Aadhaar mobile number update delayed after enrolment centre visit

Who this guide is for

This guide is for you if:

• You visited an Aadhaar enrolment or update centre and paid to change your mobile number.
• Days have passed and your new number still does not receive Aadhaar OTPs.
• The centre says it is "done" but the myAadhaar status still shows pending.
• You lost the acknowledgement slip and do not know your URN.
• Your OTP-based services like PAN linking or bank KYC are now blocked.

What you can do this weekend

Friday evening

Friday evening: find your proof. Dig out the acknowledgement slip the centre gave you. It carries your Update Request Number (URN) and the date. Photograph it. Note the timeline printed on it. Save the centre's name, address, and any receipt. If you cannot find the slip, list the date and centre from memory so you can ask for the URN later.

Saturday

Saturday: check status and call. Open the myAadhaar portal and use the "Check Aadhaar Update Status" option with your URN. If it shows pending, call the UIDAI helpline (1947) and read out your URN. Ask for the current status and expected date. Note the agent's name and time of call. If the helpline cannot help, file a complaint on the UIDAI grievance section and save the complaint number.

Sunday

Sunday: prepare your escalation. If the status is still stuck, draft your follow-up. Write down your URN, dates, helpline call details, and grievance number in one place. Prepare a CPGRAMS complaint and, if needed, a draft RTI to UIDAI asking the status and reason for the delay. Centres are usually shut Sunday, so this is your planning day. You will be ready to act first thing Monday.

Documents and evidence checklist

Step-by-step action plan

1. Locate your URN. Find the acknowledgement slip from the centre. The Update Request Number printed on it is your tracking key. Photograph the slip so you do not lose it again.
2. Check the status online. Go to the myAadhaar portal and use the option to check your Aadhaar update status. Enter your URN. Note whether it shows pending, in process, or rejected.
3. Wait out the printed timeline. Look at the timeline shown on your acknowledgement slip. If that period has not yet passed, the request may still be in normal processing. Give it until that date before escalating.
4. Call the UIDAI helpline. If the timeline has passed and the status is still pending, call 1947. Read out your URN. Ask for the current status, the reason for delay, and the expected completion date.
5. File a UIDAI grievance. If the helpline does not resolve it, lodge a complaint through the UIDAI grievance section online. Attach your URN and the pending-status screenshot. Save the complaint reference number.
6. Escalate to CPGRAMS. If the grievance is ignored beyond a reasonable wait, file on the public grievance portal CPGRAMS against UIDAI. Quote your URN, grievance number, and dates.
7. Consider an RTI to UIDAI. If you still get no answer, file an RTI to UIDAI asking the status of your update and the reason for the delay. Quote your URN. Do this only after the helpline and grievance routes.
8. Keep a single record. Maintain one file with the slip, URN, status screenshots, call notes, and every complaint number. This record drives each escalation and any first appeal.

Escalation ladder

Copy-paste complaint template

Adapt the bracketed parts. Keep a copy of everything you send.

To,
The Grievance Officer / CPIO
Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)

Subject: Pending Aadhaar mobile number update - URN [YOUR URN]

Sir/Madam,

I updated the mobile number linked to my Aadhaar at an enrolment/update centre on [DATE OF VISIT] at [CENTRE NAME AND ADDRESS]. The acknowledgement slip shows Update Request Number (URN) [YOUR URN].

The timeline printed on my acknowledgement has passed, but the status on the myAadhaar portal still shows the update as pending. My new mobile number [NEW NUMBER] is not receiving Aadhaar OTPs, which is blocking my [BANK KYC / PAN LINKING / OTHER].

I called the helpline on [DATE] and was told [WHAT YOU WERE TOLD], but the issue is not resolved.

I request you to:
1. Inform me of the current status of URN [YOUR URN].
2. State the reason for the delay.
3. Confirm the date by which my mobile number will be updated.

I am attaching a copy of the acknowledgement slip and a screenshot of the pending status.

Thank you.

Name: [YOUR NAME]
Aadhaar VID (if comfortable): [VID]
Contact: [YOUR EMAIL / PHONE]
Date: [DATE]

When RTI can help

UIDAI is a public authority, so RTI applies to it. Once you have your URN and have already tried the helpline and grievance, an RTI to UIDAI can ask for the current status of your update request, the reason for the delay, and the action taken on your earlier grievance. It can also ask for the file notings on your request. An RTI creates a written, accountable record that a phone call does not. If the reply is missing or evasive, you can file a first appeal. See how to file an RTI online and the first appeal guide.

When RTI will not help

RTI will not force a private enrolment-centre operator to enter your data faster, because that operator is a vendor, not a public authority. RTI also cannot itself change your mobile number in the Aadhaar database; only the update process does that. So RTI is a status-and-accountability tool, not a speed button. The correct first route is always the UIDAI helpline and the grievance channel, then CPGRAMS. Use RTI after those routes have failed to give you a clear answer.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Losing the acknowledgement slip and so losing the URN, which every channel needs.
• Escalating before the timeline printed on your slip has even passed.
• Going back only to the centre, which cannot see the UIDAI backend or move the queue.
• Filing an RTI as the very first step instead of the helpline and grievance.
• Not saving the helpline call details or the grievance number for follow-up.
• Sharing your full Aadhaar number freely; use the VID where you can.

FAQs

How do I find my URN if I lost the slip?

Call the UIDAI helpline on 1947 and give your Aadhaar number, name, and the date and place of your visit. They can help you trace the update request. Going forward, photograph every acknowledgement slip the moment you receive it.

The centre says it is done, but my number still gets no OTP. Why?

The centre only submits the request. UIDAI processes it at the backend. Check the status on the myAadhaar portal with your URN. If it shows pending, the update has not finished, regardless of what the centre says.

How long should a mobile update normally take?

Go by the timeline printed on your acknowledgement slip, not by what anyone tells you verbally. If that period has passed and the status is still pending, that is when you should start escalating through the helpline and grievance.

Will an RTI make UIDAI update my number faster?

Not directly. RTI gets you a written status and the reason for delay, and it creates accountability. The actual update still runs through the normal process. Use RTI after the helpline and grievance have failed to give a clear answer.

Can I complain about the enrolment centre itself?

Yes. You can report a centre's poor service to UIDAI through the helpline and grievance channels, quoting the centre name and your URN. But RTI cannot be filed against a private centre, only against UIDAI as the public authority.

What if the status shows rejected, not pending?

Call 1947 and ask for the specific reason for rejection. A common cause is a mismatch or incomplete biometric capture. You may need to revisit a centre and submit a fresh request, then track the new URN.

My PAN linking is blocked because OTP goes to the old number. What now?

Treat the mobile update as the blocker and push it through first using this guide. Once your new number is active on Aadhaar, retry the linking. See related guides on name mismatches and linking failures below.

Clear next steps

• Save your URN, slip, and status screenshot in one folder before you do anything else.
• Work the helpline and grievance first; keep every reference number.
• If answers do not come, file an RTI to UIDAI and read The RTI Playbook for the appeal flow.
• If the pending update is blocking PAN or KYC, follow the related guides below once your number is active.