NADRA to issue new facial recognition certificates. Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has announced that starting January 20, 2026. All its registration centres will begin issuing facial recognition‑based biometric verification certificates for citizens. This move is aim at easing identity verification for individuals who face difficulties with traditional fingerprint scans.
Under the new system, the government has amended the National Identity Card rules to legally expand the definition of biometric verification. In addition to fingerprints, facial recognition and iris scans are now officially recognised as valid biometric identifiers. This providing a stronger legal basis for the updated process. Many people especially the elderly and those with certain medical conditions have trouble with fingerprint verification because fingerprints can fade with age or fail due to physical factors. The new facial recognition option will help such citizens complete identity verification more easily, officials said.
Under the revised procedure, if fingerprint‑based verification fails at a service provider’s end. The citizen can visit the nearest NADRA registration centre for facial recognition verification. After successfully matching the person’s live photograph with the image stored in NADRA’s database. The authority will issue a biometric verification certificate.
Murree Tourist Weather Advisory
Certificate Includes
The new certificate will contain key identification details such as:
- The citizen’s current photograph and image on record.
- CNIC number.
- Full name and father’s name.
- A unique tracking ID.
- A QR code for online verification.
This certificate will initially be valid for a short period and can use wherever biometric verification is require. Alongside physical NADRA centres. The facial recognition feature has also been added to the Pak‑ID mobile app. Making it possible to perform some biometric verification digitally. Officials say once Pakistan’s Digital ID system is fully launch. More services could be complete directly through the app without the need to visit a registration centre. NADRA has also encouraged relevant public and private institutions to update their systems so they can accept and integrate the new certificates smoothly when the service goes live next month.