How to Apply for an ECHS 64 KB Smart Card: Step-by-Step Guide

How to Apply for an ECHS 64 KB Smart Card: Step-by-Step Guide

Applying for ECHS is a two-part process: you file the online card application on echs.gov.in, pay the one-time rank-based contribution and upload the MRO, and then you and every dependent report in person to a nominated polyclinic for biometric enrolment. Neither half works without the other, an online application alone never produces a card. For eligibility, ward entitlement, referral rules and dependent income limits, see the main Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) guide.

Before you start: what to keep ready

The application asks for pension and service identifiers that must match your records exactly, so assemble these first:

• PPO (Pension Payment Order), or the family PPO if you are a family pensioner. This is the proof that you draw pension from Defence Estimates, which is the core eligibility test.
• Discharge book or service documents. These establish your ex-serviceman status and, critically, your rank, which decides which contribution slab you fall into.
• Aadhaar of the member and of every dependent you intend to add. Aadhaar drives both the biometric enrolment and the later annual validation of dependents.
• Passport-size photographs of yourself and each dependent, these are printed on the smart card.
• Dependency and income proof for parents, sisters, brothers and daughters. Income from all sources must be below Rs 9,000 a month excluding DA for these categories.
• Disability, war-widow or battle-casualty documents, only if you are claiming exemption from the contribution.
• A PAN card, commonly asked for at the online application stage.

One eligibility check to settle before you spend anything: if you are currently drawing Fixed Medical Allowance, you must stop drawing it, FMA and ECHS membership cannot be held at the same time.

Step 1: Work out your contribution slab

The one-time contribution is fixed by rank and, as recorded in the official ECHS FAQ dated 10 April 2023, has been effective from 29 December 2019:

War widows, pre-1996 retirees and battle casualties pay nothing and skip the contribution step entirely, subject to producing the relevant casualty or pension documents. There is no monthly subscription alternative; the one-time contribution is the only route in.

Step 2: Register and fill the online application

1. Go to the ECHS online card application portal linked from echs.gov.in and register using your service number, PPO number and date of birth. These three must match your PPO exactly, a transposed digit here is the commonest reason an application stalls before it starts.
2. Complete the online application form with your personal, rank and pension details.
3. Add every dependent you want on the card in the same application. It is far simpler to include a parent or unmarried daughter now than to add them later.

Step 3: Pay the contribution and get the MRO

Pay the contribution applicable to your rank and obtain the MRO (Military Receivable Order) as proof of payment. The MRO is a mandatory upload, the application will not proceed as a paid application without it. Exempt categories skip this step and instead upload their disability, war-widow or battle-casualty documents.

Step 4: Upload documents and pay the card printing charge

Upload the MRO, the PPO, your discharge documents, the Aadhaar of every listed member and dependent, and the dependency or income proofs for the dependent categories that require them.

Separately from the membership contribution, pay the smart card printing charge. The rates published on echs.gov.in are Rs 172.50 for a fresh 64 KB card, Rs 129.38 to replace an older 16 KB or 32 KB card, and Rs 51.75 to replace a lost card. Note that 16 KB and 32 KB cards are no longer valid, so an old-card holder is making a replacement application, not a fresh one.

Submit the application and note the application reference number, it is what you will quote for every follow-up.

Step 5: Biometric enrolment at the polyclinic

Visit your nominated ECHS polyclinic with all dependents for biometric and photograph capture. This step cannot be delegated or done online, and enrolment is not complete until it is done. Polyclinics work 0800 to 1600 hours, Monday to Saturday, excluding gazetted holidays, so plan the visit within those hours.

At the polyclinic, collect a Temporary Slip. It is valid for three months or until the smart card arrives, and it entitles you to treatment in the interim, so you are not left uncovered while the card is printed.

Step 6: Collect and activate the card

Collect the 64 KB smart card from the polyclinic once printed, and activate it at the polyclinic counter. An unactivated card will not work at empanelled hospitals.

Applying as a family pensioner

If you are a widow or family pensioner and do not have the PPO in hand, obtain a copy through DIAV for the Army, DESA for the Navy or DAV for the Air Force, which facilitate retrieval from the records office. Then file the online application with the PPO, dependency proofs and, where applicable, the MRO, and complete biometric enrolment at the dependent polyclinic, collecting the Temporary Slip while the card is processed.

In marital discord cases, membership is granted for a limited period of one year, or until the dispute is resolved or a divorce is granted, whichever is earlier, and is renewed if the status quo continues.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying while still drawing FMA. Stop the allowance first.
• Assuming a late application is barred. There is no time restriction, an ex-serviceman who retired decades ago can still apply.
• Skipping dependents to save paperwork. Adding them in the original application avoids a second cycle of uploads and a second polyclinic visit.
• Paying an agent. No agent is needed. The only legitimate payments are the rank-based contribution and the published printing charges.

Where to get help

• ECHS toll-free helpline: 1800-114-115
• Smart card queries: echs-card@echs.gov.in
• Portal and login problems: echs@sourceinfosys.com
• WhatsApp support: +91-7703818578, 7701976194, 8448086480, 8448086481