NADRA gives over-60s priority counters, home service and a CNIC that never expires

NADRA announced four facilities on Tuesday for citizens aged 60 and above. All four are live at NADRA registration centres nationwide.

1. Priority counters

Every NADRA office now has dedicated counters for senior citizens, so an over-60 applicant does not stand in the general queue for a CNIC renewal, a modification or a family registration certificate.

2. Manpack: NADRA comes to you

Seniors who cannot reach an office because of age or physical weakness can ask for the Manpack service, a mobile registration unit that visits the applicant. NADRA's own wording: senior citizens "who are unable to visit its offices because of age or physical weakness can also benefit from the Manpack service".

This is the one worth knowing about, because the usual failure point for an elderly applicant is not the fee, it is getting to the centre and standing through the biometric step.

3. Face verification when fingerprints fade

Fingerprints thin out with age, and a failed fingerprint scan is the single most common reason an elderly applicant is sent away and told to come back. NADRA now allows facial recognition as an alternative verification method where fingerprints cannot be read.

4. A card that does not expire

A CNIC issued to an applicant aged 60 or above is valid for life. No renewal, no renewal fee, no expiry date to track. If a parent's card was issued before they turned 60 and is now expiring, the renewal they do at 60 or later is the last one they will need.

What to take with you

For a renewal or modification for an over-60 applicant, carry the existing CNIC or its number, and a family member's CNIC if the applicant needs an attendant. If the card was issued in a different district, the record still pulls up nationally, so you do not need to travel to the district of issue.

Work out what the category you need costs before you go with our NADRA fee calculator, and if an application is already in the system, our guide on checking a NADRA tracking ID shows where it is stuck.

NADRA advises seniors to contact their nearest registration centre for details of how to access each facility.