Table of Contents
Documents required for e-Shram card — unorganised worker (2026)
Direct answer. e-Shram is FREE unorganised-worker registration providing automatic Rs. 2 lakh accident insurance (PMSBY). Minimum documents: Aadhaar + Aadhaar-linked mobile + bank account. No income proof, no occupation proof. Register at eshram.gov.in or any CSC.
Mandatory documents
- Aadhaar — Identity + e-KYC + auto-fills personal details
- Aadhaar-linked mobile number — For OTP-based registration; mandatory
- Bank account number + IFSC — For PMSBY claim routing
- Aadhaar-bank linkage — For DBT eligibility under future state schemes
Optional / situational documents
- Family member Aadhaar — For nominee designation in PMSBY
- Skill certificate — For skill-mapping (optional but useful for govt skill-development outreach)
- Occupation declaration — Self-declared; no proof needed
- Educational qualification — Self-declared
Specifications + key rules
- FREE — completely free, including PMSBY (which costs Rs. 12/year for general public).
- Eligibility: Unorganised workers aged 16-59 (domestic, construction, agriculture, gig, vendor, fisherfolk, etc.). NOT EPFO/ESIC members or income tax payers.
- No documents beyond Aadhaar + bank required.
- PMSBY auto-enrolled — Rs. 2 lakh accident death/permanent disability + Rs. 1 lakh partial disability.
- UAN (12-digit) issued upon registration — your unique e-Shram ID.
- Migration tracking — log inter-state movement; helps build case for portable welfare benefits.
Where to apply
Online at eshram.gov.in (Self-Registration) OR any Common Service Centre (CSC) FREE.
→ Official source: https://eshram.gov.in/eshram-services
If you don't have all documents
If registration fails or PMSBY auto-enrollment is missing, file RTI to State Labour Department for application status + insurance enrollment + reason for any deactivation.
→ Use our 🪄 AI RTI Drafter to generate a free §6(1) application asking for the rejection reason in 60 seconds.
Frequently asked questions
- Q: Who is eligible? — Unorganised workers aged 16-59. NOT EPFO/ESIC members or income tax payers.
- Q: Is there any premium for PMSBY? — No — free for first year via e-Shram. Annual auto-renewal.
- Q: Can income-tax payer register? — No — disqualifies. e-Shram is for unorganised sector only.
- Q: PMJJBY (life insurance) auto? — No — apply separately via your bank (Rs. 436/year).
- Q: Need to renew registration? — No — lifetime validity. But annual mobile-Aadhaar OTP for system check.
Summary + next steps
- Gather mandatory documents above before applying — saves a re-visit
- Apply via official portal (link above) — no agent needed
- Track status: see our status-check guides
- If rejected for “documents inadequate”: request specific deficiency under §4(1)(d) RTI Act
- For state-specific guidance: see state portals directory
All RTI Wiki tools (free, no login)
- 🪄 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
Related on RTI Wiki
- Track status: How to check eshram card status
- Citizen RTI playbook: All 100+ scenarios
- All documents checklists: All 30 checklists
Sources
- 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.
