NADRA Scraps Birth Certificate Requirement for First-Time CNIC Applicants Until Dec 2026

Lifestyle 23 Feb 2026

In a significant move to bridge Pakistan’s documentation gap, NADRA has waived the requirement for a computerized birth certificate for first-time CNIC applicants until December 31, 2026. This initiative specifically targets the 1.7% of the adult population that remains undocumented primarily women and residents of districts with low civil registration by replacing traditional paperwork with a robust biometric family-link system. Under these new rules, identity will be verified through the biometrics of registered parents, siblings, or husbands, and as an added incentive, non-smart CNICs applied for under the normal category will be issued free of cost. However, the authority has cautioned that any data recorded regarding parentage and date of birth under this facilitation will be permanent and non-changeable to maintain the integrity of the national database.

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