Aadhaar Card
Aadhaar Card is one of the most important proofs of identity address. It is acceptable throughout India and more than 1.4 billion Aadhaar cards have been issued till date. This page provides complete details about Aadhaar Card, its enrollment process, generation, update, check status and more.
What is an Aadhaar Card?
Aadhaar card is a documentation issued after the approval of the application and a number is assigned. The Aadhaar Card is used as a relevant proof of identity and address to avail various services such as opening a bank account, availing government subsidies, applying for loans, etc. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) issues an Aadhaar card which is a 12-digit unique identification number assigned to all the residents of India, NRIs, OCI cardholders, etc.
Table of Contents
Components or Details of Aadhaar Card
The Aadhaar issued along with the Aadhaar number acts as a fundamental details of the individual. Given below are the key components that make up your Aadhaar card:
- Name
- Date of birth
- Gender
- Photograph
- Biometrics
- Aadhaar number
- QR code
- Address
Types of Aadhaar card
UIDAI issues different Aadhaar cards to residents. Following are the types of Aadhaar card that individual can avail:
- Aadhaar card for resident Indians: Each and every Indian can apply for an Aadhaar Card. Additionally, the Government of India has now made it mandatory for taxpayers to link their PAN with Aadhaar for filing their annual Income Tax Return (ITR)
- Baal Aadhaar or Aadhaar for Minors: Aadhaar Enrollment is available even for minors, unlike the voter identification card. To apply for an aadhaar card for children, you have to provide proof of identity and address of parents. Even newborns can also enrol for Aadhaar, but they to update their biometric data when they turn 5 years and 15 years old. The Baal Aadhaar for children below 5 is blue in colour.
- Aadhaar for NRIs: Non-Resident Indians (NRI) including both minor and adults having a valid Indian Passport can apply for Aadhaar card by visiting any Aadhaar Kendra. However, they need to reside in India for 182 days in the past one year to get the Aadhaar card.
- eAadhaar: eAadhaar is the digital rendition of Aadhaar, officially acknowledged and validated by the UIDAI through digital channels. It features a secure Aadhaar QR code that facilitates offline verification. The eAadhaar is safeguarded with a password and includes details such as the issuing date and download date.
- mAadhaar: mAadhaar is an officially sanctioned mobile application endorsed by UIDAI, tailored for users of mobile phones. It is available on both Google Play Store and App Store, mAadhaar app allows Aadhaar holders to easily access their registered details, including Aadhaar number, location and photograph.
Importance of Aadhaar Card
Aadhar card is used in multiple places and considered to be an important document, here is a list of things for which an Aadhar card is required.
- Universal Identity Card: The main aim to formulate the Aadhaar Card has always been to make a universal and unique identity card for the civilians of India that would assist in negating the need for different documents to apply for several services.
- Government Subsidy: The Indian Government offers particular subsidies to specific citizens who need welfare to improve their livelihood. Aadhaar is a proof of eligibility of an individual to get enrolled themselves in programmes by government like the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan and to Right to Education.
- Phone Connections: You can replace KYC documents such as proof of address and identity proof with the Aadhaar Card when it comes to getting a new cell phone or landline connection.
- Gas Connections: As per the Scheme of PAHAL DBTL, the individuals who have obtained an Aadhaar card can make use of the card to avail subsidies on gas cylinders. In order to avail it, they are supposed to have an Aadhaar card, which is linked with the connection of gas along with a bank account.
- Bank Accounts: The benefit of having a bank account associated with the Aadhaar number is that whenever there are any government welfare schemes and you are found eligible for the scheme and you are required to get financial advances, you can get these transferred to the bank account that is linked to the Aadhaar at once.
Eligibility for Aadhaar Card
Aadhaar is a number, which can provide the individuals who reside in India, with a single document serving a number of purposes covering proof of identity to proof to address. However, it is more than just an identification number.
The eligibility criteria for Aadhaar enrollment are as follows:
- The applicant is an Indian citizen residing in India
- The applicant is a Non-Resident Indian residing in India
- The applicant is an OCI cardholder, with a valid foreign passport and should have stayed in India for at least 182 days in last 12 months
- The applicant is an LTV holder with a foreign passport of origin country issued to minority communities of Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan such as Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis and Christians
- The applicant is a citizen of Nepal and Bhutan
- Other resident foreigners who have stayed in India for at least 182 days in the last one year.
Documents for Aadhaar Card
At the time of Aadhaar enrollment, you have to submit the following document proofs:-
These are the documents that you must carry as an evidence of your identification:
- Authenticating your identity
- Authenticating your age
- Authenticating your proof of marriage
- Authenticating the applicant’s place of residence
The documents mentioned below are most commonly used to apply for an Aadhaar:
- Driver Licence
- Birth Certificate
- Voter ID
- PAN Card
- Passport
- SSLC Certificate
Also, applicant are required to be present physically in order to collect biometric data.
What are the services available on UIDAI Portal?
The following key Aadhaar card services are available on the UIDAI Portal:
- Document Update
- Check Aadhaar Update Status
- Update Demographics Data and Check Status
- Book an Appointment
- Check Aadhaar Status
- Download Aadhaar
- Order Aadhaar PVC Card
- Locate an Enrollment Centre in Bhuvan Aadhaar
- Verify an Aadhaar Number
- Verify Email/Mobile Number
- Retrieve Lost/Forgotten EID/UID
- Bank Seeding Status
- Aadhaar lock and unlock service
- Aadhaar services on SMS
- Grievances and Feedback
- Check Grievances/Feedback status
Aadhaar Card Login
Applicants need to login into their UIDAI account, you need to visit the Aadhaar card login page and enter your Aadhaar number, captcha code and the OTP that you receive on registered mobile number.
Here are the key services that you can avail after an aadhaar card login:
- Free proof of identity of and proof of address document update
- Download Aadhaar
- Order Aadhaar PVC card
- Address update
- Check Bank Seeding Status
- Create Virtual ID
- lock/unlock biometrics
- View authentication history
- Offline eKYC
- Check Payment History
- Head of Family Requests
- Check Aadhaar Update History
How to Book Aadhaar Appointment Online
It is optional to book an appointment for enrollment for Aadhaar and apply for it. Other than these services, you need to visit an Aadhaar Seva Kendra. Booking an appointment online lets you choose the appointment date and time as per your convenience.
The online appointment booking is also free of cost and you are not required to pay any charges for initial Aadhaar enrollment. However, you may be required to pay for the Aadhaar service that you avail at the Aadhaar Seva Kendra, i.e Rs. 50 for demographic update and Rs. 100 for biometric update per appointment.
How to check Aadhaar Card Enrollment status online
After enrolment, you can check the Aadhaar Card application status online using the 28-digit ‘Enrolment ID’ or ‘EID’ which is available on the top of your Aadhaar Acknowledgement Slip. The EID is made of the 14-digit enrolment number (1234/12345/12345) and 14-digit date and time of enrolment (yyyy/mm/dd hh:mm:ss).
To check the status online, you need to visit the UIDAI website and click on “Check Aadhaar Status” listed under the Get Aadhaar section.If your Aadhaar is generated, you will get the Aadhaar details and the delivery status.
How to Apply for Aadhaar Card
The initial step to apply for a new Aadhaar card includes keeping all the necessary documents ready. The applicant will need to book an appointment and visit an enrollment centre. You can apply for an Aadhaar card online, known as an eAadhaar card, by visiting the official website of UIDAI.
Here is the step-by-step Aadhaar Card application process is as follows:
- Visit the nearest Aadhaar Enrollment Centre
- Fill the Aadhaar Enrollment Form
- Provide the Photograph and Biometric Data
- After enrollment, you will now receive an acknowledgement slip containing the enrollment number that can be used to check Aadhaar status online as well as through IVR.
- Dispatch of Aadhaar to the Address of the Applicant
How to download Aadhaar Card and Print it
Once the Aadhaar card status enquiry shows that your Aadhaar number is generated, it is dispatched to your residential address. Sometimes, it may take some time for the physical Aadhaar to reach you. Till then you can download Aadhaar card online as well as and print the PDF version of Aadhaar card, known as e-aadhaar card.
There are various ways through which you can get your Aadhaar card online. You can get your Aadhaar card by using your:
- Aadhaar Card
- Name and Date of Birth
- Enrollment number (EID)
- Virtual ID
- Digilocker Account
- Umang App
- mAadhaar App
Once the PDF format of Aadhaar card is downloaded, you can use the printout copy of it whenever it is required.
What is mAadhaar?
Aadhaar card is often the mandatory requirement to avail a number of services and people need to provide their Aadhaar card almost everywhere. But there can be instances where you do not have your physical Aadhaar Card. So to meet these requirements, UIDAI has introduced its mobile app, mAadhaar app that lets you carry and access your Aadhaar card on your smartphone anywhere, anytime.
The application is available on both Android and iOS devices and lets you add up to five Aadhaar profiles on a single device. It also offers several other features and services. Some of them are as follows:
- View and Download Aadhaar
- Retrieve EID/UID
- Order PVC Card
- Check Aadhaar Validity
- Verify Email/Mobile
- Generate Virtual ID
- QR Code Scanner
- Paperless offline eKYC
- Book an Appointment
- Check Request status- Enrollment & Update Status, PVC Card Request Status, Retrieve Order Aadhaar status
- Get OTP
- View Authentication History and Aadhaar Status History
- Lock/unlock Aadhaar Biometrics
- Lock/unlock Aadhaar
- Locate an Enrollment Centre
How to Update your Aadhaar Card
You can make updates to your Aadhaar card online as well as offline. You will have to pay a fee of Rs. 50 each time you make a demographic update to your Aadhaar card and Rs. 100 for every biometric update. However, as per the latest updates, you can update Proof of Identity and Proof of Address documents free of cost till 14th September, 2024.
There are two ways of updating your Aadhaar Card: Online and Offline
Update Aadhaar Card Online
Applicants can update the demographic details on your Aadhaar online anytime and anywhere through the official website of UIDAI. However, your mobile number should be linked with your Aadhaar card to access the update facility online.
What details can be updated for Aadhaar Online
The following details are:
- Address
- Proof of Identity and Proof of Address documents (free of cost, if not updated in the past ten years).
Steps to update Aadhaar Card Online
Step 1: Login to the Aadhaar Self Service Update Portal using your Aadhaar number and OTP received on your registered mobile number
Step 2: Click on the “Update Address in your Aadhaar” option
Step 3: Select the type of online Aadhaar update, that is, whether you want to do a document based address update or Head of Family (HOF) based address update
Step 4: Enter the required address details
Step 5: Upload scanned copies of original supporting documents for address update
Step 6: Pay an online update fee of Rs. 50 using debit/credit card or via net banking.
Step 7: You will get the Service Request Number that can be used to track the update request or for any future communication with UIDAI helpdesk
Step 8: Once your request is verified by UIDAI’s internal quality check operators, where your demographic data is matched with the supporting documents, you will receive an SMS notification containing the Enrolment ID
Step 9: After a few more validations by the backend software, your request processing will be completed and you will receive an SMS notification about the outcome.
Update requests are generally completed within 30 days. Once updated, you can download the updated version and get your Aadhar card print out.
Update Aadhaar Card Offline
People who are not proficient in using the internet can go for Aadhaar update offline. Applicants will need to visit a nearby Aadhaar Enrollment Centre or Seva Kendra and can find such more details from these facilitation centres here.
What details can updated for Aadhaar Offline
All the demographic data including your name, DOB, gender, address, mobile number and email id as well as your biometrics data can be updated by visiting an Aadhaar Seva Kendra.
One should take all the necessary documents for most of the demographic data update. No document is required for updating the biometrics, mobile number and email id.
Steps to update Aadhaar Card Offline
Here, you can easily update Aadhaar card details by visiting the Aadhaar Seva Kendra. The following steps are:
- Fill the Aadhaar card correction form i.e.
https://uidai.gov.in/en/my-aadhaar/downloads/enrolment-and-update-forms.html (Aadhaar card correction form). Make sure you enter that information which is correct and not the one that is mentioned in your Aadhaar. - Attach self-attested copies of proof validating your update request and submit the Aadhar correction form/Aadhar card update form along with documents.
- You need to pay a fee for every such visit to the Aadhaar Enrolment Centre for update or correction.
Moreover, you can also visit various banks to update your Aadhaar card. For example, ICICI Bank Aadhaar card update allows you to make changes in your Aadhaar card by visiting the nearest ICICI Bank Branch.
How to Check Aadhaar Update Status Online
Sometimes, there can be errors in Aadhaar details, people can get them rectified both offline and online mode. However, you can check the status of both online and offline update requests online. Here are some simple steps to check Aadhaar card update status online:
- On the UIDAI website, go on the Update Aadhaar section, click on “Check Aadhaar Update Status”
- Enter your Service Request Number (SRN) or Update Request Number (URN) generated at the time of making the request along with the captcha code.
- Click on “Submit” to see the Aadhaar update status online.
What is PVC Aadhaar Card?
UIDAI has now permitted the Aadhaar Card to be printed as Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) card. The PVC Aadhaar Card is a newer version of the traditional paper-based Aadhaar Card. The Debit/Credit card kind looking PVC Aadhaar Card contains several smart features and is thus, a more secure version of the traditional paper-based card. An Aadhaar card PVC is considered a valid proof of identity and address. Also, it is an equally valid form of Aadhaar card, just like the traditional Aadhaar Card, Aadhaar Letter, mAadhaar and eAadhaar.
How to Link Aadhaar with PAN?
It is compulsory to link Aadhaar with PAN card because your PAN will not be operational if your Aadhaar is not linked with PAN. Moreover, you will not be able to carry out a banking transaction above Rs. 50,000, you have to get your PAN card with Aadhaar card linked.
The deadline for linking PAN and Aadhaar has ended on 30th June 2023. However, you can still link your PAN and Aadhaar post the end of the deadline to continue using your PAN card and file your income tax returns by paying the prescribed fee of Rs. 1000. However, the date was extended to 31st May 2024, but as per the latest CBDT Circular No.6/2024, those who failed to link their PAN with Aadhaar before the deadline date will now have to pay income tax, TDS and TCS at a higher rate.
Steps to Link Aadhaar card online with PAN after deadline
Below are mentioned step-by-step guide on how to link Aadhaar with PAN card online:
Step 1: Payment of Applicable fee through e-Pay Tax functionality available on e-filing portal if you have account in banks* which are authorised for payment through e-pay tax:
- Visit the e-Pay Tax page on the Income Tax e-filing website.
- Enter your PAN, confirm PAN and mobile number to get an OTP.
- After OTP verification, you will redirected to a page showing different payment tiles.
- Click on the “Proceed” button on the Income Tax tile.
- Choose the AY as 2024-25 and the Type of Payment, as other Receipts (500) and click on “Continue”.
- Fill in the amount as Rs. 1000 under “Others” field in tax break-up and proceed to make the payment.
Step 2: Submit the Aadhaar linking request on e-Filing portal:
- Visit the e-Filing portal and login using your credentials. Click on “Link Aadhaar” in the profile section on the dashboard or click on the dashboard.
- Enter the Aadhaar and click on “Validate” to proceed with Aadhaar-PAN linking by login into the Income Tax portal.
- Fill in the necessary details such as your mobile number, name as per Aadhaar, etc and click on the “Link Aadhaar” button.
- Enter the 6-digit OTP that you will receive on the mobile number mentioned in the previous step and click on “Validate”.
- Your request for linking of Aadhaar-PAN has been submitted successfully and now you can check the Aadhaar-PAN link status.
Note:
*Bank authorised for payment through e-Pay Tax include Axis Bank, Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra, Canara Bank, Central Bank of India, City Union Bank, Federal Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, IDBI Bank, Indian Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, IndusInd Bank, Jammu & Kashmir Bank, Karur Vysya Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Punjab & Sind Bank, Punjab National Bank, RBL Bank, South Indian Bank, State Bank of India, UCO Bank, Union Bank of India (as of 13 January, 2023).
Importance of Linking PAN card with Aadhaar card
Some of the important reasons to link PAN card with Aadhaar are as follows:
- PAN cards that have not been linked with Aadhaar are now deactivated, i.e post 30th June 2023
- PAN-Aadhaar link will help in tackling the problem of multiple PAN cards issued to the same person.
- The user will get a summarised detail of taxes levied on him/her for future purpose or reference.
How to Link Aadhaar with Bank Account
In 2017, The Reserve Bank of India made it compulsory for all bank accounts to be linked with Aadhaar. However, as per the Supreme Court’s judgement in 2018, it is no longer a compulsion to link your Aadhaar with the bank account.
However, if you still want to link your Aadhaar with Bank Account, you can do it through the following ways:
- Link Aadhaar with Bank Accounts via internet banking
- Bank’s mobile application
- By visiting nearest bank branch
- ATM
- SMS Service
- Mobile Number
How to verify your Aadhaar Card
There are three ways in which you can verify your Aadhaar card:
1. Aadhaar Card verification by number
- Visit the official UIDAI website.
- Select the “Aadhaar Services” section and choose the “Verify Aadhaar Number” option.
- Enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number and the security code displayed on the screen.
- Click on “Verify” to check the validity of your Aadhaar card.
2. Aadhaar Card verification by name and date of birth
- Visit the official UIDAI website.
- Navigate to the “Verify Aadhaar Number” option.
- Enter your full name as registered in your Aadhaar card, along with your correct date of birth.
- Input the security code and click on “Verify” to authenticate your details.
3. Aadhaar Card verification form
- Some institutions may require you to fill out an Aadhaar card verification form for the manual verification process.
- You can obtain the form either online or offline from the concerned institution.
- Fill in the required details accurately and submit the form along with the necessary documents for verification.
Aadhaar Card Benefits
The Government of India issues Aadhaar Card to each and every Indian citizen. There are plenty of benefits that the Aadhaar card provides to its citizens, some of them are mentioned below:
- Identity Card: Aadhaar Card acts as an identity proof which is accepted by all government or non-government organisations even though it is not a citizen document. It has all the basic details such as a photograph of the card holder, biometric details like fingerprints and iris image. It also contains a QR code that can be scanned to verify whether the details mentioned in the card are correct or not.
- Proof of Residential Address: Aadhaar card contains the residential address of the card holder. It can thus be used as a proof of residence for various verification process in both government and non-governmental organisations. It is also useful, while applying for various financial products like share market investments, mutual funds, home loan, personal loan, credit cards, etc as it is considered a valid proof to verify residential address.
- Government Subsidy: The Government has made it mandatory for people to link their bank accounts with Aadhaar to avail subsidies under different schemes. In order to get subsidy directly in the bank account for schemes such as Pahal, Atal Pension Yojna, kerosene subsidy, school subsidy, food subsidies and others.
- Bank Accounts: Aadhaar has become a key document with PAN for opening bank account these days. These days banks need only Aadhaar card and PAN to open a bank account for the applicant. Jan Dhan accounts also need Aadhaar of the applicant. However, it is not compulsory to link your bank account with an Aadhaar card.
- Phone Connection: Almost all telecom companies provide phone connections after accepting Aadhaar as proof of identity and address. Once Aadhaar is provided, the connection gets activated in the quickest possible time.
Income Tax: The Income Tax Department has made it mandatory for taxpayers to link Aadhaar with PAN. Aadhaar would be a compulsion while paying income tax and filing returns otherwise the ITR application of the taxpayer would not be processed.
What is eAadhaar?
eAadhaar is an electronic copy of your Aadhaar card. It is free of cost and can be downloaded from the UIDAI website, mAadhaar, UMANG app, or DigiLocker account. It is equally valid as any other form of Aadhaar and it is accepted everywhere.
FAQs
The UMANG app is a mobile app that gives Indian citizens access to government services and information. The app was developed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the National e-Governance Division (NeGD). UMANG App can be used to book cylinders online, request for refills, subsidies, mechanic services, surrender connections, etc. These services can be availed on HP Gas, Bharat Gas and Indane Gas. Pensioners can avail services offered by the Department of Pension & Pensioners Welfare.
This is the latest option for the citizens to mask their Aadhaar cards in the downloaded eAadhaar in which the first 8 digits are replaced with characters ‘XXXX-XXXX’ and only show the last four digits of the Aadhaar number.
Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is an agency of Central Government that acts as the authority to issue Unique Identification Number (UIN) of Aadhaar and is also a part of the Planning Commission of India. It gathers biometric and demographic data of the citizens of India and collects the data and figures in a consolidated database and releases a 12-digit UIN to every citizen known as Aadhaar number.
Aadhaar Sewa Kendra or ASK is one-stop destination for all Aadhaar related services for the citizens. ASK offer services such as Aadhaar enrollment and update services to residents in a state-of-the-art environment.
To use online Aadhaar facilities, it is necessary to link your mobile number with UIDAI. If your old mobile number is no longer active or you need to update your mobile number in your Aadhaar card, you can easily do so. However, please note that the facility to update the mobile number in Aadhaar online is no longer available as it has been discontinued by UIDAI. You can now only change your mobile number in Aadhaar offline.
Aadhar details may sometimes be wrong or may need to be updated. It might take some time to make the correction after a request is made. In order to check Aadhaar update status or correction status, you can visit the official UIDAI website. However, you will have to provide the Update Request Number (URN) to track the status of your update request.
Earlier, the process of name change in Aadhaar was both online and offline through registered enrollment centres. But now, only the address change in Aadhaar card is online and the rest all updated in Aadhaar are offline. This means that you can change your name in the Aadhaar only by visiting an official Aadhaar enrollment centre after downloading the Aadhaar enrollment form.
If you lose your Aadhaar Card, you can obtain a duplicate copy of the Aadhaar card simply by downloading the copy of the lost Aadhaar card.
The Aadhaar card is valid for the whole life of an individual.
Linking your Aadhaar with a ration card enables easy transfer of PDS benefits to your bank accounts (if applicable). Here are some steps to link your Aadhaar with ration card:
- Visit the nearest PDS centre/ration shop
- Provide self-attested copy of your and your family members Aadhaar.
- Now provide a self-attested copy of your ration card
- You will have to provide your bank account details in case you have not linked it with Aadhaar
- Now provide your fingerprints for biometric authentication.
Linking your EPF account/UAN with Aadhaar allows you to access your EPF account online. Here’s how to do it:
- Register on the EPF member portal and login to your account
- In the KYC section, add your Aadhaar details and submit the form
- Your request will appear under pending KYC
- Once approved by EPFO, it will be viewed under approved KYC
- On successful verification by UIDAI, “Verified” will be mentioned against your approved Aadhaar.
In order to get your mobile number linked with an Aadhaar card, you have to visit one of the Aadhaar Enrolment Centres and submit a request for mobile phone updation. Once the request is submitted, the mobile number will be linked with Aadhaar.
There are chances that your Aadhaar has been generated but you have not received the Aadhaar letter by post. In this case, it is recommended to get your Aadhaar status checked, for all your EIDs, by clicking on “Check Enrolment & Update Status” or by visiting the nearest Aadhaar Enrolment centre.
You can update the address in your Aadhaar card online as well as offline. The online process is free of cost whereas you have to pay a charge of Rs. 50 to update your address in Aadhaar by visiting the Aadhaar Enrolment Centre.
You can change your mobile number in your Aadhaar card by visiting the nearest Aadhaar Enrolment Centre.
Whenever you file a request for updation or correction of details in your Aadhaar online, an Update Request Number (URN) is provided after successful submission of the application. You can use this URN to track the updation process.
Yes, you can download your Aadhaar card from your DigiLocker account.
You can apply for a PVC Aadhaar card online by paying a nominal fee of Rs. 50 (inclusive of GST and Speed Post charges).
It can take up to 30 days for your update request to be processed and get the updated Aadhaar delivered at your address.
Log on to the official e-Shram portal website here. Look for the e-Shram Card Download link and click on it. Enter your AADHAAR number and other required details such as name and date of birth. Verify your identity by entering the OTP sent to your registered mobile number.
You can also download a Masked Aadhaar where the first 8 digits are hidden. For security purposes, downloading your Aadhaar card requires an OTP. However, if you don’t have your registered mobile number with you at the time of downloading, there are provisions to download it without an OTP.
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