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| + | ====== Aadhaar PVC card not delivered or sent to the wrong address ====== | ||
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| + | {{ : | ||
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| + | <WRAP center round info 95%> | ||
| + | **Quick Reply:** Your Rs 75 Aadhaar PVC card ships by Speed Post. Track the 14-digit SRN on myAadhaar and India Post, fix a stale address, reorder, and use RTI if trail goes... | ||
| + | </ | ||
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| + | **Reviewed on:** 2026-07-05. | ||
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| + | <WRAP info> | ||
| + | Your Rs 75 Aadhaar PVC card order is tracked by a **14-digit SRN** on the myAadhaar portal. UIDAI hands the printed card to India Post within 5 working days, then Speed Post delivers it to the address Aadhaar holds on order day. The card cannot be redirected once printed. If the trail goes dead, file an RTI with UIDAI for the dispatch record and with the Department of Posts for the delivery record - fee Rs 10, reply within 30 days. | ||
| + | </ | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== The story most citizens recognise ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Meena D. ordered an Aadhaar PVC card on the myAadhaar portal on 12 March 2026, paying Rs 75 by UPI. She had moved from Vadodara, Gujarat (pincode 390020) to Surat (395007) six weeks earlier but never updated her Aadhaar address. The 14-digit SRN arrived by SMS within seconds. UIDAI handed the printed card to the Department of Posts on 17 March - exactly within the five-working-day window - and an SMS with the Speed Post consignment number followed the same evening. | ||
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| + | On 21 March, India Post tracking showed "item delivered" | ||
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| + | This is the most common PVC card problem in India today - not fraud, not a system failure, but a stale address that the citizen forgot to fix before ordering. The card is addressed at the moment you click "Place Order", | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== What an Aadhaar PVC card actually is ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | The Aadhaar PVC card is a pocket-sized plastic card, printed with your photograph, QR code, demographic details and a hologram, that UIDAI mails to your registered address by India Post Speed Post. It carries **the same legal validity as the Aadhaar Letter and the e-Aadhaar PDF** - no office, bank or government department can lawfully reject a PVC card while accepting an e-Aadhaar, or vice versa. The PVC card is a convenience, | ||
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| + | You order it on the **myAadhaar portal** (myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in) under the service "Order Aadhaar PVC Card". The single inclusive charge, since **1 January 2026**, is **Rs 75**, covering printing on PVC with security features, GST, and Speed Post delivery anywhere in India. This fee was revised from Rs 50 to Rs 75 by a UIDAI Office Memorandum published on 1 January 2026 - the first revision since the service launched in late 2020. Payment can be made by Credit Card, Debit Card, Net Banking, UPI or Paytm. | ||
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| + | UIDAI is the **Unique Identification Authority of India**, a statutory body established under the **Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016**, functioning under the **Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)**. Because it is a statutory body created by a Central Act, UIDAI is a **public authority** under the Right to Information Act, 2005 - which means every record it holds about your PVC card order, including the dispatch date and the consignment number it handed to India Post, is obtainable by an RTI application. | ||
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| + | The **Department of Posts (India Post)**, which runs Speed Post, is likewise a Central government department and a public authority under the RTI Act. So the delivery record of your consignment - who signed, at which post office, on what date and time - is also obtainable by RTI from the Department of Posts. Between these two authorities, | ||
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| + | <WRAP tip> | ||
| + | </ | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== How the PVC card order and delivery flow works ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Understanding the flow tells you exactly which authority to ask, and for what, at each stage. | ||
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| + | - **Stage 1 - You place the order.** On myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in, | ||
| + | - **Stage 2 - UIDAI prints the card.** UIDAI prints your card with the security features and the address that Aadhaar held **on the day you placed the order**. If you update your address after ordering, the change does not flow into that card. The card and the Speed Post envelope are both addressed to the order-day address and cannot be redirected once printed. | ||
| + | - **Stage 3 - UIDAI hands the card to the Department of Posts.** UIDAI hands over the printed card to the Department of Posts **within 5 working days**, excluding the date of the request. From this point, UIDAI' | ||
| + | - **Stage 4 - Dispatch and the AWB number.** On dispatch, UIDAI sends you an SMS with the **AWB (Airway Bill) number**, which is the India Post Speed Post consignment number. Track it on the India Post website (indiapost.gov.in) under "Track Consignment" | ||
| + | - **Stage 5 - Transit and delivery.** The consignment moves through India Post hubs to the delivery post office for your pincode. India Post records every scan - booking, dispatch from origin, arrival at each hub, out for delivery, and the final delivery scan with the receiver' | ||
| + | - **Stage 6 - Delivery.** The card is delivered to the addressee or, in practice, to someone at the address - a family member, a guard, a neighbour. The delivery record names the receiver. If the address on the card is your old address, the card is " | ||
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| + | The decisive moment is Stage 1. Whatever address Aadhaar holds when you click "Place Order" is the address printed on the card and the envelope. Everything that follows - the Rs 75, the SRN, the Speed Post tracking, the delivery - is downstream of that one fact. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== The 2026 update you must know about ===== | ||
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| + | Two things changed that you must factor in before you order, complain, or file an RTI in 2026. | ||
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| + | **1. The fee is now Rs 75, not Rs 50.** By a UIDAI Office Memorandum published on 1 January 2026, the Aadhaar PVC Card service charge was revised from Rs 50 to **Rs 75 (inclusive of GST and Speed Post charges)**, notified on 1 January 2026. This is the first revision since the service launched in 2020. Every complaint, RTI application, | ||
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| + | **2. The SRN is 14 digits, not 28.** UIDAI' | ||
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| + | ===== Step-by-step: | ||
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| + | Before you reach for the RTI, run through the cheaper, faster steps. Use the RTI only when the trail goes silent or the authority stonewalls. The Department of Posts and UIDAI are both **Central** public authorities, | ||
| + | |||
| + | - **Step 1 - Gather your keys.** Collect three things before anything else: the **14-digit SRN**, the **Speed Post consignment (AWB) number** from the dispatch SMS, and the **date of order**. Without the SRN, UIDAI cannot locate the order; without the AWB, the Department of Posts cannot locate the consignment. Search your SMS and email for " | ||
| + | - **Step 2 - Track on both portals.** Check the SRN on myAadhaar under "Check Aadhaar PVC Card Status" | ||
| + | - **Step 3 - File the non-RTI grievance first.** Register a complaint on the India Post portal (indiapost.gov.in/ | ||
| + | - **Step 4 - Identify the CPIO and the Central vs State question.** Both UIDAI and the Department of Posts are Central, so there is no State PIO question here - you deal with the Central CPIO of each. For UIDAI, the CPIO is at the UIDAI Headquarters, | ||
| + | - **Step 5 - File the two RTI applications.** File **one RTI with UIDAI** asking for the dispatch record against the SRN, and **one RTI with the Department of Posts** asking for the delivery record against the AWB. The two applications are separate, with separate Rs 10 fees, because the two authorities hold different records. Use the Central RTI portal (rtionline.gov.in) for both - it is faster, leaves a digital trail, and auto-generates the registration number. For the broader mechanics, see [[rti-for-beginners|RTI for beginners]]. | ||
| + | - **Step 6 - Wait 30 days, then appeal.** Under Section 7(1) of the RTI Act, the CPIO must reply within 30 days. If the reply is silent, partial, or wrong, file a **First Appeal under Section 19(1)** with the designated First Appellate Authority of the same department within 30 days of the CPIO's reply deadline. Only after the First Appeal fails do you approach the Central Information Commission. | ||
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| + | Sample questions for the UIDAI RTI (quote your SRN and order date): | ||
| + | |||
| + | - " | ||
| + | - " | ||
| + | - " | ||
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| + | Sample questions for the Department of Posts RTI (quote your AWB): | ||
| + | |||
| + | - " | ||
| + | - " | ||
| + | - "State whether the article was delivered to the addressee personally or to a representative, | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Documents to attach ===== | ||
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| + | - A printout of the myAadhaar "Check Aadhaar PVC Card Status" | ||
| + | - The SMS containing the SRN, and the SMS containing the AWB / consignment number (screenshots are fine). | ||
| + | - The India Post tracking page showing every scan and the final delivery status. | ||
| + | - The India Post online complaint reference number and any reply received. | ||
| + | - The UIDAI grievance reference number and any reply received. | ||
| + | - Proof of payment of Rs 75 (the UPI / card / net banking confirmation). | ||
| + | - For BPL applicants seeking the fee waiver: a copy of the BPL certificate. | ||
| + | - For the Department of Posts RTI, the pincode and address of the delivery post office as shown in tracking. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Common mistakes ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | - **Ordering before updating a stale address.** The card prints the Aadhaar-held address on order day. If you have moved, update the address first, wait for it to reflect, then order. Reordering to the same old address is the single most common - and most expensive - mistake. Remedy: an [[practical-guides: | ||
| + | - **Quoting the old Rs 50 fee in 2026 paperwork.** The fee is Rs 75 since 1 January 2026. A complaint or RTI that says "I paid Rs 50" when you paid Rs 75 (or vice versa) makes your paperwork internally inconsistent. Always use Rs 75 for 2026 orders. | ||
| + | - **Treating the SRN as 28 digits.** It is 14 digits. Quoting a wrong-length SRN guarantees UIDAI cannot locate your order. | ||
| + | - **Filing only one RTI.** UIDAI does not hold the delivery record; the Department of Posts does not hold the print/ | ||
| + | - **Asking the RTI for a reprint.** The RTI Act gives you **records and information**, | ||
| + | - **Paying an " | ||
| + | - **Skipping the grievance and jumping straight to RTI.** The 1947 helpline, the Udai chatbot, the UIDAI grievance portal, and the India Post complaint portal often resolve the matter in days. Skipping them means your First Appeal is weaker, because the appellate authority will ask why you did not use the available channels first. | ||
| + | - **Letting the 30-day appeal clock slip.** If the CPIO does not reply within 30 days, or replies unsatisfactorily, | ||
| + | - **Forgetting that the e-Aadhaar remains valid.** While you chase the PVC card, the e-Aadhaar PDF and the mAadhaar app remain fully valid. No bank, LPG agency, or office can force you to wait for the plastic card. See [[practical-guides: | ||
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| + | ===== Real-life example ===== | ||
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| + | <WRAP center round box> | ||
| + | Meena D., a software tester in Surat, Gujarat, ordered an Aadhaar PVC card on 12 March 2026 from Vadodara (her old address, still on Aadhaar) for **Rs 75**. The 14-digit SRN arrived by SMS. UIDAI handed the card to the Department of Posts on 17 March, and the dispatch SMS carried consignment number EM123456789IN. India Post tracking showed "item delivered" | ||
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| + | She filed an India Post online complaint (reference number 10002345678) and called 1947. Both confirmed the card had been " | ||
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| + | With the address confirmed stale, she filed an [[practical-guides: | ||
| + | </ | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Sample RTI letter ===== | ||
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| + | Below is a template for the **Department of Posts** RTI (the delivery record). Adapt the same structure for UIDAI, replacing the AWB with the SRN and asking for the dispatch record instead. | ||
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| + | < | ||
| + | To the Central Public Information Officer, | ||
| + | Office of the Senior Superintendent of Post Offices, | ||
| + | [Division], [Circle] - [PINCODE] | ||
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| + | Sub: Application under Section 6(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005 | ||
| + | for the delivery record of Speed Post consignment number [AWB number]. | ||
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| + | Sir/Madam, | ||
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| + | I, [full name], resident of [full address with pincode], hereby request the | ||
| + | following information under Section 6(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005, | ||
| + | pertaining to Speed Post consignment number [AWB number], booked by UIDAI and | ||
| + | addressed to [address on the article]: | ||
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| + | 1. The date, time and post office at which the article was delivered. | ||
| + | 2. The name and signature of the person who received the article, and the | ||
| + | | ||
| + | 3. The name and designation of the delivery staff who handed over the article. | ||
| + | 4. Whether the article was delivered to the addressee personally or to a | ||
| + | | ||
| + | | ||
| + | 5. A certified copy of the delivery record / proof of delivery for the article. | ||
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| + | I state that the information sought is of larger public interest and that I am | ||
| + | an Indian citizen. I am filing this application in my personal capacity. The | ||
| + | information sought cannot be denied under any of the exemptions in Section 8 | ||
| + | or Section 9 of the Act. | ||
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| + | As the information pertains to the life and liberty of a person (potential | ||
| + | misuse of a delivered identity document), I request that it be provided within | ||
| + | 48 hours as provided under the proviso to Section 7(1); failing that, within | ||
| + | 30 days as provided under Section 7(1). | ||
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| + | I have deposited the application fee of Rs 10 by [mode - Indian Postal Order | ||
| + | bearing number / online payment receipt number / court-fee stamp]. I am / am | ||
| + | not a BPL applicant [strike out as applicable; if BPL, attach BPL certificate]. | ||
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| + | If the information is denied, I propose to file a First Appeal under Section | ||
| + | 19(1) of the Act. | ||
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| + | Date: [date] | ||
| + | Place: [place] | ||
| + | |||
| + | [Signature] | ||
| + | [Name] | ||
| + | [Address] | ||
| + | [Mobile / Email] | ||
| + | </ | ||
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| + | For the **UIDAI** RTI, use the same skeleton but address it to the CPIO, UIDAI Headquarters (or the relevant Regional Office), change the subject to " | ||
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| + | If you would rather have the letter drafted and checked before you send it, the **AI RTI draft tool** at https:// | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Frequently asked questions ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== How long does the Aadhaar PVC card normally take? ==== | ||
| + | |||
| + | UIDAI hands the printed card to the Department of Posts within 5 working days of the order (excluding the date of request). Speed Post thereafter delivers it as per normal Speed Post norms, which vary by pincode - typically a few days to metro and Tier-1 areas, longer to remote pincodes. If nothing moves for three weeks total, escalate. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Can I order the PVC card without my registered mobile number? ==== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Yes. The order form on myAadhaar accepts a non-registered mobile number for the OTP. You will not see the card preview, but the order, the SRN, and the SMS tracking all work normally. This is useful when your [[practical-guides: | ||
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| + | ==== The card went to my old address. Can India Post redirect it? ==== | ||
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| + | No. The address is printed on the card and on the Speed Post envelope at the time of order, and India Post delivers to the addressed location. Update your Aadhaar address on myAadhaar, wait for it to reflect, then reorder for Rs 75. Reordering to the same stale address is the most common repeat mistake. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Tracking says delivered but nobody at home received it. What do I do? ==== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Get the exact delivery date, time and delivery post office from the India Post tracking page, then register a complaint on indiapost.gov.in quoting the consignment number and complaint type " | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Do I get a refund if the card never arrives? ==== | ||
| + | |||
| + | UIDAI does not publish an explicit refund route for lost or misdelivered PVC cards. In practice the remedy is a documented complaint trail (1947, Udai chatbot, UIDAI grievance portal, India Post complaint, and CPGRAMS at pgportal.gov.in) plus a fresh Rs 75 order if the card is genuinely lost. Keep every reference number - if a refund or redress option is offered later, the trail is your evidence. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Is the PVC card more valid than the e-Aadhaar printout? ==== | ||
| + | |||
| + | No. The e-Aadhaar PDF, the mAadhaar app, and the PVC card carry equal legal validity. If an office rejects your e-Aadhaar printout while accepting a PVC card, that is the office' | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Can a family member order PVC cards for everyone? ==== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Yes. Each card is a separate Rs 75 order against each Aadhaar number, and one mobile number can receive the OTPs for multiple orders. Save each SRN separately, because tracking is per card - one SRN per order, one AWB per dispatch. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Someone else may have collected and misused my card. What do I do? ==== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Get the India Post delivery record first - it names the receiver. If you suspect misuse, lock your biometrics on myAadhaar immediately, | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Should I file the RTI online or by post? ==== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Online, through the Central RTI portal at rtionline.gov.in, | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Where do I escalate if both UIDAI and the Department of Posts stay silent? ==== | ||
| + | |||
| + | File the First Appeal under Section 19(1) with the designated First Appellate Authority of each department. If that too fails, approach the Central Information Commission. In parallel, file a grievance on **CPGRAMS** at pgportal.gov.in, | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Sources ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | - **UIDAI - Order Aadhaar PVC Card Online FAQ** (fee, 14-digit SRN, 5-working-day handover, AWB/SMS tracking, non-registered mobile, address fixed at order): https:// | ||
| + | - **UIDAI - Office Memorandum revising PVC card charge from Rs 50 to Rs 75 inclusive of taxes, notified 1 January 2026**: https:// | ||
| + | - **UIDAI - Contact and grievance redressal** (toll-free 1947, 24x7 IVRS, 12-language live agent hours, Udai chatbot, 8 grievance channels): https:// | ||
| + | - **UIDAI - About UIDAI** (statutory authority under the Aadhaar Act 2016, under MeitY): https:// | ||
| + | - **MeitY - UIDAI page**: https:// | ||
| + | - **Aadhaar Act 2016 - India Code repository**: | ||
| + | - **Department of Posts / India Post - online complaint registration**: | ||
| + | - **India Post - Speed Post complaints and escalation ladder**: https:// | ||
| + | - **CPGRAMS - pgportal.gov.in** (covers UIDAI and Department of Posts): https:// | ||
| + | - **Right to Information Act, 2005 - India Code repository** (Sections 6(1), 7(1), 10, 19(1)): https:// | ||
| + | - **Central RTI Online portal** (rtionline.gov.in, | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Related on RTI Wiki ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | - [[practical-guides: | ||
| + | - [[practical-guides: | ||
| + | - [[practical-guides: | ||
| + | - [[practical-guides: | ||
| + | - [[practical-guides: | ||
| + | - [[practical-guides: | ||
| + | - [[rti-for-aadhaar-update-stuck|RTI for a stuck Aadhaar service]] - the RTI-for lane for any stalled Aadhaar service, including PVC card orders. | ||
| + | - [[rti-for-aadhaar-update-delay-2026|RTI for Aadhaar update delay in 2026]] - current-year framing for Aadhaar service delays. | ||
| + | |||
| + | --- | ||
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| + | *This guide explains the PVC card order and delivery flow, the grievance channels, and the RTI route to extract records from UIDAI and the Department of Posts. It is not legal advice. If your card is genuinely lost, pair the RTI with a fresh Rs 75 order; the e-Aadhaar and mAadhaar remain valid throughout, so no service is blocked while you act.* | ||
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| + | This work is free and kept ad-light by readers. If it saved you time or money, **[donate to support RTI Wiki](https:// | ||
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| + | {{tag> | ||