Aadhaar

The 12-digit unique number is the new identity of every Indian. Issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India, the Aadhaar card serves as proof of address around the country.

Linking Aadhaar with your bank account, pan card, mobile number and such is now mandatory. Know about its purpose, benefits, different forms of Aadhaar cards, and more here.

What is Aadhaar?

Whether you have to open a bank account or apply for admission in a University in India, having an Aadhaar card is mandatory. Aadhaar refers to a 12-digit identification number allotted to every individual by the Government of India. The Aadhaar number is unique for each individual and will remain valid for a lifetime.

Aadhaar number can help the residents avail numerous services provided banking, and other Govt and Non-Govt services in due course. This card is a one-in-all purpose ID proof for every residential Indian but must not be confused with proof of citizenship.

About Aadhaar Card Number

The Aadhaar card contains the Aadhaar number. It is a 12-digit unique ID issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). It is allotted after verifying an individual’s vital biometric details such as iris scan and fingerprints, along with crucial demographic details like permanent address and date of birth.

Each individual is allotted an Aadhaar number in India. It establishes the uniqueness of every individual on the basis of the information mentioned above. As per the latest government notifications, the Aadhaar number is required to be linked by a bank account, phone number and PAN Card.

Aadhaar Card Eligibility

Now that we have established that an Aadhaar card for Indians is necessary given the fact that it serves as authenticity proof for the citizens, let’s understand who is eligible for Aadhaar Card.

Aadhaar Card for Children

Aadhaar card for children can be issued to children upto the age of 15. For children below the age of 5, Baal Aadhaar Card is issued. Biometrics are not required to be submitted till the age of 5; however, a photograph is. Additionally, it is also mandatory to provide parents’ Aadhaar card.

For children above the age of 5, the process of registration for an Aadhaar card is similar to that of adults, wherein they are required to submit biometrics and required documents for the application.

Aadhaar Card for Foreigners

Non-Resident Indians are also eligible for Aadhaar Card. The Aadhaar Act of 2016 defines residency as, “An individual who has resided in India for a period or periods amounting in all to 182 days or more in the 12 months immediately preceding the date of application for enrolment is eligible for Aadhaar card.”

Documents Required for Aadhaar Card

The following documents are required for Aadhaar Card subject to applicability. Any of these documents can be carried for verification:

Proof of Identity:

Passport
Photo bank ATM card
ECHS/CGHS photo card
Driving license
Voter ID
Ration card
NREGS job card
Government photo ID cards
PAN card
Arms license
Freedom fighter photo card
Disability ID card or handicapped medical certificate
Address card including name and picture issued by the Department of Posts
Photo ID issued by an authorized educational institution
Photo credit card
Certificate of identity with photo issued by Tehsildar on a letterhead
Kissan photo passbook
Pensioner photo card

Proof of Address:

Any of these documents can be used as proof of address:

Bank statement
Passbook
Ration card
Passport
A signed letter containing a photograph from the bank on a letterhead.
Insurance document
Signed letter with photo issued by a registered company on a letterhead
Arms license
Post office statement or passbook
Voter ID
Government photo ID cards or PSU issued service photo identity card
Signed letter with photo and issued by a recognized educational institution on a letterhead
Driving license
Address card that has a photo and is issued by the Department of Posts
Gas connection bill (not older than 3 months)
Passport of parents (for minors)
Disability ID card
Domicile and cast certificate with photo.
Water bill (not older than 3 months)
Electricity bill (not older than 3 months)
Property tax receipt (not older than a year)
Vehicle registration certificate
Telephone bill
Credit card statement (not older than 3 months)
NREGS job card
Pensioner card
Kissan passbook
Freedom fighter card
Income tax assessment order
ECHS/CGHS card
Address Certificate issued by village panchayat head (for rural areas)
Marriage certificate containing address (issued by the government)
State or central government issued allotment letter of accommodation (not older than 3 years)

Proof of Age:

Any of the following documents can be used as proof of age:

Passport
SSC certificate
Birth certificate
PAN card
Certificate of date of birth.
State/central pension payment order
Mark sheet issued by Government University or Board

Proof of Relationship

Any of the following documents can be used to support your proof of relationship with the head of the family.

PDS card
Pension card
Family entitlement document that is issued by the central/state government
Marriage certificate issued by the government.
Job card of MNREGA
Passport
CGHS/State Government/ECHS/ESIC medical card
Birth certificate issued by Registrar of Birth or municipal corporation or local government
Canteen card of the army

How to Enroll for Aadhaar?

Enrollment or registration for an Aadhaar card can be done by visiting an Aadhaar enrolment centre near you. You need to book an appointment for Aadhaar enrolment prior to it.

Here’s the process in brief.

Post your visit to the enrolment, you’ll be required to go through a demographic data entry. This includes filling in Aadhaar enrollment forms, and the submission and verification of documents. The operator at the centre and the verifier will enter and verify the data respectively.

Post the validation of the documents, biometric info would be submitted. This includes ten fingerprints, a photograph and an iris scan.

After these steps, you would be required to collect the acknowledgement document. The enrolment ID in the document would be required to check Aadhaar enrollment status and get the enrolment certificate downloaded slip.

How to Apply for Aadhaar Without any Documents?

If the individual does not have any documents, here’s what can be done.

If someone in a family does not possess individual valid documents, the resident can still enrol in case their name exists in the family entitlement document. If this is the case, the Head of Family in the entitlement document needs to be enrolled first with a valid PoI & PoA document. 8 document types are accepted by UIDAI as Proof of Relationship. Please refer to the list of documents mentioned above.

In case where there’s no availability of documents, residents can seek the help of the staff available at the enrolment centre.

Check Status of Aadhaar Application Online

There are two ways of checking the status of your Aadhaar application online. This can be done through SMS or by filling in the enrolment number.

Status of your Aadhaar Using Your Mobile Number by SMS Service

You can do the Aadhaar card status check by using the SMS service provided by your network. To avail of the SMS service, you have to send a text message from the Registered Mobile to 1947.

Status of your Aadhaar by Enrolment Number

To check the status of your Aadhaar card, begin by logging in to the official website of UIDAI.

Click the link and find the “Check Aadhaar Status” header. Once you are done, enter the 14-digit enrollment number and captcha for verification. You will be displayed the Aadhaar card status on the next window.

How to Download/Print Aadhaar Card

You can print or download Aadhaar card through UIDAI’s website:

Select the “Download Aadhaar” tab. Enter one of the three details – Aadhaar Number, Enrolment ID and Virtual ID.
Enter Captcha for verification and click ‘Send OTP.’ Enter the OTP and click “Verify and Download.”
Upon successful verification, you will be displayed a password-protected file. The 8-character password would be a combination of the initial 4 letters of your name and the last four digits would be your year of birth (all in upper case).

It’s also possible to reprint Aadhaar card in case you lose the original version. We’ll get to it in a while.

Aadhaar Card Verification

Verification of Aadhaar card is crucial to ensure that the Aadhaar number issued to you is valid. You can verify your Aadhaar card by entering your 12-digit Aadhaar number on the official UIDAI website. Here’s a step-by-step process for Aadhaar online verification.

Visit the official UIDAI website. Choose ‘Verify Aadhaar’ by selecting ‘Aadhaar Services’ tab on the website.
Enter the 12-digit unique Aadhaar number as mentioned before.
Following that, enter the security code and click ‘Submit’

You will now have your Aadhaar card details.

How to Update Aadhaar Details Online?

Demographic details such as name, address, DOB/age, gender, email address, mobile number and relationship status can be updated. At the same time, biometric information such as fingerprints, photographs and Iris can also be updated.

Update Via Nearby Enrollment Centre

You can update your Aadhaar details by visiting the nearby Enrollment Centre. An operator present at the centre would help you out. The documentary evidence needs to be handed to the operator at the time of request acceptance.

Aadhaar Card Address Change:

Aadhaar card address change, aadhaar card name change, Aadhaar card date of birth change, and Aadhaar card mobile number update can be done online.

The individual needs to log in to the UIDAI portal. Upon successful OTP verification, the individual needs to upload the supporting POA documents. These documents would then be verified by a Verifier. Following this, the update will be made.

Quick Guide to Link Aadhaar with PAN

Here’s how you can link Aadhaar with PAN:

Head to the Income Tax e-filing portal to register on it if you haven’t already. The user ID will be your PAN or Permanent Account Number.
You can log in to the portal by adding your User ID, password and date of birth.
Find the ‘Profile Settings’ in the menu and select ‘Link Aadhaar’.
Verify the PAN details on the screen, enter your Aadhaar Number, and click the “Link now” button.

Quick Guide to Link Aadhaar with Ration Card

Here’s how you can link Aadhaar with Ration Card:

Head to the UIDAI webpage.
Click on the ‘Start Now’ option.
Enter your address information– district and state.
Choose the benefit type as ‘Ration Card’ from the available options
Select the scheme name as ‘Ration Card’.
Enter your Aadhaar number, the ration card number, e-mail address and mobile number.
An OTP will be sent to your mobile number. After its successful verification, you will get a notification regarding the successful completion of your application process.

Quick Guide to Link Aadhaar with Mobile Number

Here is the step-by-step procedure to link Aadhaar with mobile number.

Visit the UIDAI website.
Select “Order Aadhaar Card” Service.

Enter any of the following, Aadhaar number, VID Virtual Identification Number or Enrollment ID. Following that, type the security code.

Tap on the box “If you do not have a registered mobile number, please check in the box”.
Please enter your alternate or unregistered Mobile Number.
Complete the OTP verification.
Proceed with the payment. Once done, download the receipt containing the digital signature. You will be sent the Service Request Number through SMS.

Quick Guide to Link Aadhaar with Bank Account

Here are the steps to link Aadhaar with Bank Account:

You can link Aadhaar with a bank account both offline and online. To link it through offline mode, you will be required to visit the bank branch and the staff will assist you with the same.

You can link your Aadhaar with a bank account online as well through net banking and mobile application. For both, you will be required to log in with your bank details. Once you have logged in, you can select the option, “Update Aadhaar with Bank accounts.”

How to Apply for a Duplicate Aadhaar Card

If you have lost your Aadhaar card, you can apply for a duplicate Aadhaar card. Here’s how to apply for a duplicate Aadhaar card.

Step 1: You can head to the UIDAI website or My mAadhaar App.
Step 2: Select “Order Aadhaar Reprint Option”
Step 3: Enter any three of the following: Your Aadhaar Number, Enrolment ID and registered mobile number.
Step 4: Enter the captcha and verify the OTP sent to your mobile.
Step 5: Make the payment through the payment gateway.
Step 6: Save the acknowledgement slip containing your SRN (Service Request Number).
Step 7: After the payment has been successful, your Aadhaar card will be delivered to you by post.

What is an Aadhaar PVC Card:

If you are wondering what is an Aadhaar PVC card, you must know it is similar to a paper-based Aadhaar letter. A resident can have their Aadhaar information printed on a PVC card by paying nominal charges.

The Security Features of the Aadhaar PVC Card

A PVC Aadhaar card contains the following security features such as:

Ghost image
Secure QR Code
Issue Date & Print Date
Guilloche Pattern
Hologram
Micro text
Embossed Aadhaar Log

The process to apply for PVC is simple. You need to head to the UIDAI website, enter your Aadhaar or enrollment number, and raise a request to order a PVC card in the portal.

How to Do Aadhaar E-KYC

UIDAI has introduced an Aadhaar Paperless Offline e-KYC service to enable Aadhaar holders to establish their identity in numerous applications both in paperless and electronic fashion, without compromising on privacy and security.

You can do Aadhaar e-KYC by downloading Aadhaar Paperless Offline e-KYC through the resident portal and follow these steps to obtain Aadhaar E-KYC.

Benefits of Aadhaar Card

As established before, Aadhaar is a unique number. No resident in India can have a duplicate number as it is linked to their individual biometrics. But this is only one of the many Aadhaar card benefits. Apart from offering portability and electronic benefit transfers, it can simplify income tax filing, opening bank accounts and getting a pension.

Aadhaar Card Enrollment Center Near Me

From enrolling for an Aadhaar number to updating biometrics, you can get a plethora of services done by finding the Aadhaar card enrollment centre. If you are someone who is not as tech-savvy, you can head to these centres to get your work done. The operators present at the enrollment centres can help you with any query.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is SRN?

SRN refers to the Service Request Number. It is a 28-digit number generated after raising a request on the UIDAI portal.

Q2. What are the different types of Aadhaar card?

There are four different types of Aadhaar cards. These include an Aadhaar letter, e-Aadhaar, mAadhaar, and Aadhaar PVC card. All these types differ according to the format. While Aadhaar letter and Aadhaar PVC are paper-based, e-aadhaar and mAadhaar are digital formats of the Aadhaar card.

Q3. What is the Aadhaar Card password?

Your Aadhaar card password is an 8-character figure. The first characters are the letters of your name in the capital, while the last four are the year of your birth.

Q4. Is there a limited time validity for Aadhaar card?

No, the Aadhaar card comes with a lifetime warranty.

Q5. Can an Aadhaar card be considered as address proof?

Yes, as the Aadhaar card contains your address on the back side, it can be considered a legal address proof.

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