Apply for a CGHS card as a serving employee — citizen guide 2026

A serving Central Government employee normally applies for a Central Government Health Scheme card through the sponsoring authority in the employee's own ministry, department or office. Use the prescribed serving-employee form, include the family and dependency proofs requested by that form, and obtain an acknowledgement before the office forwards the verified application to the relevant CGHS authority.

Searches for how to apply CGHS card, CGHS card application and CGHS card apply online are looking for the form, the sponsoring officer and the document pack — not a private “card agent”.

This page covers a new CGHS card for a serving Central Government employee. Pensioners, Members of Parliament and other covered categories may use different forms, contribution arrangements or sponsoring authorities.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare describes CGHS as a scheme mainly for serving and retired Central Government employees and their dependent family members. Its 2025–26 annual report says the scheme operates in 81 cities. That does not mean every person paid from public funds is automatically eligible. An autonomous body, contractual engagement, deputation, transferable service or posting outside a CGHS city may require a category-specific decision. Officers posted in a non-CGHS city are often covered instead under the Central Services (Medical Attendance) Rules — do not assume the CGHS card process applies.

Before collecting documents, ask your office to confirm in writing:

• whether your ministry, department, service or organisation is covered;
• which CGHS city and Additional/Joint Director has jurisdiction;
• who is the authorised sponsoring officer (Head of Department / Head of Office or the officer named for CGHS);
• your current pay level and applicable monthly subscription;
• whether a family member meets the current dependency definition; and
• whether your office accepts a digital workflow, a physical form or both.

This early check prevents a common problem: a complete-looking application sent through the wrong channel.

The card is the gateway. A medical reimbursement claim after cash treatment is a separate file: how to claim CGHS reimbursement. Card documents and status are also separate: CGHS card documents and CGHS card status.

The Ministry's 2025–26 annual report gives these CGHS membership rates for serving beneficiaries:

For a serving employee, the sponsoring-authority section of the official form certifies that instructions have been issued to deduct the CGHS subscription, or that it is already being deducted. Use the pay level recorded by your office. Do not choose a slab from an old grade-pay table or social-media graphic. Beware of unofficial “8th Pay Commission CGHS calculator” apps; see fake 8th Pay Commission calculator APKs.

These are membership contributions, not a promise that every treatment, medicine or hospital visit will be cashless in every situation. Referrals, empanelment, ward entitlement and reimbursement rules operate separately.

The Government's prescribed form is titled “Application for CGHS Card for Serving Employee of Central Govt.” The official VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital forms repository publishes it as the serving-employee CGHS application (Form A).

The form asks for information including:

• the applicant's category, department or service;
• designation and official details;
• official and residential addresses;
• contact details and date of superannuation;
• deputation and transferability information;
• the name, relationship and date of birth of each proposed family member;
• dependency and residence declarations; and
• individual photographs.

It also contains a section for the sponsoring authority. That officer verifies the application, recommends issue of the card and certifies the subscription-deduction position before sending it to the concerned Additional/Joint Director, CGHS.

Download the current form from the official serving-employee CGHS form page. If your own department provides a newer form or an internal digital module, follow the department's current written instructions and retain both the form version and submission proof.

MoHFW's OM dated 27 June 2024 (guidelines for issue of CGHS cards to serving employees and pensioners) says a serving employee shall apply online to generate a temporary reference number, then take a printout, sign it, affix photographs and submit the hard copy to the department currently employed for processing and onward submission to the Office of the Additional Director, CGHS. One copy goes to the Additional Director of the concerned city; the employer department retains the other as sponsoring authority. The requisition is sponsored by the Head of Department or Head of Office.

The OM named the then-online host. The unified CGHS digital platform launched in April 2025 is cghs.mohfw.gov.in. Use the live “new card / beneficiary registration” module on the current portal, not an old cghs.gov.in or cghs.nic.in bookmark.

Do not submit a generic online checklist copied from an old article. The prescribed form and the 27 June 2024 OM together refer to:

• a pay slip indicating pay scale and CGHS deduction (or the sponsoring authority's certification that deduction instructions have been issued);
• identity proof for self and each proposed dependent family member (the OM lists Aadhaar / PAN or any other valid document as per the then-stated identity guidance);
• photographs of self and each dependent family member;
• a disability certificate of a dependant, if applicable, in the form required by the current CGHS instruction;
• proof of age for every family member for whom the form requests it;
• proof of residence or stay of dependants, where the form asks for it;
• a surrender certificate for an earlier CGHS card, if it applies; and
• a one-page enclosure index.

Your office may require further employment, identity or dependency records under current instructions — for example an office order confirming posting and pay level, a marriage certificate for a spouse, birth certificates for children, or a previous-card surrender.

Build the file in this order:

1. completed serving-employee application (with any online temporary reference printed on it);
2. one clearly labelled photograph for each person proposed for inclusion;
3. pay slip / service and pay-level verification requested by the sponsoring authority;
4. identity and age proofs for every proposed beneficiary;
5. proof of residence or stay of dependants;
6. dependency declaration and the supporting record required by your office;
7. disability certificate, if claiming a disabled dependant;
8. previous-card surrender certificate, if it applies; and
9. the enclosure index on top.

Use the same spelling and date of birth across the application and supporting records. If two records differ, disclose the mismatch and ask the office what correction or affidavit is accepted. Do not silently edit a scan. Name mismatches between Aadhaar and the service record are a common return reason — correct the source record first if the office so directs. For an Aadhaar correction see Aadhaar enrolment and update.

This is the practical how to apply CGHS card sequence for a serving employee. Use the receiving office's current checklist if it differs on a detail.

Ask the establishment or administration section whether your category and posting are covered and identify the sponsoring authority. Record the answer by email, office note or receipt. Confirm the CGHS city of posting and the Additional/Joint Director who has jurisdiction.

Download the prescribed form from an official government page. Also obtain any current checklist or digital-workflow instruction issued by your department. Check the version before signing.

Open cghs.mohfw.gov.in and use the current beneficiary-registration or new-card module for a serving employee. Enter the office, DDO or sponsoring-authority particulars the screen asks for, your pay level and city of posting. If the module issues a temporary registration or reference number, note it immediately. This is the CGHS card apply online step: it does not replace sponsoring-authority certification.

If the department has migrated the whole file to an internal digital workflow, follow that written instruction instead of mixing an old print form with a new portal.

List only family members who meet the current CGHS definition and dependency conditions for your category. Do not assume that every relative who lives with you can be added. Typical categories the serving-employee form contemplates include the spouse, dependent children and dependent parents — each subject to the current family-definition and dependency instruction, not an old blog. Ask the sponsoring office for that instruction in writing for every proposed member.

Because dependency thresholds, age limits and proof rules can change, obtain the current rule or office memorandum from CGHS or your sponsoring office. This guide deliberately does not repeat an unverified income ceiling or an unverified age cut-off.

If the spouse is also a CGHS-covered employee, ask which card is to be held and which is to be surrendered — dual primary cards for the same couple are a classic objection.

Fill every applicable field. Mark a field “not applicable” where the form permits rather than leaving an unexplained blank. Affix photographs as the form requires. Put the enclosure index on top and keep a complete scan for yourself. Print the copies your office actually wants (the OM speaks of a copy for the Additional Director and a copy retained by the sponsoring authority).

Give the file to the authorised office section and obtain a dated acknowledgement, diary number, email receipt or portal reference. The sponsoring authority — not the employee acting alone — completes the verification block, recommends issue of the card, certifies that CGHS subscription is being deducted or that deduction instructions have been issued, and forwards the application to the concerned Additional/Joint Director, CGHS.

A wellness centre is not a substitute for that certification. Walk-in at a dispensary does not replace Head of Office sponsorship.

Ask for the date and reference under which the office forwarded the verified application. If an objection is raised, request the objection in writing and cure only the stated defect. Avoid repeatedly submitting fresh applications without linking them to the first reference.

After approval, verify every beneficiary's name, relationship and date of birth. The 2025–26 Ministry report says the myCGHS 2.0 app lets beneficiaries book appointments, view medical history, download electronic CGHS cards and locate CGHS wellness centres and offices. Use only the official portal or official app listing; do not give an OTP to a caller offering “card activation”.

Once a beneficiary identity exists, OPD at a CGHS Wellness Centre is the ordinary first use: carry the identification the facility currently accepts (electronic card, printed confirmation and office identity as the centre requires). Planned in-patient care at an empanelled hospital typically needs a referral from the Wellness Centre Medical Officer. Emergency admission at an empanelled hospital follows that hospital's current CGHS emergency process. Planned treatment at a non-empanelled hospital is not a routine cash-and-claim route; emergency treatment outside the network is a reimbursement file — CGHS reimbursement. Empanelment disputes are different again: RTI for CGHS empanelment.

If you move from one CGHS city to another, apply for card transfer through the current office/CGHS route before assuming the new Wellness Centre will treat the old city card as local. If a card is lost or a chip is unreadable, use the replacement process published by the current CGHS office or portal; keep the written request and any fee receipt the office actually levies. This guide does not invent a replacement fee or a delivery clock.

On retirement, a serving-employee card is not automatically a pensioner card. Conversion uses the pensioner form, contribution arrangement and sponsoring records that apply on that date — start that file with the office before the last working day if the department's instruction so requires.

First identify where the file actually sits:

Escalate in a measured order:

1. sponsoring/establishment section and its supervisory officer;
2. the concerned Additional or Joint Director, CGHS (city office);
3. Director, CGHS Headquarters, where the grievance is systemic (empanelment, contribution, ward-entitlement instruction);
4. the grievance channel displayed on the current official CGHS portal; and
5. CPGRAMS, selecting the correct Ministry and organisation — see how to file a CPGRAMS grievance.

Keep the relief specific: verify and forward the application, communicate the deficiency, correct the beneficiary record, or give a speaking decision. Avoid demanding a made-up service-level deadline. No current official source reviewed for this update established a universal 30- or 60-day card-delivery clock for every office and case.

To
The Head of Office / Sponsoring Authority
[Ministry / Department / Office]
[Station]

Subject: Application for CGHS card as a serving employee — [Name], [Designation],
         [Employee / service number]

Sir/Madam,

Please find enclosed the completed Application for CGHS Card for Serving Employee
of Central Government (current version), together with photographs and proofs for
myself and the proposed family members listed in the form.

Online / portal temporary reference (if generated): [number]
Pay level as per last pay slip: [level]
CGHS city of posting: [city]

I request that the sponsoring-authority block be completed, that instructions for
CGHS subscription deduction be issued if not already in force, and that one copy
be forwarded to the Additional / Joint Director, CGHS, [city], with a copy of the
dispatch reference to me.

Enclosures: application, photographs, pay slip, identity and age proofs, [other].

Yours faithfully,
[Name, designation, mobile, date]

Keep a stamped or emailed copy.

An RTI application can obtain existing records about a delayed CGHS application. It does not itself approve a card, decide dependency or compel medical treatment. Useful record requests include:

1. Provide the diary/receipt entry for my CGHS card application dated [date],
   temporary/reference number [if any].
2. Provide the date-wise movement of the application and the section presently
   holding it.
3. Provide a copy of every deficiency note, return memo or decision recorded on it.
4. Provide the dispatch reference if it was sent to the CGHS authority, including
   the recipient office and date.
5. Provide the current instruction/checklist applied to a new CGHS card for a
   serving employee in my category, including the family/dependency instruction
   applied to the proposed members.
6. If a card or e-card was generated, provide the beneficiary identity numbers
   and the recorded names, relationships and dates of birth.

Send the RTI to the public authority that holds the record. The employee's department may hold the sponsoring and dispatch records; the CGHS office may hold receipt, scrutiny and card-generation records. Do not ask a PIO to give medical advice or decide an entitlement dispute. Filing: file an RTI online; first appeal: RTI first appeal. A dedicated CGHS RTI path is RTI for a CGHS card or claim.

• Use only a government portal or an app linked by an official government page.
• Never pay a private person to “speed up” CGHS approval.
• Never share an OTP, password or full identity-document bundle over an unsolicited call.
• Redact identity numbers from grievance attachments unless the authority actually needs them.
• Keep the submitted version, acknowledgement and every written objection.
• Check beneficiary details immediately after the e-card becomes available.

The prescribed form contains a sponsoring-authority verification and recommendation. Start with your own administration or establishment section and follow its current forwarding route. Do not assume a wellness centre can replace that certification.

No. Coverage depends on the employee's category, organisation, posting and current CGHS instructions. Obtain confirmation from the authorised office before applying.

The Ministry's 2025–26 annual report lists ₹250 for pay levels 1–5, ₹450 for level 6, ₹650 for levels 7–11 and ₹1,000 for level 12 and above.

Do not assume eligibility from relationship alone. Ask for the current CGHS family/dependency instruction, identify the permitted relative or set of relatives, and submit the proof that instruction requires. This page does not repeat an unverified income ceiling.

No single identity document proves every issue. The official form separately refers to age, residence/stay and dependency. Follow the live checklist issued by the sponsoring authority.

This guide does not promise a universal delivery period because no current official source reviewed for this update established one for every office and case. Use your acknowledgement and ask for the present processing standard in writing.

The Ministry's 2025–26 report states that myCGHS 2.0 enables beneficiaries to download electronic CGHS cards. Verify that the approved beneficiary record is correct and follow the facility's current identification procedure.

No. RTI can reveal receipt, movement, deficiencies, applicable instructions and the recorded decision. Use the administrative grievance or legal remedy for an entitlement decision.

No. Ayushman Bharat ABHA is a digital health-identity record. It is not a substitute for CGHS entitlement. See ABHA card.

• CGHS unified digital platform
• PIB: launch and migration to the new CGHS platform, April 2025
• Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Annual Report 2025–26 — CGHS overview and contribution slabs
• Official serving-employee CGHS application page
• Application for CGHS Card for Serving Employee of Central Government — Form A
• MoHFW OM 27 June 2024 — guidelines for issue of CGHS cards to serving employees and pensioners
• Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System

• How to claim CGHS medical reimbursement
• CGHS card documents
• Check CGHS card status
• When a CGHS or ECHS claim is returned for deficiency
• RTI for a CGHS card or claim
• RTI for CGHS empanelment
• Apply for an ABHA Health ID
• File and track a CPGRAMS grievance
• File an RTI application online
• How to file a first appeal
• Citizen RTI playbook
• How the RTI Act works in plain language
• First Appellate Authority and RTI first appeal
• RTI Wiki home