Aadhaar is the 12-digit identity number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to every resident of the country. It is now the single most requested document for opening a bank account, buying a SIM card, filing income tax, claiming a subsidy or completing KYC for insurance.
The good news is that most Aadhaar services no longer require standing in a queue. You can book an enrolment appointment, correct your name or address, download a digital copy, order a PVC card and check your update status entirely through the myAadhaar portal or the mAadhaar app. This guide walks you through every step in plain language, from first-time application to biometric updates, so that you know exactly what to do, what it costs and how long it takes.
Aadhaar Services at a Glance
Before going into the details, here is a quick overview of the main Aadhaar services, where you can do them and what they cost as per UIDAI’s published fee structure.
| Service | Where, fee and time |
|---|---|
| New Aadhaar enrolment | Enrolment centre (appointment online). Free. Up to 30 days. |
| Demographic correction (name, DOB, address, gender) | myAadhaar portal (address) or centre. Rs 50 at centre. 7 to 30 days. |
| Biometric update (photo, fingerprints, iris) | Centre only. Rs 100. 7 to 30 days. |
| Mobile number or email linking | Centre only. Rs 50. Usually within 7 days. |
| Aadhaar PVC card order | myAadhaar portal or mAadhaar app. Rs 50 including GST and speed post. 5 to 15 days. |
| e-Aadhaar download | myAadhaar portal. Free. Instant. |
| Mandatory biometric update for children (age 5 and 15) | Centre only. Free within the allowed window. 7 to 30 days. |
Fees are collected only at authorised centres against a receipt. If any operator asks for more than the listed amount, you can report it on the UIDAI toll-free helpline 1947.
Who Can Apply for Aadhaar
Aadhaar is not a proof of citizenship. It is a proof of identity and residence, which means the eligibility rules are based on how long you have lived in India rather than on your nationality.
- Any resident of India, of any age, can enrol. A resident is a person who has stayed in India for 182 days or more in the 12 months immediately before the date of application.
- Newborns and children under 5 years can be enrolled for Baal Aadhaar (the blue card) using the birth certificate or hospital discharge slip along with one parent’s Aadhaar. No fingerprints or iris scan are taken at this age.
- Children between 5 and 18 years need a proof of date of birth and a parent’s or guardian’s Aadhaar. Full biometrics are captured.
- Non-Resident Indians holding a valid Indian passport can apply on arrival in India without waiting for the 182-day period.
- Foreign nationals living in India can enrol only after completing the 182-day residency requirement and must submit a valid visa and passport.
Each person can hold only one Aadhaar number. Applying twice does not create a second number; the duplicate enrolment is rejected during de-duplication and the original number remains valid.
Documents You Will Need
UIDAI accepts a long list of documents, but for a smooth enrolment you need three things: proof of identity, proof of address and proof of date of birth. One document can often serve more than one purpose.
| Requirement | Commonly accepted documents |
|---|---|
| Proof of Identity (PoI) | Passport, PAN card, Voter ID, Driving Licence, Ration card with photo, Government or PSU employee photo ID |
| Proof of Address (PoA) | Passport, bank passbook or statement (SBI, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank or any scheduled bank), electricity or water bill not older than 3 months, rent agreement, gas connection bill, insurance policy |
| Proof of Date of Birth (DoB) | Birth certificate, Class 10 marksheet, passport, PAN card |
| Proof of Relationship (for children) | Birth certificate, ration card showing parent and child, parent’s Aadhaar |
Carry originals to the centre. The operator scans them and returns them immediately. Photocopies are not accepted unless attested by a gazetted officer on UIDAI’s standard certificate format.
How to Apply for Aadhaar Card Online
Strictly speaking, Aadhaar cannot be fully issued online because your fingerprints, iris scan and photograph must be captured in person. What you can do online is book an appointment, fill in your details in advance and track the application after enrolment. This cuts the centre visit down to about 15 minutes.
Step 1: Locate a centre. Open the myAadhaar portal and use the “Locate an Enrolment Centre” option. Search by state and district, by PIN code or by scrolling the map. Aadhaar Seva Kendras run by UIDAI, and centres inside post offices and bank branches, all appear here.
Step 2: Book an appointment. Choose “Book an Appointment”, select your city and enter your mobile number. An OTP is sent to the number. After verification, pick a date and a time slot. Appointment booking is free.
Step 3: Pre-fill the enrolment form. The portal lets you type your name, date of birth, gender, address and mobile number before the visit. Enter your name exactly as it appears on your proof of identity, including spelling, because any mismatch will show up later as a correction request.
Step 4: Visit the centre with original documents. Reach 10 minutes before your slot with the appointment slip on your phone. The operator verifies documents, captures your photograph, all ten fingerprints and both iris scans, and asks you to confirm the details on screen.
Step 5: Collect the acknowledgement slip. The slip contains a 14-digit Enrolment ID (EID) along with a date and time stamp. Keep this safe. It is the only reference you have until the Aadhaar number is generated.
Step 6: Track the status. On myAadhaar, use “Check Enrolment and Update Status” and enter the EID. Aadhaar is normally generated within 30 days, though UIDAI allows up to 90 days in cases that need extra verification.
Step 7: Download e-Aadhaar. Once generated, download the PDF using your Aadhaar number, EID or Virtual ID. The file is password-protected; the password is the first four letters of your name in capitals followed by your year of birth. e-Aadhaar is legally as valid as the printed letter.
Step 8: Wait for the physical letter. The Aadhaar letter arrives by India Post at the registered address, usually within two to four weeks of generation. You do not need to wait for it to start using your number.
Aadhaar Card Correction: Fixing Errors
Errors in name spelling, date of birth or address are common, especially when enrolments were done years ago through camps. Correcting them early matters because every downstream service, from EPF withdrawal to PAN linking, compares your Aadhaar record character by character.
UIDAI limits some corrections to protect against fraud. Date of birth can be changed only once in a lifetime, and only with a valid DoB document. Gender can also be updated only once. Name changes are permitted twice. Address changes have no limit.
- Name correction requires a proof of identity carrying the correct name, such as a passport or PAN card. A gazetted officer’s certificate is accepted for spelling variations.
- Date of birth correction requires a birth certificate, Class 10 marksheet or passport. If you originally declared the date without a document, the record shows “declared” and a proper document is compulsory to change it.
- Address correction can be done online through the myAadhaar portal by uploading a scanned proof of address. The change is verified by UIDAI staff, so a clear scan of the full document is essential.
- Photograph, fingerprints and iris corrections need a centre visit because they fall under biometrics.
After submitting a correction, you receive an Update Request Number (URN). Use it to check the status online. If the request is rejected, the reason is stated, and you can reapply with a better document.
Update Aadhaar Card Details
Correction and update sound similar but serve different purposes. A correction fixes a mistake made at enrolment. An update reflects a genuine change in your life, such as moving to a new city, marriage, a new surname or a child crossing the age of 5 or 15.
UIDAI has also encouraged residents whose Aadhaar was issued more than 10 years ago, and never updated, to refresh their proof of identity and proof of address documents. This keeps the record current and reduces authentication failures at banks and telecom operators. Check the myAadhaar portal for whether the document update service is currently free online, as UIDAI has extended the free window several times.
Address update without a document is possible in one situation. If you live in a rented house or with family and have no bill in your name, you can use the “Head of Family” option. The head of family, whose Aadhaar carries the address, gives OTP consent and you submit a relationship proof. The update is then processed with the same address.
Whenever you update your address, remember to also update it with your bank, insurer and the Income Tax Department. Institutions like HDFC ERGO, Star Health and Niva Bupa use Aadhaar-based eKYC, so a mismatch between your policy address and Aadhaar address can delay claim settlement.
Link Mobile Number with Aadhaar
A registered mobile number is the key to almost every online Aadhaar service. Without it, you cannot receive OTPs for e-Aadhaar download, online address update, Virtual ID generation, DigiLocker, or Aadhaar-based eKYC at banks and mutual fund houses.
Mobile number linking cannot be done from home. Because UIDAI has no way to verify that the phone belongs to you without a prior registered number, it requires biometric confirmation at a centre. The process is short.
- Visit any Aadhaar Seva Kendra or permanent enrolment centre. No documents are needed; the operator verifies you through fingerprint or iris.
- Fill the update form with your Aadhaar number and the new mobile number. You can add an email ID in the same request at no extra charge.
- Pay Rs 50 and collect the acknowledgement slip with the URN.
- Within a few days, a confirmation SMS arrives on the new number.
Some post offices offer doorstep mobile linking through India Post Payments Bank postmen carrying biometric devices, which is useful for senior citizens. To check which mobile number is currently linked, use the “Verify Email/Mobile” option on myAadhaar; the portal shows the last three digits of the registered number.
Aadhaar PVC Card: Ordering a Durable Copy
The original Aadhaar letter is printed on paper and wears out quickly in a wallet. UIDAI’s PVC card is a credit-card-sized, laminated version with strong security features, including a hologram, guilloche pattern, ghost image, micro text and a secure QR code that can be verified offline with the mAadhaar app.
Ordering is fully online and costs Rs 50 including GST and speed post delivery.
- Open myAadhaar and select “Order Aadhaar PVC Card”.
- Enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number, 16-digit Virtual ID or 28-digit EID along with the security captcha.
- If your mobile is registered, an OTP is sent to it. If not, tick the “My mobile number is not registered” box and enter any mobile number to receive the OTP. In this case a preview is not shown.
- Pay Rs 50 through UPI, debit card, credit card or net banking. Payments from SBI, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and other major banks are supported through the gateway.
- Note the Service Request Number (SRN) to track delivery.
The card is dispatched by speed post within about five working days and reaches most addresses within two weeks. It is delivered to the address in your Aadhaar record, so update the address first if you have moved. PVC cards printed by local shops on plain plastic are not issued by UIDAI, carry no security features and may be rejected by banks.
Aadhaar Card KYC: eKYC, Offline KYC and Virtual ID
Aadhaar KYC is the process by which a bank, insurer, telecom company, NBFC or mutual fund verifies your identity using your Aadhaar record instead of paper documents. It is the reason a savings account with SBI or HDFC Bank can be opened in minutes, or a health policy with Niva Bupa can be issued the same day.
There are three ways to complete Aadhaar KYC, and knowing which one to use protects your data.
- Online eKYC (OTP or biometric): You give consent, enter your Aadhaar number, and UIDAI shares your name, address, date of birth, gender and photograph with the service provider after OTP or fingerprint verification. This is the fastest method and is used for bank accounts, SIM cards and NPS registration.
- Offline paperless KYC: From myAadhaar, download a digitally signed XML file secured by a share code you choose. You hand the file and code to the provider. UIDAI is not contacted and your Aadhaar number is not shared, only a reference ID. This is the privacy-friendly option.
- Masked Aadhaar and Virtual ID: For situations where a photocopy is unavoidable, download a masked e-Aadhaar that hides the first eight digits. Alternatively, generate a 16-digit Virtual ID, which works for authentication but can be changed anytime, so the provider never sees your real number.
Aadhaar KYC is also central to tax and retirement services. Linking Aadhaar with PAN is mandatory for filing returns and claiming deductions under Section 80C and Section 80D. EPF and ESIC accounts require Aadhaar seeding for online withdrawals, and NPS subscribers use Aadhaar eKYC for paperless onboarding.
Aadhaar Card Biometrics: What Is Captured and When to Update
Biometrics are what make Aadhaar unique. At enrolment, UIDAI captures ten fingerprints, both iris images and a facial photograph. These are stored in encrypted form and used to make sure no person receives two numbers.
Biometrics change over time, and UIDAI has built specific rules around this.
| Situation | What to do and fee |
|---|---|
| Child turns 5 | Mandatory Biometric Update: first capture of fingerprints and iris. Free between age 5 and 7. |
| Child turns 15 | Second Mandatory Biometric Update: recapture of all biometrics. Free between age 15 and 17. |
| Adult with worn fingerprints (manual labour, age) | Voluntary biometric update at centre. Rs 100. |
| Injury, surgery or eye condition affecting scans | Biometric update with exception handling. Rs 100. |
| Repeated authentication failure at bank or ration shop | Update biometrics and use lock/unlock as needed. Rs 100. |
If the mandatory child update is missed, Aadhaar authentication may start failing for scholarships, school admission and DBT transfers, and a fee applies after the free window closes. Parents should treat the age 5 and age 15 updates as fixed calendar tasks.
You can also lock your biometrics from myAadhaar or the mAadhaar app. When locked, no one can use your fingerprint or iris for authentication, even at a genuine device. You unlock temporarily whenever you need to use them, which is a strong safeguard against misuse.
Important Points and Common Mistakes
- Never share your Aadhaar OTP with anyone claiming to be from UIDAI, a bank or a telecom company. UIDAI never calls to ask for OTPs.
- Do not upload your Aadhaar to unknown websites or job portals. Use masked Aadhaar or Virtual ID where a copy is genuinely required.
- Check your Aadhaar authentication history on myAadhaar every few months. It lists every time your number was used and by whom.
- Keep the EID slip until the Aadhaar number is generated and the letter is received.
- Update your mobile number before you change SIM providers or lose the old number, otherwise all online services get locked out.
- Ensure the name on Aadhaar matches the name on PAN, bank records and EPF exactly, because mismatches block tax refunds and PF withdrawals.
- Only authorised centres can collect fees. The complete list of charges is displayed at every centre and on the UIDAI website.
Conclusion
Aadhaar has moved from being a simple identity number to the backbone of banking, insurance, telecom, taxation and welfare delivery in India. Getting it right the first time, keeping it updated and using it safely are now basic life-admin skills for every resident.
Book your appointment online, carry correct originals, register your mobile number on the same visit and set reminders for the biometric updates of your children. With those few habits, every Aadhaar-linked service, from a new bank account to an insurance claim, becomes quicker and more reliable.