• Form 1 (CGHS Card Application) — Available at CGHS Wellness Centre OR cghs.gov.in
• HoO (Head of Office) endorsement — Mandatory for serving employees; Pension Sanctioning Authority for pensioners
• Aadhaar of applicant + family members — Identity for all
• Pension Payment Order (PPO) — For pensioners
• Bank statement — For pensioners (showing pension credit)
• Photographs — Applicant + family members; 2 each, recent
• Identity proof of family members — Aadhaar / Voter ID for all dependents
• Date of birth proof — For all family members

• Marriage certificate — For spouse addition
• Birth certificate — For child addition
• Death certificate — For removal of deceased family member
• Transfer order — For inter-city CGHS transfer
• Disability certificate — For PwD child priority addition
• Annual subscription payment receipt — For pensioners — annual renewal

• Eligibility: Central government employees + pensioners + dependents. Not state govt employees.
• Cost: Free for serving employees. Pensioners: Rs. 1,000-3,000/year based on grade pay.
• Family includes: spouse + dependent children (until 25 male, until marriage female) + dependent parents.
• 75 cities + select towns covered.
• Empanelled hospitals searchable at cghs.gov.in — check before going.
• Validity: Lifetime for pensioners (with annual subscription); lifetime for serving employees while in service.
• Annual subscription for pensioners must be paid by 31 March; lapsed cards reactivated with arrears.

Nearest CGHS Wellness Centre with HoO Form 1 (or PSA for pensioners). Online application at cghs.gov.in.

→ Official source: https://cghs.nic.in/index1.php?lang=1&level=2&sublinkid=2161&lid=1493

If CGHS card is delayed OR claim is rejected, file RTI to AD-CGHS of your city for application status + claim reasoning under §4(1)(d).

→ Use our 🪄 AI RTI Drafter to generate a free §6(1) application asking for the rejection reason in 60 seconds.

• Q: Free for serving employees? — Yes — completely free. Pensioners: Rs. 1,000-3,000/year based on grade pay.
• Q: Family addition — what documents? — Marriage certificate (spouse) + birth certificate (child) + Aadhaar of new member.
• Q: What if I move to a new city? — Apply for transfer at new city's AD-CGHS office. Up to 6 months temporary attachment available.
• Q: Validity? — Lifetime for pensioners with annual subscription. Lifetime for employees while in service.
• Q: 70+ — also Ayushman Bharat? — Yes — universal coverage announced 2024. Layers on CGHS.

1. Gather mandatory documents above before applying — saves a re-visit
2. Apply via official portal (link above) — no agent needed
3. Track status: see our status-check guides
4. If rejected for “documents inadequate”: request specific deficiency under §4(1)(d) RTI Act
5. For state-specific guidance: see state portals directory

• 🪄 AI RTI Drafter — type problem, get §6 application
• 🎤 AwaazRTI — voice-to-RTI in 11 Indian languages
• 🔮 Outcome Predictor — score draft win-likelihood
• ⚖️ First Appeal Generator — §19(1) draft on Day 31
• 📅 Timeline Calculator — track 30-day window

• Track status: How to check cghs card status
• If rejected, file RTI: Full RTI guide
• Citizen RTI playbook: All 100+ scenarios
• All documents checklists: All 30 checklists

• Statutory references: as cited in Specifications above
• Official portal: linked in “Where to apply” above
• RTI Act 2005 §§4, 6, 7, 19

Last reviewed: 25 April 2026.