Aadhaar Card — New Enrollment and Update

What is Aadhaar and who issues it?

Aadhaar is a 12-digit identity number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), a statutory authority of the Government of India headquartered at Bangla Sahib Road, Gole Market, New Delhi 110001. Aadhaar records a resident's demographic details alongside their biometrics, and is accepted across India as proof of identity and, where the address is current, as proof of address.

Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship. UIDAI issues Aadhaar to residents, a category that includes Indian citizens, and separately provides for NRIs and resident foreign nationals. A person holding Aadhaar has not thereby established any claim to citizenship or domicile.

Aadhaar enrolment captures three things at the centre: demographic data (name, date of birth, gender, address), optional contact details (mobile number and email address), and biometrics, a photograph, ten fingerprints and both iris scans.

Who can enrol for Aadhaar?

You can enrol if:

• You are a resident of India who has resided in the country for 182 days in the 12 months preceding the application.
• You are of any age. UIDAI states there is no age limit defined for Aadhaar enrolment, so newborns and infants can be enrolled.
• You are an NRI or a resident foreign national, the 182-day condition does not apply to either group.
• You can produce original supporting documents at the centre.

You cannot apply if:

• You already hold an Aadhaar number. Aadhaar is issued once per person, and the de-duplication engine rejects a second enrolment against the same biometrics. A person who has lost their number should retrieve it rather than re-enrol.
• You are seeking to enrol somebody else without them being physically present. Biometric capture is personal and cannot be delegated.

Children below the age of 5 are enrolled on the strength of a parent's Aadhaar and a Proof of Relationship document, because their fingerprints and iris are not yet stable enough for authentication. That is precisely why UIDAI later requires a Mandatory Biometric Update as the child grows.

What documents are required for Aadhaar enrolment?

UIDAI requires original documents across four categories. A Proof of Identity document must carry both the applicant's name and photograph, and every document submitted must be issued in the name of the person applying: except the Proof of Relationship, which must show the applicant's name alongside the Head of Family's name.

Commonly accepted documents include the passport, voter photo ID card, ration card and driving licence. UIDAI publishes the full valid list of supporting documents on uidai.gov.in and revises it periodically, so check the current list before travelling to a centre.

Register a mobile number at enrolment even though it is optional. Without an Aadhaar-linked mobile number you cannot download e-Aadhaar, cannot complete OTP-based e-KYC for any scheme, and cannot submit an online update, and adding the number later requires a fresh trip to a centre.

How to get an Aadhaar card for the first time

1. Locate a centre. Use the Book an Appointment or locate-a-centre tool on uidai.gov.in to find your nearest Aadhaar Seva Kendra or authorised enrolment centre, and book a slot where the option is offered.
2. Carry originals. Take the original PoI, PoA and PDB documents, plus a PoR document if you are enrolling a child against a parent's Aadhaar.
3. Give demographic details. The operator records your name, date of birth, gender and address, and — if you choose: your mobile number and email address. Check the spelling on screen before it is saved.
4. Give biometrics. The operator captures your photograph, all ten fingerprints and both iris scans.
5. Verify and confirm. Review the printed preview of every field. Correcting an error now is free; correcting it after Aadhaar is generated costs Rs 75.
6. Collect the acknowledgement slip. The operator returns your original documents with an acknowledgement slip carrying your 14-digit Enrolment ID (EID) and the applicable charge, which for new enrolment reads free.
7. Track generation. Use the EID on the UIDAI portal to check status. Aadhaar is normally generated within 30 days for those aged 0 to 18, and within 180 days for those aged 18 and over.

How to update Aadhaar online

1. Open myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in and log in with your Aadhaar number and the OTP sent to your registered mobile number.
2. Choose the update you need: Update Address or Document Update. These are the two categories UIDAI permits online.
3. Enter the corrected value and upload a scanned copy of the valid supporting document. For an address change you need a valid Proof of Address, or an Address Validation Letter if you cannot produce one in your own name.
4. Submit the request and note the Service Request Number (SRN) shown on screen. UIDAI also sends the SRN by SMS.
5. Track progress using Check Aadhaar Update Status on the same portal.

How to update Aadhaar at a centre

1. Visit an Aadhaar Seva Kendra with your Aadhaar number and the original supporting document for the field you are changing.
2. Tell the operator which field you are updating. Mobile number changes and all biometric changes can only be done here, never online.
3. Pay the applicable fee and complete biometric authentication.
4. Collect the acknowledgement slip carrying your SRN and the printed fee.

What does an Aadhaar update cost?

UIDAI publishes a fixed charge schedule, and no centre may exceed it.

A Mandatory Biometric Update (MBU) must be a standalone transaction under UIDAI rules, it cannot be clubbed with any other request, so do not expect to change your address in the same visit.

Why Aadhaar enrolments and updates get rejected

• Document not in the applicant's own name. Every proof except the PoR must be issued in the applicant's name; a bill in a spouse's or parent's name is rejected for address proof.
• Address proof older than three months, where a utility bill is used.
• Poor biometric quality. Worn fingerprints from manual labour, or an eye condition affecting the iris scan, can fail the capture. UIDAI has exception handling for this, so tell the operator rather than abandoning the enrolment.
• De-duplication hit. The system found existing biometrics on record. This usually means you already hold an Aadhaar you had forgotten about.
• Name mismatch across documents, for example an expanded middle name on one proof and an initial on another.
• Illegible upload on an online document update: scan the full page in good light rather than photographing a corner.

Where an update is rejected, the SRN status screen names the reason. Correct that one item and resubmit; there is no cap on the number of attempts, and online document updates remain free until 14 June 2027.

How do I get help with an Aadhaar problem?

• UIDAI toll-free helpline: 1947
• Email: help@uidai.gov.in
• Portal: grievance and status tools at uidai.gov.in and myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in
• SMS: several services, including retrieving a lost Aadhaar or EID, work by SMS to 1947 from your registered mobile number

Aadhaar enrolment is free, and update fees are capped at the published Rs 75 and Rs 125 figures. Touts outside enrolment centres offering to "get your Aadhaar made quickly" for a few hundred rupees are charging for something the government does at no cost, and they cannot influence the queue or the generation timeline. Always check that the amount printed on your acknowledgement slip matches what you paid, and report any overcharging to 1947. No UIDAI official will ever ask you for your Aadhaar OTP over the phone.

Who is eligible

Eligible to enrol or hold an Aadhaar number:

• Any resident of India, of any age, including newborns. UIDAI sets no minimum or maximum age.
• A resident who has lived in India for at least 182 days in the 12 months before applying.
• An NRI, regardless of how long they have stayed in India; the 182-day rule does not apply to this group.
• A resident foreign national, on the same basis as an NRI, once they can produce the required documents.
• A child under 5, enrolled against a parent's or guardian's Aadhaar using a Proof of Relationship document, since stable fingerprint and iris capture is not yet possible at that age.

Not eligible, or blocked from enrolling again:

• Anyone who already has an Aadhaar number. UIDAI's biometric de-duplication check exists precisely to stop a second number being issued to the same person; someone who has simply misplaced their number needs to retrieve it, not re-enrol.
• A person enrolling on someone else's behalf without that person physically present. Biometric capture cannot be done by proxy at any stage, for new enrolment or for a biometric update.
• An applicant who cannot produce original documents at the centre. Photocopies or scanned images are not accepted for new enrolment; the physical originals are checked and handed back.

Eligibility depends on which service you need:

• New enrolment: available only in person at an Aadhaar Seva Kendra or authorised centre, never online, because biometric capture cannot be replicated remotely.
• Address or document update: open to anyone who already holds an Aadhaar number and can be completed online at myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in.
• Mobile number change or any biometric change: restricted to those willing to visit a centre in person; UIDAI does not offer either as an online service to anyone, regardless of age or location.
• Mandatory Biometric Update: applies specifically to children whose fingerprints and iris were captured before age 5, and again as they cross the age brackets UIDAI has set for re-capture.

How to apply

Before choosing a channel, work out which of the three application paths applies to your situation, since UIDAI does not let you mix them in a single visit or session.

Step 1: Identify which path you need.

• First-time applicant with no existing Aadhaar number: the centre-only path.
• Existing Aadhaar holder correcting an address or a supporting document: the online path.
• Existing Aadhaar holder changing a mobile number, or completing a biometric update: the centre-only path, even though you already hold a number.

Step 2: Prepare before you travel to a centre.

• Confirm your nearest Aadhaar Seva Kendra using the centre locator on uidai.gov.in, and book a slot online where the centre offers appointment booking; a booked slot avoids the walk-in queue but is not compulsory everywhere.
• Assemble every original document the visit needs. A new enrolment needs PoI, PoA and PDB, plus PoR for a child enrolling against a parent. An update visit needs only the original document proving the new value, for example a new address proof if you are correcting your address at the centre rather than online.
• Note that if you are enrolling a child under 5, the parent whose Aadhaar the child is linked to should also be present with their own Aadhaar details.

Step 3: Complete the transaction at the centre or on the portal, following the enrolment or update sequence already set out for this scheme, and keep the printed acknowledgement or on-screen reference number: the EID for enrolment, the SRN for an update.

Step 4: Decide whether a single transaction can carry more than one change. A demographic update and a biometric update can be combined in one visit and the demographic charge is then waived, but a Mandatory Biometric Update must always be a standalone transaction and cannot be combined with anything else, including an address change.

Step 5: Keep the acknowledgement slip or SRN safe until the change is reflected, since it is the only reference UIDAI will accept if you need to raise a query or a grievance about that specific application.

How to check your application status

For a new enrolment, use the 14-digit Enrolment ID (EID) printed on your acknowledgement slip along with the enrolment date and time:

1. Go to the Check Aadhaar Status page on uidai.gov.in or myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in.
2. Enter the EID exactly as printed, along with the date and time shown on the same slip.
3. The result shows whether Aadhaar has been generated, is still under processing, or was rejected, and rejection results usually name the reason.

For an update already submitted, use the Service Request Number (SRN) shown on screen at the end of the transaction, and also sent to you by SMS:

1. Open Check Aadhaar Update Status on myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in.
2. Enter the SRN.
3. The status shows as under process, accepted or rejected; a rejection names the specific field or document that failed so you know exactly what to correct before resubmitting.

Other ways to reach the same information:

• The mAadhaar app lets a registered user check both enrolment and update status from a phone without opening a browser.
• The UIDAI toll-free helpline 1947 can confirm status verbally if you provide the EID or SRN, useful if you do not have reliable internet access.
• Once Aadhaar has actually been generated, download the e-Aadhaar PDF directly from the portal using the Aadhaar number or EID; this download step also confirms generation is complete even if you did not separately check status first.

There is no fixed limit on how many times you may check status with the same EID or SRN, and checking does not affect processing time. If status remains "under processing" well beyond the normal 30-day (minor) or 180-day (adult) window for a new enrolment, that is the point to call 1947 rather than continue to only check the portal.