The Department of Registration of Persons will issue new Smart Identity Cards with modern technology from today (27th Oct.), the Government Information Departments said. 

It said the new National Identity Card will have a twelve digit Number and it also includes a photograph of ICAO standard and a machine-readable Barcode.

Information of the cardholder including the name, place of birth, address and gender will be printed in all three languages and the signature of the cardholder will also be featured in this new Identity Card, it said, adding that the new Smart Card is in conformity with the internationally accepted standard and would help the public to get their needs attended to easily and expeditiously.

The old Identity Cards thus far used shall not be cancelled with the introduction of new Smart Card and this new Identity Cards will be issued only to new applicants who apply for identity Cards after 27th October 2017, the Department further said.