granted legal status to the Family Registration Certificate (FRC), aiming to enhance transparency and curb identity scams. Previously used as a supporting document, the FRC will now serve as an officially recognized legal family registration certificate.

Citizens must now submit a declaration confirming the accuracy of their provided information, and NADRA will issue the certificate solely based on its verified database. These recent changes are part of a comprehensive revision of the NIC Rules, 2002, carried out under the direction of the Federal Minister for Interior and Narcotics Control, Mohsin Naqvi.

NADRA has introduced three family classifications under the new reforms—Alpha (by birth), Beta (by marriage), and Gamma (by adoption). The reforms also empower citizens to correct or update their family records through NADRA’s mobile application or by visiting service centres.

NADRA has taken significant steps toward creating a more secure, efficient, and user-friendly identity system in Pakistan by reforming the CNIC delivery timeline and granting legal status to the Family Registration Certificate.