How to apply for Aadhaar Card: Your complete guide

Aadhaar card is a Unique Identification, a 12-digit random number, that serves as a proof of identity and address for every Indian individual including children, infants, transgenders and differently-abled "anywhere and anytime" in India.

The significant feature of Aadhaar card is that it is devoid of any classification on the basis of caste, creed, religion and geography and it empowers the Indian citizens.

Benefits

• Enables a person to verify his/her identity universally. Can be used at multiple places to prove one's identity for opening a bank account, applying for passport and at many other places.
• Allows deprived and needy people in accessing services like banking facilities.
• Highly effective for people residing in rural and semi-urban areas to avail the government schemes and other facilities
• Eliminates the threat of any fraud and bogus activity.

Uses of Aadhaar Card

• Can be used in areas like employment, education, pension schemes, healthcare, insurance, property transactions, Public Distribution System, inclusion & social security.
• MNREGA workers can receive their wages on time and directly in their accounts.
• Used in Know Your Customer (KYC) authentication for insurance, demat account, mutual fund schemes, landline and mobile phones, vehicle purchase and new gas connections.

How to apply?

• Go to any authorized Aadhaar enrollment center anywhere in India with your identity and address proof.
• If your locality is not listed in the online appointment application website, you will have to walk-in at any nearby Aadhaar card center, without prior appointment.
• You can get free Aadhaar card application form(s) at the center itself, or you may choose to download it online.
• It is advisable to download, take a print out and go to the Aadhaar card center with the already filled application form(s) to save time at the center.
• At the time of enrollment, your photo, finger-prints and iris scan will be taken.
• Carefully review the details you have provided and make corrections, if any, during the enrollment itself.
• During enrollment, you will receive an acknowledgment slip, till the time you don't receive your original Aadahar Card copy.
• The information details will be verified centrally before you are issued Aadhaar Card.
• On successful verification, you will first receive an SMS and/or email notification and later after a few days your Aadhaar number will be printed and sent to your address through post.

Who is eligible?

• Any resident of India, Non Resident Indian (NRI) or any foreign citizen residing in India is eligible to apply for Aadhaar Card.
• An individual of any age can apply for Aadhaar number.
• A child of age less than 3 years does not require giving biometric information and in this case Aadhaar will be linked to the parents or guardian of that child. However, that child needs to give his/her biometric information when he is of 5 years in age.
• For a child who has enrolled for Aadhaar and is of the age of 5 to 15 years has to give his/her biometric information again when his/her age becomes 15 years.
• This process of re-registering is necessary because the biometrics of a person changes with age. The biometrics of a person will be different when he is a child and when he will be an adult.

Required Documents

For Proof of Identity (Anyone of the following)

Photo ID card, Ration card, Passport, PAN Card, Driving License.

For Proof of Address (Anyone of the following)

Water, Electricity, Telephone bills from the last 3 months.

Other documents:

• In case, if one does not have any proof of identity/address, in that case, the proof of relationship with the head of the family can be produced.
• For example: Birth Certificate, PDS Card, MNREGA Job Card, ESIC Medical Card, Pension Card
• Applicant can also take the help of an Introducer, available at the enrolment centre, who are notified by the Registrar.

Time for preparation

• Usual processing time for Aadhaar card is 60 to 90 days. However it could take longer due to stringent verification process followed and also depending upon the backlog.
• In case there are any issues found for an application during verification, corrective actions are taken wherever possible, else a rejection letter asking the resident to re-enroll is dispatched through post.
• India Post is entrusted with the responsibility of printing and delivery of Aadhaar letters. It may take 3 to 5 weeks to print and deliver Aadhaar letters to the residents.

Important Facts to know about Aadhaar Card

• UIDAI was established in 2009 with a mandate to generate and assign UID numbers to residents of India.
• Under the UIDAI scheme, enrolment is done by registrars through enrolment agencies, and the government provides outcome-based financial assistance to them.
• More than 67.38 crore Aadhaar numbers have been generated so far by the UIDAI since August 2010, when the first such card was generated.
• The total expenditure incurred by UIDAI since its inception is Rs 4,906 crore (as on August 31, 2014).