Steps to Download e-Aadhaar Card by Aadhaar Number

What Is e-Aadhaar?

e-Aadhaar is typically known as a password-protected electronic copy of Aadhaar which is digitally signed by UIDAI. Once your Aadhaar has been generated, you can download the electronic copy through the official UIDAI channels. It contains all the Aadhaar details displayed on the document and is digitally signed by UIDAI. Biometric information is not displayed on the e-Aadhaar PDF.

Think of it less as a substitute and more as a parallel original. You are not downloading a photocopy of your Aadhaar, you are generating a fresh, digitally signed instance of it that any bank, college, or government office is required to accept.

e-Aadhaar vs Physical Aadhaar

People often assume the plastic or paper card is somehow more "official" than the PDF. It is not. Both carry the same legal weight under the Aadhaar Act, and UIDAI treats them identically for verification purposes.

Note: Fees and turnaround times for the PVC Aadhaar card can change, so always check the current charges on the myAadhaar portal before paying.

For most Indian residents, Aadhaar does not have a routine expiry date. However, Aadhaar issued to certain resident foreign nationals can have a validity period based on their applicable eligibility and immigration documents.

What You Need Before Downloading e-Aadhaar

Before you open the myAadhaar portal, keep three things ready so the process does not stall halfway through.

• Your 12-digit Aadhaar number, or the Enrolment ID (EID), or the Virtual ID (VID), whichever you have on hand


• Access to the mobile number registered with your Aadhaar, since the OTP lands only there


• A device with internet access and a way to open a password-protected PDF afterward

If your registered mobile number is switched off, lost, or simply outdated, skip ahead to the section on downloading without a working registered number rather than starting Step 1 below, which will only waste your time.

How to Download e-Aadhaar by Aadhaar Number

This is the most direct route. It works best if you know your Aadhaar number and are able to receive an OTP on the mobile number registered with Aadhaar. UIDAI sends the OTP only to that number, so if it's lost or was never registered, this route won't work.

1. Visit the official UIDAI myAadhaar portal.
   Open myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in in your browser, or go to uidai.gov.in and use the Download Aadhaar link. Check that the address ends in uidai.gov.in before entering anything. Lookalike sites exist to harvest Aadhaar numbers.

   



2. Select Download Aadhaar.
   On UIDAI's homepage, Download Aadhaar sits under "Access Aadhaar Services." Click it to open the download page.


3. Enter your Aadhaar number.
   UIDAI lets you download using an Aadhaar number, Enrolment ID or Virtual ID. Select the Aadhaar Number option, enter your 12-digit number and type the captcha. If you want a masked copy, tick that option on this page. Masked Aadhaar replaces the first 8 digits with "xxxx-xxxx" and shows only the last 4.

   



4. Complete OTP authentication.
   Click "Send OTP." UIDAI sends a 6-digit OTP to the mobile number registered with your Aadhaar. Enter it and verify. Where the page offers a Time-based OTP (TOTP) option, you can use a code generated in UIDAI's mobile app instead of waiting for an SMS.


5. Download and open the e-Aadhaar PDF.
   Once verification succeeds, click "Verify and Download." The PDF is password-protected. The password is the first four letters of your name in capitals followed by your year of birth (YYYY):
   • SURESH KUMAR, born 1990 → SURE1990
   • SAI KUMAR, born 1990 → SAIK1990
   • P. KUMAR, born 1990 → P.KU1990
   • RIA, born 1990 → RIA1990
   UIDAI recommends Adobe Reader to view the digitally signed file. Under the Aadhaar Act, e-Aadhaar is as valid as the physical card for all purposes.

Other Ways to Download e-Aadhaar

Can't use your Aadhaar number? The same download page accepts two other identifiers, and UIDAI's app is a third route. The OTP still goes to your registered mobile number in every case. If you've forgotten both your Aadhaar number and Enrolment ID, use "Retrieve Lost UID/EID" on the myAadhaar portal first.

Download using Enrolment ID
Use this if you have the acknowledgement slip from your enrolment or update. The Enrolment ID (EID) is 28 digits: a 14-digit enrolment number plus a 14-digit date-time stamp, both printed on the slip.

• Visit myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in/genricDownloadAadhaar/en.


• On the download page, choose the Enrolment ID option, enter the enrolment number and the date and time exactly as printed, add the captcha and complete OTP verification as in the steps above.

Download using Virtual ID
A Virtual ID (VID) is a temporary, revocable 16-digit number mapped to your Aadhaar. Your Aadhaar number can't be derived from it, which makes it useful when you'd rather not share the real number. Only you can generate it, and only one VID is valid at a time.

• Generate: Use the VID generator on the myAadhaar portal, or SMS "GVID" followed by the last 4 digits of your Aadhaar (for example, GVID 1234) to 1947 from your registered mobile. The VID comes back by SMS, and no OTP is needed.


• Forgot it: SMS "RVID" plus the last 4 digits (for example, RVID 1234) to 1947 to retrieve your current VID.


• Replace it: You can generate a new VID after one calendar day (after midnight). The old one is then deactivated.

Once you have it, select the VID option on the download page and follow the same captcha and OTP steps.

Download using the Aadhaar app
UIDAI's Aadhaar app is available on Android (9.0 and above) and iOS (16.0 and above). It lets you download e-Aadhaar, update your mobile number and address, lock and unlock biometrics, check authentication history and share selected Aadhaar details with entities that verify offline. You can add up to five profiles on one app.

1. Install the app from the Play Store or App Store.


2. Register: select your language, enter your Aadhaar number, accept the terms, choose your SIM, complete face authentication and set a 6-digit PIN.


3. Log in with your PIN, go to Services and pick the e-Aadhaar download option.

The app works only in India. It asks for camera, call and SMS permissions for face authentication and SIM-based device binding.

How to Download Masked Aadhaar

A masked Aadhaar hides the first eight digits of your Aadhaar number and shows only the last four, replacing the hidden portion with Xs. It carries the same legal validity as the full number version and is worth using anytime you are submitting a photocopy to a private party, a landlord, or a courier company that genuinely does not need your full Aadhaar number on file.

To get one, follow the exact same steps as a regular download, whether by Aadhaar number, EID, or VID, and simply tick the "Do you want a masked Aadhaar" checkbox before you request the OTP. There is no separate portal or extra fee for this.

Can You Download e-Aadhaar Without a Registered Mobile Number?

This is where a lot of older articles online get sloppy and some genuinely contradict themselves within the same page. The honest answer is that online, OTP-based Aadhaar download always requires a mobile number registered with UIDAI. There is no online workaround that lets you skip this step, no matter what a forum post or a quick blog claims.

If your registered number is no longer active, you have two real options. If you do not have access to the mobile number registered with Aadhaar, online e-Aadhaar download through OTP cannot be completed using that number. In 2026, UIDAI also provides mobile-number updates through the Aadhaar App in certain eligible situations using OTP and face authentication. If you do not have access to the old registered mobile number, or have never registered one, UIDAI says you must visit an Aadhaar Seva Kendra or authorised Aadhaar enrolment and update centre.

Opening, Password-Protecting and Printing Your e-Aadhaar

The downloaded file will not open with a simple double-click. UIDAI password-protects every e-Aadhaar PDF as a basic security layer, since the file often sits unguarded in a Downloads folder or an email attachment. Use any standard PDF reader, Adobe Acrobat works fine, and enter the password when prompted. Get it wrong a few times and most readers will simply ask again, so there is no lockout to worry about.

The e-Aadhaar PDF password is the first four characters of your name in capital letters followed by your four-digit year of birth. For example, if the name is SURESH KUMAR and the year of birth is 1990, the password is SURE1990. UIDAI's examples also show that names shorter than four characters use the available characters, while punctuation in the name may appear in the password. Get the password wrong repeatedly and it is worth re-checking the exact spelling of your name as UIDAI has it on file, not how you usually write it, since a middle name or initial can shift which four letters count as "first."

Once the PDF opens, printing it is no different from printing any other document. Select Print from your PDF reader, choose the number of copies and confirm your printer is connected. A printed e-Aadhaar carries the same legal validity as the original physical card, so there is no need to laminate an "official" version separately. For Aadhaar-related printing or retrieval services, use an authorised Aadhaar centre or UIDAI's official services rather than sharing your Aadhaar file with an unverified third party.

Common Problems When Downloading e-Aadhaar

Even with a straightforward process, things go wrong for a predictable set of reasons. Here is how to work through the common ones without giving up and heading to a centre unnecessarily.

• OTP not received.
  Wait a full two minutes before requesting a resend, since delivery through telecom networks can lag during peak hours. Check that your phone has signal and that SMS is not being filtered by a spam blocker or DND setting on your device. If nothing arrives after two or three attempts, switch to the T-OTP option in the mAadhaar or Aadhaar app instead of the SMS route.


• Registered mobile number not accessible.
  If you have changed your number and never updated it with UIDAI, the OTP is going to a number that is no longer yours. UIDAI's Aadhaar App supports mobile-number updates in certain eligible cases using OTP and face authentication. If you do not have access to the old registered number or no mobile number was previously registered, UIDAI requires you to visit an Aadhaar Seva Kendra or authorised enrolment and update centre.


• e-Aadhaar PDF won't open.
  This is almost always a corrupted or incomplete download rather than a genuine file problem. Delete the file and download it again, ideally on a stable Wi-Fi connection rather than patchy mobile data, and make sure you are opening it with a proper PDF reader and not a browser preview that sometimes mishandles password-protected files.


• Forgotten PDF password.
  Since the password follows a fixed formula, first four letters of your name in capitals plus your birth year, you rarely need to "recover" it. Pull out your Aadhaar acknowledgement slip or an old printed Aadhaar to confirm the exact spelling UIDAI has on record and reconstruct the password from that.

Is e-Aadhaar Valid and Safe to Download Online?

Yes, and this is worth saying plainly because the doubt keeps resurfacing online. UIDAI issues both formats under the same digital signature and legal framework, and no bank, government office, or private company is entitled to reject a downloaded e-Aadhaar just because it is not the original laminated card. e-Aadhaar can also be used where Aadhaar is accepted as an identity document, subject to the requirements of the organisation or service for which it is being submitted.

Downloading through myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in, the official mAadhaar or Aadhaar app, DigiLocker, or UMANG is safe, since every one of these channels routes through UIDAI's own servers and requires OTP verification tied to your registered mobile number. The risk sits entirely with third-party websites that promise a faster or simpler download and ask for your Aadhaar number upfront outside these official channels.

A few habits keep the process safe. Always type the URL directly rather than clicking a link from an SMS or email. Never share the OTP you receive with anyone claiming to help you "verify" your Aadhaar over a phone call, since UIDAI never asks for it that way. And once you are done, delete the downloaded PDF from any shared or public computer before you log off.

Summing Up

Downloading e-Aadhaar by Aadhaar number is genuinely a five-minute job once your registered mobile number is working. Visit myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in, enter your Aadhaar number, verify the OTP and the PDF is in your downloads folder. If you do not remember your Aadhaar number, the Enrolment ID or Virtual ID routes get you to the same place. The password is always the first four letters of your name in capitals plus your birth year, and the PDF you download carries exactly the same legal standing as the physical card sitting in your drawer. The only real blocker is an outdated mobile number, and that has one fix: a short visit to an Aadhaar Seva Kendra to update it, after which online access opens right back up. Keep a masked copy handy on your phone, since between KYC for a bank account, a SIM card, or an insurance policy, you will be asked for it more often than you expect.

FAQs