National Identity Card Date first issued 14 September 1972 (first ID card) 28 February 2014 (fully printed and bilingual ID cards) 1 January 2016 (ID cards with 12 - digit NIC number) 1 September 2017 (with Holder 's ICAO standard digital picture) 27 October 2017 (new Smart ID card) Issued by Sri Lanka Valid in Sri Lanka Type of document Identity card Purpose Identification Eligibility requirements Sri Lankan citizenship, 16 years of age or above Expiration N / A
when did the issuing of the national identity card began in sri lanka
14 September 1972