NADRA Pak ID App 5.8.5 Released: Improved Fingerprint Check for Witnesses and Attesters

That witness step is where many Pak ID applications stall. A CNIC or B-Form application cannot move forward until a linked relative verifies it, and in the app that means a fingerprint scan through the phone camera. The full list of who can verify or attest a NADRA CNIC form covers both relatives and paper-form attesters.

Pak ID 5.8.5 lists three changes

NADRA's release note for version 5.8.5 is short. It names three items: a better way to be biometrically verified as a witness or attester, improved guidelines for various processes, and bug fixes. It does not add a new document type or a new service.

The previous release, covered in Pak ID 5.8.4 and the Punjab arms licence reprint, also changed how the app captures biometrics. Two releases in two weeks have now touched the fingerprint side of the app.

The witness step is a relative's fingerprint check

In Pak ID, a witness or attester is a linked relative who confirms your identity by giving fingerprints. NADRA's Pak ID FAQ says only biometric verification is available in the app. A gazetted officer's signature, used on paper forms at centres, does not work there.

NADRA's FAQ names the people who can verify: father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, paternal or maternal grandparents, and spouse. Their own NADRA record must be linked to yours. A cousin, uncle or friend cannot do it in the app.

This is not only about first CNICs. Renewals, B-Forms for children and other applications all have an attestation stage. For a child's B-Form, the app asks for the fingerprints of one parent.

How to verify as a witness in Pak ID

The relative can be beside you or in another city. If they are with you, pick their name from the list the app shows and scan their fingers. If not, they use their own Pak ID account and your Tracking ID and PIN.

1. The applicant opens the application and reaches the attestation stage.
2. If the relative is present, select their record and tap Next to scan their fingers.
3. If the relative is away, the applicant sends them the Tracking ID and PIN.
4. The relative logs in to their own Pak ID account and taps the Attestation icon on the home screen.
5. They enter the Tracking ID and PIN, tap Next, and give their fingerprints.

NADRA's tips for a clean scan: keep the whole hand inside the frame on screen, keep the phone far enough back that every finger shows, and rest the hand on a table so nothing moves. Good light helps too.

Update the app before you attest

The improvement only helps if both phones run the new version. The applicant and the relative who verifies should each update Pak ID from Google Play or the App Store before the attestation step. Version 5.8.5 needs Android 7.0 or later, according to its Play listing.

• Android: open Google Play, search for PAK IDENTITY by NADRA, and tap Update.
• iPhone: open the App Store, tap your profile picture, and update PAK IDENTITY.
• Check the publisher name is National Database and Registration Authority before you install.

Pak ID has more than 10 million downloads on Google Play. Copies under other names are not NADRA's.

What the update does not change

The release note does not change who can verify, the fees, or the documents each application needs. A first CNIC still starts in a blood relative's account and finishes at a NADRA centre. Approval can still take time after you submit, and NADRA asks for the fee only after approval.

If no linked relative can give fingerprints, the app is not your route. Apply at a NADRA centre, where a paper form can be attested by a listed officer, as set out for a first CNIC when parents are not registered. NADRA's wait after paying is explained in the Pak ID 48 hour approval note.

Common questions

What is new in Pak ID app 5.8.5?

An improved facility to be biometrically verified as a witness or attester, improved guidelines for various processes, and bug fixes, according to NADRA's release note.

When was Pak ID 5.8.5 released?

On Google Play on 11 November 2026 and on the App Store on 12 November 2026.

Who can be a witness in the Pak ID app?

A linked father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, grandparent or spouse. NADRA's FAQ says only their biometric verification works in the app.

Can my relative attest my Pak ID application from another city?

Yes. Share the Tracking ID and PIN. They log in to their own account, tap Attestation, enter both and give fingerprints.

Do I need to update Pak ID to attest?

Updating is the way to get the improved witness step. Both the applicant and the relative should run version 5.8.5.

How we verified this

What we checked and where we read it.

Last checked 14 November 2026. The version number, dates and release note come from NADRA's own listings: PAK IDENTITY on Google Play (version 5.8.5, updated 11 November 2026, Android 7.0 and up, 10M+ downloads) and the App Store listing by National Database and Registration Authority (version 5.8.5, 12 November 2026). Who can verify, the Tracking ID and PIN steps and the fingerprint tips come from the Pak ID FAQ on NADRA's Pak ID pages. The 5.8.4 details come from our earlier report on that release.