CGHS card documents 2026: employee and pensioner checklist
Last reviewed: 1 September 2026.
There is no single CGHS card document list for every applicant. A serving Central Government employee normally needs a sponsoring-office record and salary-contribution trail, while a pensioner needs pension and contribution records. Family, dependency, correction and renewal documents depend on the exact beneficiary and transaction.
Quick answer: A serving employee should prepare the current application, sponsoring-office or service record, identity and family details, photographs, and proof of CGHS salary deduction. A pensioner should prepare the current application, PPO or pension record, identity/address and family proof, photographs, and the official annual or lifetime contribution receipt. Compare every item with the checklist at the CGHS digital portal.
Who should use this guide
CGHS is mainly for eligible serving and retired Central Government employees and their eligible dependent family members. Other categories may be covered under separate government orders. Do not assume eligibility merely because a person works for a government-linked body; confirm the category and city coverage on the CGHS portal or with the sponsoring office.
This page does not replace the current definition of “family” or dependency rules. Those rules can differ by relationship and circumstances, so use the declaration and document checklist issued for your beneficiary category.
Serving employee: application route
- Confirm that your office participates in CGHS and that the correct monthly contribution is being deducted.
- Obtain the current serving-employee CGHS card form or online workflow from your establishment, administration or medical section.
- Enter family details exactly as supported by service and dependency records.
- Submit the form and supporting documents through the sponsoring authority specified by your department.
- Keep the diary number, forwarding letter or online acknowledgement.
- After the beneficiary record becomes active, check the official portal or myCGHS 2.0 for the electronic card.
If salary deduction has begun but the office has not forwarded or activated the application, ask the sponsoring authority for the dispatch number, date and CGHS office to which it was sent.
Pensioner or family pensioner: application route
- Open the official CGHS portal and select the current pensioner-card service or instructions.
- Confirm the contribution level that applied at retirement or death of the government servant.
- Choose the annual or lifetime option available under the current rules.
- Pay only through the official mode shown in the workflow and save the receipt.
- Upload or submit the pension, identity, address and family records requested by the current checklist.
- Keep the application number and track the record through the portal or the CGHS office named in the acknowledgement.
Current Ministry orders list both one-year and lifetime contribution amounts for pensioners; the lifetime figures equal 120 monthly contributions at the listed rates. A pensioner who already holds a valid lifetime card should follow the current CGHS instruction before making any further payment.
CGHS contribution rates
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s current CGHS office memoranda list these subscription slabs:
| Pay Matrix level | Monthly contribution | Pensioner: one year | Pensioner: lifetime contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Levels 1–5 | ₹250 | ₹3,000 | ₹30,000 |
| Level 6 | ₹450 | ₹5,400 | ₹54,000 |
| Levels 7–11 | ₹650 | ₹7,800 | ₹78,000 |
| Level 12 and above | ₹1,000 | ₹12,000 | ₹1,20,000 |
Use the amount shown by the official CGHS workflow if a later government order changes these figures. Do not pay a private agent to “create” a card or contribution receipt.
Documents to prepare
The exact checklist depends on beneficiary category and the transaction. Commonly requested records include:
- current application or online acknowledgement;
- employee identity and a recent pay slip, or pension/family-pension records;
- proof of the CGHS deduction or pensioner contribution;
- identity, date-of-birth and relationship records for included family members;
- the dependency declaration and supporting proof where required;
- current address and contact details;
- photographs in the format specified by the current form;
- old CGHS card or surrender details for renewal, conversion or correction, where applicable.
Do not submit an old internet checklist without comparing it with the current official form. Requirements for additions, deletions, disability-related dependency and changes after retirement are transaction-specific.
Download the e-card and use myCGHS 2.0
The official myCGHS 2.0 app, published by C-DAC for the Ministry, allows beneficiaries to book appointments, view medical history, download electronic CGHS cards and locate wellness centres and offices. Use only the app linked from the official CGHS or government app-store listing, and verify the publisher before signing in.
If the card is active but does not appear:
- confirm that the mobile number and beneficiary ID match the CGHS record;
- check every family member separately;
- save the exact error and time;
- use the portal help route or contact the CGHS office shown for your city;
- ask the sponsoring department to verify its forwarded record if you are serving.
Correct a name, date of birth or family entry
Use the specific CGHS correction, addition or deletion workflow. Prepare the government record that proves the change; an Aadhaar spelling alone may not override the service or pension record. Submit only the affected correction and keep the receipt.
If the correction remains pending, ask for:
- the application or diary number;
- the date it reached the CGHS office;
- the deficiency, if any;
- the officer or section currently holding it;
- the applicable order or checklist used to decide it.
When a CGHS card is delayed
Begin with the sponsoring authority or CGHS office handling the application. Give the acknowledgement, beneficiary category and exact pending step. If an ordinary grievance does not establish what happened, an RTI application can seek existing records such as the diary entry, movement history, deficiency note and action taken. RTI cannot itself approve the card or determine medical eligibility.
See CGHS card status checks, the detailed CGHS application guide and RTI for a delayed CGHS card or claim.
Frequently asked questions
Is a CGHS card free for serving employees?
No. CGHS is contributory. For an eligible serving employee, the prescribed monthly contribution is normally deducted through salary by the participating office.
Can a pensioner buy lifetime CGHS validity?
Current Ministry orders list one-year and lifetime contribution options for pensioners, with the lifetime amount equal to 120 monthly contributions at the listed rate. Follow the current CGHS workflow for payment and eligibility.
Does every Central Government employee apply directly online?
Not necessarily. Serving applications are tied to the sponsoring department and contribution deduction. Follow the route specified by your establishment rather than bypassing it with an unofficial service.
Can I use an electronic CGHS card?
CGHS reports that beneficiaries can download an electronic card through myCGHS 2.0. Keep the app and beneficiary record current, and follow the facility’s identity-verification process.
Are parents and parents-in-law both added together?
Do not assume so. CGHS family and dependency rules are governed by current orders and declarations. Check the option applicable to your case before filing family details.
Does turning 70 automatically create a new card?
No. Age-related treatment provisions do not replace card eligibility or record activation. A CGHS office memorandum extends direct consultation at empanelled hospitals to beneficiaries aged 70 and above, subject to CGHS rules.
What if my name differs across service records and Aadhaar?
Use the official correction route and the record the sponsoring authority requires. Do not create a second beneficiary record to work around a mismatch.
Can RTI order CGHS to issue my card?
No. RTI supplies existing records. It can reveal movement, deficiency and decision records; the competent CGHS authority decides issuance.