NADRA expands overseas services as QR-code NICOP rollout stays phased

Overseas Pakistanis can register on NADRA's Pak ID app using a mobile number from the country where they live, and the authority has added staff and software at Pakistani missions abroad, even as the move to QR-code-enabled NICOPs is being carried out in stages.

The phased rollout was confirmed by the government in a written reply to the National Assembly, filed by Interior Minister Senator Mohsin Raza Naqvi. Asked how many overseas Pakistanis are affected by travel restrictions tied to expired or invalid NICOPs, Naqvi declined to give an estimate, saying the question did not pertain to NADRA, TechJuice reported. The reply also did not set out a communication strategy to explain the new requirements.

NADRA spokesperson Syed Shabahat Ali said applicants do not need a Pakistani mobile number to register on Pak ID or to apply for a NICOP, according to ARY News. Users should select the country they actually live in and enter a number from that country; a Pakistani in Canada, for example, can select Canada and use a Canadian number to activate the account and apply for documents. According to NADRA, applicants who select Pakistan as their country of stay are prompted for a Pakistani number because a one-time password is sent to verify the account.

The government approved the QR-code polycarbonate card format on 23 February 2026 and amended the National Identity Card and Pakistan Origin Card Rules, 2002 the following day. The format replaces the older chip-based card. Each QR code carries protected applicant information, including the family number, which can be read through the Pak ID app without a dedicated card reader.

NADRA moved away from chips partly because building a nationwide reader network raised cost and interoperability problems. The polycarbonate cards are also described as more durable, and domestic production is expected to reduce reliance on imported card material.

Ten registration centres at Pakistani missions now run NADRA's Pak ID software, raising daily capacity for NICOP renewals. Mobile Registration Operations run at weekends in the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and Dubai for people who cannot visit an office during working hours, and 25 counters at missions handle online application submissions and routine identity services.

Dematerialised identity cards, introduced under an SRO dated 9 September 2025, give eligible holders digital credentials in the Pak ID app with the same legal validity as the physical card. Existing Smart CNICs, Smart NICOPs and Smart POCs remain valid during the transition and continue to be processed and issued, subject to applicable rules and card material availability.