Aadhaar card is one of our most important documents today, without which all work, from banking to government schemes, comes to a halt. Losing your Aadhaar card is a major stress. But the good news is that you no longer need to visit an office or pay hefty fees to get your Aadhaar card back.
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has made the Aadhaar recovery process so easy and secure that you can recover it from your smartphone. In this article, we’ll show you the precise and magical way to find your Aadhaar number and download the free e-Aadhaar PDF, which will get your work done in no time.
What to do first if you lose your Aadhaar card
If you’ve lost your Aadhaar card and don’t remember your 12-digit Aadhaar number (UID), stay calm and don’t panic. In this era of Digital India, all your data is safe, and you can recover it using your registered mobile number. This entire Aadhaar recovery process is completely paperless and free.
You just need to have an active mobile number linked to your Aadhaar, as all verification is done through an OTP. You can restore your identity in just a few minutes using the UIDAI’s official website or the mAadhaar app.
Recovering a Lost Aadhaar Number
If you don’t have a photocopy of your Aadhaar and have forgotten your number, retrieve it using this powerful method. First, visit the UIDAI’s official website and click on the ‘Retrieve Lost or Forgotten EID/UID’ option under the ‘My Aadhaar’ tab on the homepage. A new page will open where you’ll need to enter your full name and the mobile number or email ID already registered with your Aadhaar.
After entering the details, enter the captcha code displayed on the screen and click ‘Send OTP’. An OTP will be sent to your registered mobile number. Upon entering and submitting it, your 12-digit Aadhaar number will be sent to your mobile via SMS. This process is completely secure, and your personal data remains confidential.
How to download ‘e-Aadhaar’
Once you receive your Aadhaar number via SMS, downloading a digital copy of the physical card, i.e., e-Aadhaar, is very simple. To do this, visit the UIDAI website again and select the ‘Download Aadhaar’ option. Enter the 12-digit Aadhaar number that you just received via SMS. After entering the captcha code, click ‘Send OTP’ again.
After entering the OTP, once you click ‘Verify & Download,’ your Aadhaar card will be saved to your phone as a password-protected PDF. Note that the password for this PDF is the first four letters of your name in capital letters and your year of birth. For example, if your name is RAJESH and your year of birth is 1990, your password would be RAJE1990. You do not need to spend a single penny for this entire process.