How to enrol for a new Aadhaar — complete 2026 guide

UIDAI data (Annual Report 2024-25) shows about 138 crore Aadhaars generated as of October 2025, of which 9.6 crore are Bal Aadhaars for children under 5. Fresh enrolment of adults is now rare (most got Aadhaar between 2010-2018), but every year roughly 2.5 crore newborns plus 30-40 lakh first-time adults (often migrants, tribal residents, or returning NRIs) need a brand-new Aadhaar.

Aadhaar is a 12-digit unique identity number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) under the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016. The legal framework:

• §3 — every resident is entitled to obtain an Aadhaar by submitting demographic + biometric information.
• §4 — Aadhaar number is unique, lifelong, and verifiable.
• §6 — UIDAI may require updates from time to time.
• Aadhaar (Enrolment and Update) Regulations, 2016 — operational rules for enrolment centres, biometric standards, exception handling, and timelines.

A “resident” is anyone who has lived in India for 182 days or more in the 12 months preceding the date of enrolment (§2(v) of the Act). This means:

• Indian citizens — eligible from birth.
• Foreign nationals living in India for 182+ days (students, expat employees, OCI cardholders, refugees with valid documentation) — also eligible.
• NRIs and PIOs visiting India for short trips — not eligible.

Bal Aadhaar (the blue card) is the children's variant — issued to those under 5 using a parent/guardian biometric link. It must be mandatorily updated with biometrics once the child turns 5 and again at 15 (these updates are free if done within the prescribed window).

There are four channels — pick the one closest to you.

• Aadhaar Seva Kendra (ASK) — UIDAI-run permanent centres, currently around 130 ASKs across metro cities and large districts. Cleanest, fastest, but appointment-only. Find list at https://uidai.gov.in → “Locate an Enrolment Centre”.
• Aadhaar Enrolment Centre at banks / post offices / CSCs — over 70,000 active centres. Banks (SBI, BoB, ICICI, HDFC and others) and India Post run them. Walk-ins are technically allowed but appointments are smoother.
• Hospital-based Bal Aadhaar registration — UIDAI has tied up with about 2,000 government hospitals (and growing) to offer in-house enrolment within a few weeks of birth, alongside birth certificate registration. Ask the maternity ward.
• Mobile Aadhaar Update vans — for villages and tribal areas. UIDAI publishes the schedule district-wise; check with your Tehsil office or the Common Service Centre.

Many people who think they need a “fresh” Aadhaar actually already have one — generated at a school camp in 2012, or a ration shop drive in 2014, and forgotten. Before you waste an appointment slot, check:

• https://uidai.gov.in → “Retrieve Lost / Forgotten EID/UID” → enter name + mobile/email + OTP.
• Or call 1947 with your name, date of birth, and mobile to ask for a search.
• Visit any ASK with a photo ID — the operator can do a biometric search and tell you if you already exist in the database (this also avoids the painful “duplicate enrolment rejection” described in the stuck-reasons section).

• Go to https://uidai.gov.in → “Book an Appointment”.
• Choose “Aadhaar Services at UIDAI Aadhaar Seva Kendra” for ASKs, or “Aadhaar Services at Enrolment Centre” for bank/post office centres.
• Enter your PIN code → you'll see a list of centres with available slots.
• Pick a date + time. Provide a mobile + email for the OTP-based confirmation.
• Print the appointment slip or save the SMS — you'll need to show it at entry.

For Bal Aadhaar at hospitals, no online appointment is needed; just visit the maternity ward registration counter within the first few weeks.

UIDAI publishes a master List of Acceptable Documents (currently around 35 PoI, 35 PoA and a separate set of PoDoB documents). Carry originals + one photocopy of each.

For a fresh adult Aadhaar, you need any one from each list:

• Proof of Identity (PoI) — Voter ID / Driving Licence / PAN card / Passport / Government employee ID card / NREGA job card / arms licence with photo.
• Proof of Address (PoA) — Bank passbook (with photo) / electricity, water, telephone, gas bill (not older than 3 months) / latest property tax receipt / rent agreement registered with sub-registrar / Voter ID / Driving Licence / Passport.
• Proof of Date of Birth (PoDoB) — Birth certificate from municipal authority / SSLC or 10th-class certificate / Passport / PAN / a Government-issued mark sheet showing DOB.

For a newborn (0-5, Bal Aadhaar):

• Original birth certificate (issued by the municipal corporation, gram panchayat, or hospital under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act 1969).
• One parent's Aadhaar (whoever will give the linking biometric — usually the mother).

For a resident foreigner:

• Passport + valid Indian visa (long-term, employment, OCI, student, or refugee).
• A residence proof in India (rent agreement / hostel allotment / employer letter).
• Documentary proof of 182 days of stay (passport entry stamps, FRRO registration, hostel ledger, employer attendance certificate).

• Show your appointment slip + ID at security; you'll be issued a token.
• The operator will call you to a desk and:
  1. Type your demographic data (name, DOB, gender, address, parent/guardian name, mobile, email).
  2. Take your photograph.
  3. Capture 10 fingerprints (both hands, all fingers).
  4. Capture two iris scans (both eyes).
  5. Take your signature on a digital pad.
• Verify everything on the screen before the operator submits — name spelling, DOB, address, mother tongue. This is the moment to catch typos. Once submitted, corrections are an “update” (paid, ₹50 in person or ₹25 online).
• Bal Aadhaar children under 5: only photograph is taken; the linking parent gives biometric stamp.
• The operator hands you a printed acknowledgement slip containing the 14-digit Enrolment ID (EID) and the timestamp — both together identify your enrolment uniquely.

• Visit https://enrol-status.uidai.gov.in → enter EID + timestamp → see real-time status.
• Or SMS: “UID STATUS <EID>“ to 51969 (charges as per operator).
• Or call 1947 and quote the EID.
• Status moves through: Submitted → Quality Check → Demographic Verification → Biometric De-duplication → Approved/Generated (or Rejected — see common stuck reasons below).

Once status shows “Aadhaar generated”:

• Visit https://myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in → “Download Aadhaar” → enter UID/EID + OTP to mobile → PDF downloads. Open it with the password = first 4 letters of your name in CAPS + year of birth (e.g., LAKS1992).
• For the plastic PVC card (more durable, holographic): “Order Aadhaar PVC Card” → ₹50 → delivered by Speed Post in 15-30 days.
• The Bal Aadhaar PVC is blue; standard Aadhaar PVC is white-grey.

See also: How to download e-Aadhaar for the full PDF + masked Aadhaar walkthrough.

After Aadhaar is generated, link it where it actually delivers benefits:

• Mobile number — any operator's store, free, eKYC.
• Bank account — for DBT subsidies (LPG, MGNREGA, scholarships, pension).
• PAN — mandatory under §139AA of the Income Tax Act. See Link PAN-Aadhaar online.
• Ration card — if you want NFSA grain. See Add name to ration card.
• EPF UAN — required to withdraw provident fund.
• Voter ID — optional under the Election Laws (Amendment) Act 2021.

Bal Aadhaar must be updated once at age 5 and again at age 15. Both updates are free if done within the year of the relevant birthday. Miss the window and you pay ₹125 per update later. Set a calendar reminder.

+---------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
| Fresh enrolment (any age)       | FREE                                   |
+---------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
| Bal Aadhaar (under 5)           | FREE                                   |
+---------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
| Mandatory biometric update at   | FREE (within 6 months of 5th / 15th    |
| age 5 and again at 15           | birthday); ₹125 if delayed             |
+---------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
| Demographic update (name,       | ₹50 in person; ₹25 online via          |
| address, DOB, mobile)           | myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in                 |
+---------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
| Biometric update (adult)        | ₹125                                   |
+---------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
| PVC card (blue or white)        | ₹50, delivered by Speed Post in 15-30  |
|                                 | days                                   |
+---------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
| Time to generate Aadhaar after  | 7-30 days (most cases 10-14)           |
| enrolment                       |                                        |
+---------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
| Helpline 1947                   | FREE; 24×7; 12 Indian languages        |
+---------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
| RTI to PIO UIDAI Regional       | ₹10 by IPO. BPL = free with self-      |
| Office                          | declaration                            |
+---------------------------------+----------------------------------------+

UIDAI has 8 Regional Offices: Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Mumbai, Ranchi. Each handles enrolment exceptions for the states under its jurisdiction.

• PoI / PoA / PoDoB mismatch. The name on your bank passbook says “S.K. Nair” while your mark sheet says “Sunil Kumar Nair”. Operator may insist on a single full name in all three documents. Carry a gazette notification of name change if any abbreviation difference is in play, or use a single document like passport that contains everything.
• Mobile number on PoA different from the mobile you want linked. This is a famous trap — UIDAI insists the linked mobile is “your” mobile, but doesn't always cross-check. If the operator refuses, ask to enrol without mobile (allowed) and link it later.
• Biometric exception — fingerprints worn from manual labour. Common with masons, agricultural labourers, weavers, elderly. Regulation 7 of the Enrolment Regulations 2016 allows a biometric exception (BE) — operator captures only the fingers that work + iris. If the operator says “system won't accept”, insist they raise the BE flag in the software. Get the exception code noted on your slip — you'll need it for an RTI later if rejected.
• Duplicate enrolment rejection. UIDAI runs 1:N de-duplication. If your fingerprints already match someone else (sometimes mistakenly, sometimes because you genuinely enrolled before), the system rejects with a coded message. The remedy: visit the UIDAI Regional Office with PoI/PoA and request a de-duplication review or correct merger.
• Operator typo at the centre. Wrong DOB by a year, wrong father's name, wrong address pin code. You won't notice until e-Aadhaar downloads. Fix via demographic update — keeps original UID intact.
• Address proof not on the accepted list. Some state-issued or municipal certificates (especially smaller panchayats') are not on UIDAI's master list. Ask the operator to use the certificate format under Annexure A (signed by Gazetted Officer / MP / MLA / sarpanch on letterhead).
• Newborn without birth certificate yet. Hospital discharge summary alone is not accepted. Wait for the municipal birth certificate (usually 7-21 days), or use the Annexure-A2 head-of-family attestation route.
• Foreigner — 182-day proof rejected. FRRO printout helps; passport entry stamps with continuous stay are gold-standard. If your stay was broken, count cumulatively across the 12 months.

• Toll-free, 24×7, 12 languages: Hindi, English, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Punjabi, Gujarati, Marathi, Odia, Bengali, Assamese.
• Quote your EID + timestamp. They can read out the exact rejection / pending status from the back-end and tell you what's needed.
• Email: help@uidai.gov.in

• Twitter / X: @UIDAI — surprisingly responsive for status queries; quote EID and tag.
• Public Facebook page: Aadhaar - UIDAI.

• Walk in with your EID slip + IDs. Each RO has a public grievance counter open Mon-Fri.
• Particularly useful for biometric exceptions, de-duplication conflicts, and operator-fraud complaints.

• https://pgportal.gov.in → ministry “MEITY” → sub-organisation “UIDAI”.
• 30-day SLA, escalates inside UIDAI; useful when the helpline keeps repeating “it's in progress”.

UIDAI is a public authority under §2(h) of the RTI Act, 2005, and has appointed PIOs at each Regional Office plus a Central PIO at UIDAI HQ in New Delhi. The fee is ₹10 by Indian Postal Order (BPL applicants pay nothing).

RTI helps here when:

• Your enrolment has been “Under Process” for more than 30 days with no clear status. RTI to PIO UIDAI RO → “current status of EID XXXX, dealing officer name, expected date of generation”.
• Your enrolment was rejected with a coded message (e.g., “BE-104”, “DDUP-205”) and the helpline can't / won't explain. RTI → “exact meaning of the exception condition code recorded against EID XXXX, along with the supporting biometric or demographic basis”.
• The operator allegedly demanded a bribe at a centre. RTI to PIO UIDAI RO → CCTV log timestamp + operator name + audit action taken.
• You requested a biometric exception under Regulation 7 but were refused. RTI → “policy guidelines and SOP for raising BE flag, with the latest UIDAI circular reference”.
• Aadhaar already exists (de-duplication) but you never enrolled before — RTI for the original enrolment record (EID, centre, operator, date) so you can request cancellation/merger.

For a copy-ready template, see: RTI for Aadhaar update rejected — full template.

RTI does NOT help here when:

• You enrolled three days ago and the website still shows “submitted”. The 7-30-day generation window is the SLA — wait it out before filing.
• You want UIDAI to change a policy (e.g., accept a new document type). RTI gives information, not policy reform; write to the UIDAI Chairperson or your MP for that.
• You want a legal opinion on whether you “should” have Aadhaar — that's not “information held”. A constitutional lawyer or the Supreme Court's Puttaswamy judgment (2017, 2018) is the right reference.
• You want UIDAI to give you someone else's Aadhaar details — strictly barred under §28-§29 of the Aadhaar Act + §8(1)(j) of RTI Act.

Q. I've never had an Aadhaar — can I still apply at age 35?
Yes. There is no upper age limit. Walk into any ASK or enrolment centre with PoI + PoA + PoDoB. The process is identical to a younger adult; you'll just need a clear PoDoB (birth certificate, school leaving certificate, or passport).

Q. My child is 4 — should I wait till he's 5 to skip the mandatory update?
No. The under-5 enrolment is independent of the age-5 update; both are free. Bal Aadhaar is increasingly demanded for school admissions, vaccinations, and central scheme benefits like the JSY/PMMVY mother-child schemes — better to have it.

Q. I lost my EID slip. Can I still track my enrolment?
Yes. Use https://uidai.gov.in → “Retrieve Lost / Forgotten EID/UID” with the mobile/email you registered, plus your name + DOB. UIDAI sends the EID by SMS/email. Or visit the same enrolment centre — operators can re-print acknowledgement.

Q. Can I enrol in a state different from my home state?
Yes. Aadhaar enrolment is centralised; centre location does not matter. As long as you give a valid Indian address (with PoA in your name), you can enrol anywhere in India.

Q. The operator wants ₹500 to “process faster”. Should I pay?
No. Aadhaar enrolment is free by law. Refuse, ask for the supervisor, take a photo of the operator's name plate, and complain via 1947 / CPGRAMS. UIDAI has blacklisted hundreds of operators in 2023-24 for charging illegal fees.

Q. My fingerprints don't scan — am I disqualified from Aadhaar?
No. The Enrolment Regulations 2016 specifically allow biometric exception for damaged/missing fingers, leprosy, severe arthritis, and old age. Iris scan + photo are sufficient. The exception code is recorded on your file.

Q. I'm an OCI cardholder visiting for 6 months. Can I enrol?
Only if your continuous stay crosses 182 days in the past 12 months. Short visits don't qualify. Many OCIs use overseas-issued documents for KYC instead.

Q. How long is Aadhaar valid?
Adult Aadhaar is valid for life, subject to a recommended biometric update every 10 years (currently free until June 2025 deadline; check uidai.gov.in for current free-update window). Bal Aadhaar must be updated at 5 and 15.

• How to download e-Aadhaar — full guide
• How to link PAN with Aadhaar — 2026
• RTI for Aadhaar update rejected — copy-ready template
• RTI in 12 simple steps — for first-time filers
• All Indian government helplines — one master directory
• RTI forms + state-wise fee chart

Last reviewed: 26 April 2026 by RTI Wiki editorial team. Aadhaar rules are updated by UIDAI by circular and gazette notification — verify document lists, fees and the free-update window on uidai.gov.in or write to admin@bighelpers.in if you spot a stale figure.