e-Aadhaar is the digitally signed PDF of your Aadhaar, downloaded from UIDAI's portal. It carries the same QR code, photograph, demographic data, and 12-digit number as the printed card. UIDAI Circular dated 18 July 2017 made it explicit: e-Aadhaar shall be treated at par with the original Aadhaar letter for all purposes — KYC, government schemes, banking, college admission, hotel check-in, train/air travel.

The legal anchor: Aadhaar Act 2016, Section 6 (UIDAI may use Aadhaar number in electronic form), and Aadhaar (Enrolment & Update) Regulations 2016, Regulation 22 (digital Aadhaar is a valid form). Every public-sector bank, every airline, every college admissions office in India is bound by these.

You have three download modes:

1. Regular e-Aadhaar — full 12-digit number visible. Use for bank/KYC/government offices.
2. Masked e-Aadhaar — first 8 digits shown as XXXX-XXXX-, only last 4 visible. Use for hotels, courier proofs, anywhere you don't want the full number leaking.
3. Virtual ID (VID) based download — uses a 16-digit temporary VID instead of Aadhaar number. Maximum privacy.

You can download e-Aadhaar if and only if your Aadhaar-registered mobile number is active and reachable for OTP. If you have changed mobile and never updated UIDAI, you must first update mobile (see Step 7).

For online download, you need just one of these three identifiers:

• 12-digit Aadhaar number, or
• 16-digit VID (generate fresh at https://uidai.gov.in → My Aadhaar → VID Generator), or
• 28-digit Enrolment ID (EID) — the 14-digit EID + 14-character date+time stamp from your enrolment slip. Valid only for 1 year from enrolment date.

Plus: registered mobile number for OTP (or registered email).

• Web: https://myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in — the official UIDAI portal, fastest.
• mAadhaar app: Google Play / Apple App Store. Carries Aadhaar in your phone's secure storage; no PDF needed.
• DigiLocker: https://www.digilocker.gov.in — pulls e-Aadhaar from UIDAI directly into your DigiLocker. Equally valid.

1. Open https://myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in
2. Click Login
3. Enter Aadhaar number + captcha → Send OTP
4. Enter the 6-digit OTP from your registered mobile (or email if no mobile linked) → Login
5. On the dashboard click Download Aadhaar
6. Choose: Do you want a masked Aadhaar? — Yes (masked) or No (regular)
7. Click Download — PDF arrives in 30-60 seconds

The PDF is password-protected. The password is the first 4 letters of your name (in CAPS, exactly as on Aadhaar) + your 4-digit year of birth.

Examples:

Name on Aadhaar              Year of Birth   Password
-----------------------------------------------------
Priya Verma                  1998            PRIY1998
A. Singh                     1985            A.SI1985    (yes, the dot counts)
Mohammed Riyaz               1992            MOHA1992
Om Joshi (3-letter name)     2001            OMJO2001    (pads with next char)

If your name is shorter than 4 letters, the password uses the full name + year. If it has special characters (dot, hyphen), they count as characters.

• By VID: First go to https://uidai.gov.in → My Aadhaar → VID Generator → enter Aadhaar + OTP → generate VID (16 digits). Then on myaadhaar, choose “VID” instead of “Aadhaar Number” at login.
• By EID: myaadhaar → Login → choose “Enrolment ID” → enter the 14-digit EID + the date+time stamp (DD/MM/YYYY HH:MM:SS) from your enrolment slip. Works only within 1 year of enrolment.

This is the only scenario where online download is impossible. Fix:

1. Find your nearest Aadhaar Seva Kendra (ASK) or authorised CSC: https://uidai.gov.in/en/contact-support/have-any-question.html → Locate Enrolment Centre
2. Walk in with your physical Aadhaar (or any government photo ID)
3. Ask for mobile number update (no document needed for mobile alone)
4. Pay Rs 50 (UIDAI fee, fixed)
5. Biometric scan + new mobile number entry → SMS confirmation in 0-72 hours
6. Once SMS arrives, retry e-Aadhaar download

Action                              Cost        Time              Channel
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Download e-Aadhaar (regular/masked) Free        1 minute          myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in
Generate VID                        Free        Instant           uidai.gov.in
Download via mAadhaar app           Free        2 minutes         App Store / Play Store
Pull into DigiLocker                Free        2 minutes         digilocker.gov.in
Mobile number update (in-person)    Rs 50       0-72 hours        Aadhaar Seva Kendra / CSC
Demographic update (name/DOB/addr)  Rs 50       7-30 days         myaadhaar (limited) / ASK
Biometric update                    Rs 100      24-72 hours       ASK only
Aadhaar reprint (PVC card)          Rs 50       7-15 days post    myaadhaar Order Aadhaar PVC
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
PDF password format: NAME(4 caps) + YOB(4 digits)   e.g., PRIY1998

1. “Mobile number not registered” — the single biggest cause. Fix: in-person mobile update at ASK/CSC.
2. “OTP not received” — telecom delay (especially Jio at peak), SIM out of network, DND on transactional category. Wait 2 minutes, request resend; max 3 OTPs/hour.
3. EID expired — older than 1 year. Fix: download by Aadhaar number instead, or visit ASK to re-enrol.
4. “Duplicate generation block” — if you've downloaded 5+ times in 24 hours, UIDAI temporarily blocks. Wait 24 hours.
5. Biometric lock active — if you locked your biometrics earlier (uidai.gov.in → Lock/Unlock Biometrics), some transactions fail. Unlock temporarily, retry.
6. PDF password rejected — recheck name spelling (use myaadhaar profile to see exact name on file). Special characters and case matter.
7. PDF won't open in default Android viewer — UIDAI signs the PDF; Adobe Acrobat Reader (free) is the most reliable opener.
8. Wrong demographic data showing — that's not a download issue, that's an underlying record problem; you need to update Aadhaar (separate process).

• Toll-free 1947 — 24×7 hours, 12 languages
• Email: help@uidai.gov.in
• Twitter/X: @UIDAI (responds in 1-3 hours)

• Locate: https://appointments.uidai.gov.in
• Book a slot online to skip the queue
• 121+ ASKs across India + 38,000+ authorised CSCs

• 8 regional offices: Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Mumbai, Ranchi
• Email + postal grievance — addresses listed at uidai.gov.in/contact-support
• SLA: 30 days

• https://pgportal.gov.in
• Ministry: Electronics & IT → UIDAI
• SLA: 30 days

RTI helps here when: the portal repeatedly fails for the same case for over 30 days despite ASK visits and helpline tickets — particularly if you suspect your demographic data has been tampered with, deduplication has flagged your Aadhaar wrongly, or your update request is silently sitting in queue.

RTI does NOT help when: the issue is “I can't get OTP because my mobile is changed” — that's a procedural fix, not an information question; visit ASK and update. RTI is for asking why something happened or what is the status — not for triggering routine updates.

If you decide RTI is needed, file with: The Public Information Officer, UIDAI Regional Office, [your region], fee Rs 10 by IPO. The full step-by-step is in RTI for Aadhaar update rejected — same template applies for download/access failures.

Q. Is e-Aadhaar accepted by banks and government offices?
Yes — UIDAI Circular 11020/205/2016/UIDAI dated 18 July 2017 explicitly says e-Aadhaar = original Aadhaar. If any officer refuses, show them the circular (downloadable from uidai.gov.in/news). You can also file a complaint to the relevant ministry.

Q. Can I download e-Aadhaar without OTP?
No. OTP authentication is mandatory under UIDAI security policy. The only alternative is in-person download at Aadhaar Seva Kendra with biometric verification (Rs 30 service charge).

Q. Is the PDF safe to share by WhatsApp / email?
Use masked Aadhaar when sharing for non-banking purposes. The QR code on e-Aadhaar reveals all demographic data on scan, so treat it like a signed cheque — share only with trusted parties.

Q. How many times can I download?
Unlimited, but UIDAI throttles after 5 downloads in 24 hours per Aadhaar number to prevent automated scraping.

Q. The PDF is too large to email — can I get a smaller version?
The standard e-Aadhaar PDF is 70-200 KB. The masked version is similar. If your file is much larger, your browser may have saved a corrupted copy — re-download.

Q. Difference between e-Aadhaar and Aadhaar PVC card?
e-Aadhaar is the free PDF you download. Aadhaar PVC card is a printed plastic card delivered to your home, ordered for Rs 50 from myaadhaar (Order Aadhaar PVC). Both are legally equivalent. PVC is more durable for daily wallet use.

Q. My e-Aadhaar shows old address — what to do?
e-Aadhaar reflects whatever is in UIDAI's database at the moment of download. If your address is old, update Aadhaar first (myaadhaar → Update Aadhaar Online → Address; Rs 50; needs valid address proof), then re-download.

Q. Can I print e-Aadhaar in colour vs black & white?
Either works. UIDAI accepts both. The QR code is what matters for digital verification — it must be sharp and uncreased.

Q. The “Order Aadhaar PVC card” service vs e-Aadhaar — which is better?
For digital storage / instant production: e-Aadhaar wins (free, instant). For carrying daily in your wallet: PVC card is sturdier (Rs 50, 7-15 days delivery). Most citizens keep both — e-Aadhaar in DigiLocker for emergencies, PVC in wallet.

Q. mAadhaar app vs portal — does it matter which I use?
Both pull from the same database. mAadhaar app additionally lets you carry up to 5 family members' Aadhaars in one phone, generate VID offline, and share masked Aadhaar via QR scan. Portal gives more update functions. For pure download — mAadhaar is faster.

Q. Does e-Aadhaar expire?
The download itself never expires. However, the digital signature embedded in the PDF is verifiable indefinitely (UIDAI's signing certificate is renewed periodically and old signatures remain valid via the trust chain). For day-to-day use, age of the PDF doesn't matter as long as the data on it is current.

If your enrolment was recent (within 1 year), download by EID at myaadhaar. If older than 1 year, you must:

1. Visit any ASK with the enrolment slip
2. Get the EID re-validated or look up your generated Aadhaar number on the spot (operator scans your biometric)
3. Then download by Aadhaar number normally

UIDAI rejects 2-3% of enrolments for biometric duplication or quality. You won't have an Aadhaar number. Re-enrol at any ASK; takes a fresh 90-day cycle.

You can still download e-Aadhaar (download is OTP-based, not biometric). But if you locked biometrics and changed mobile, neither path works — you need an in-person ASK visit with biometric unlock + mobile update.

Most states and UIDAI's mobile vans visit households on demand. Call 1947 and request a Doorstep Aadhaar Service — available in metro cities and many districts (Rs 100 visit fee).

This still happens — a clerk at a bank branch, a college admin office, or a railway TC may say “we want the original card, not a printout”. You have three responses, in order:

1. Cite UIDAI Circular 11020/205/2016/UIDAI dated 18 July 2017 — declares e-Aadhaar at par with original. Most clerks back down once you show them the URL on uidai.gov.in/news.
2. Show the QR code — if they have a smartphone with the mAadhaar QR scanner (free), they can verify your e-Aadhaar in 5 seconds. The QR code returns name, DOB, gender, and photo signed by UIDAI.
3. File a written complaint to the institution's Public Grievance Officer + escalate to the relevant ministry. For banks: RBI Banking Ombudsman. For airlines: DGCA. For colleges: UGC.

In 2026, refusal is rare but not unheard-of. Carrying both e-Aadhaar (printed colour copy) and a PVC card eliminates 99% of friction.

In April 2026, India crossed 141 crore Aadhaar enrolments. Aadhaar is the de-facto identity for:

• Every PDS / ration card transaction (mandatory under PMGKAY rules)
• Every PMMVY, NSP scholarship, MGNREGA wage credit (DBT requires Aadhaar seeding)
• Every income-tax filing (PAN-Aadhaar linkage, see how to link PAN with Aadhaar)
• Every SIM card purchase (TRAI mandate, e-KYC)
• Every air ticket booking on IndiGo / Air India (DigiYatra is Aadhaar-based)
• Every school admission with state subsidy

A working e-Aadhaar saved on your phone (in DigiLocker or mAadhaar) is the single most-used document in 2026 India. Five minutes of setup today saves a Sunday-evening panic later.

• RTI for Aadhaar update / status — when UIDAI is silent
• RTI in 12 simple steps — free citizen guide
• All helplines — toll-free, by ministry
• RTI forms + state-wise fees
• RTI for TDS/IT refund — when KYC failure freezes refund

Last reviewed: 26 April 2026.