Pakistan has begun accepting the digital national identity card in NADRA’s Pak ID mobile application for identity checks during passport applications. The option is available at Directorate General of Immigration and Passports offices in Pakistan and at Pakistani missions abroad.
The service gives applicants an alternative when they do not have their physical Computerized National Identity Card with them. Users can open Pak ID, select View Digital ID on the home screen and choose Digital Card to display the credential for verification.
NADRA said the change is intended to make passport services more accessible while extending the use of government-issued digital identity. The announcement describes the app credential as a verification option, not a replacement for the passport application itself or for other eligibility checks conducted by immigration officials.
The digital card builds on a Pak ID update that added identity storage and facial verification. That release made the app a container for a digital version of the national identity card, while the passport integration turns the credential into an accepted proof within another government service.
Acceptance at overseas missions is particularly significant for Pakistanis applying outside the country, because it allows the same app-based credential to be presented in a consular setting. The notice does not say that applicants can complete the entire passport process remotely, and physical attendance or biometric capture may still be required under the applicable passport procedure.
The change also advances the service-delivery objectives of Pakistan’s Digital Nation Act and national digital identity program. Those measures seek to connect identity credentials with public services rather than requiring citizens to repeatedly submit the same paper or plastic documents.
NADRA did not identify a separate launch deadline, supported app-version number or fallback process for applicants whose phones cannot display the digital card. It also did not specify whether passport staff verify a cryptographic element, scan a code or visually inspect the credential on screen.
The Directorate General of Immigration and Passports remains responsible for processing and issuing passports. NADRA manages the underlying national identity system and the Pak ID app used to display the digital credential.
Sources: ARY News
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
