Guides
Guides to the document problems everyone hits.
Forms that reject your file, copies you would rather not hand over, and applications that ask for six things at once. Here is how to deal with each one.
Document checklists
What each application asks for, from the official pages, with the date we last checked.
Guide
Documents required for passport in India: the 2026 list for a new passport or reissue
For most adults, a fresh passport comes down to two proofs: where you live now and when you were born. The details are where people slip, so here they are in plain words.
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Guide
Passport renewal in India: documents required for re-issue
Renewing an Indian passport is a re-issue, and it usually needs fewer documents than a fresh one. Here is what Passport Seva's document advisor asks for, the fees it lists and the steps to apply online.
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Guide
Documents required for a PAN card in 2026: the Form 93 list
PAN rules changed on 1 April 2026: Indian citizens now apply on Form 93 under the Income-tax Rules, 2026. Many guides still describe Form 49A. Here is the current list.
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Guide
Documents required for a new voter ID card (Form 6)
You register as a voter with Form 6, online, on the Voter Helpline app or through your Booth Level Officer. Here is what to attach, from the Election Commission's own form.
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Guide
KYC documents for opening a bank account in India: the RBI list
Every bank asks for the same core set, because the RBI sets it. Here is that list, taken from the RBI's current KYC Directions, in plain words.
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Guide
Documents required for a driving licence in India: learner's and permanent
One form, Form 2, covers both the learner's licence and the full driving licence. Here is what goes with it, from Parivahan's own pages and forms.
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Guide
Documents required for a home loan in India: what SBI, HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank ask for
Every lender sets its own list, but the big ones agree on most of it. Here is what SBI, HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank each ask for, and where they differ.
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Guide
Documents required for a visa from India: US, UK, Schengen, Canada and Australia
Every country sets its own list, but five things come up for all of them. Here is that core, then what the US, the UK, Schengen countries, Canada and Australia each add, from their own official pages.
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Guide
Documents required for a rent agreement in India, and when to register it
What you need depends on your state and on how long the lease runs. Here is what the law says everywhere, and what Maharashtra, Delhi and Karnataka ask for.
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Guide
REAL ID requirements: the documents every state asks for
Every state follows the same federal minimum, then adds rules of its own. Here is the minimum, what TSA accepts instead, and how the five biggest states differ.
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Guide
REAL ID requirements in California: the DMV checklist
Every state applies the same federal minimum: proof of your full legal name and date of birth, your Social Security number, two proofs of your home address, and lawful status. What follows is what this state adds.
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Guide
REAL ID requirements in Texas: residency documents and the 30-day rule
Every state applies the same federal minimum: proof of your full legal name and date of birth, your Social Security number, two proofs of your home address, and lawful status. What follows is what this state adds.
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Guide
REAL ID requirements in Florida: what to bring to FLHSMV
Every state applies the same federal minimum: proof of your full legal name and date of birth, your Social Security number, two proofs of your home address, and lawful status. What follows is what this state adds.
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Guide
REAL ID requirements in New York: proofs, points and the one-year rule
Every state applies the same federal minimum: proof of your full legal name and date of birth, your Social Security number, two proofs of your home address, and lawful status. What follows is what this state adds.
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Guide
REAL ID requirements in Pennsylvania: the PennDOT document check
Every state applies the same federal minimum: proof of your full legal name and date of birth, your Social Security number, two proofs of your home address, and lawful status. What follows is what this state adds.
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Guide
Form I-9 documents: List A, B and C, explained
Your employer has to see your documents within three business days of your start. Here is what USCIS accepts, and the choice that is yours to make.
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Guide
Proof of address: what counts in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and India
There is no single list: the bank, the DMV and the passport office each publish their own. Here is what the official lists accept in each country, and the date limits that catch people out.
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Guide
How to get your documents ready for a big application
Applications fail for small, boring reasons: one missing paper, a file that is too big, a crooked scan. A little order before you start saves you days later.
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Guide
Moving abroad? The documents to take and how to keep them safe
Some papers you need in your first week abroad, and some only once in five years, usually when they are in a cupboard back in India. Sorting them before you fly saves a lot of calls home.
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Download your ID
Get the official digital copy, then keep it somewhere safer than your Downloads folder.
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How to download your Aadhaar card (e-Aadhaar), including the masked version
e-Aadhaar is the official digital copy, signed by UIDAI and valid like the card. Here is how to download it, and how to pick the masked version that hides your number.
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Guide
e-Aadhaar password: how to open your Aadhaar PDF
Your e-Aadhaar PDF is locked with a password made from your own details: the first 4 letters of your name in capitals, then your year of birth. Here is UIDAI's rule, its examples for short names and initials, and what to check when the PDF still will not open.
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Guide
Masked Aadhaar: what it is, and how to download it
A masked Aadhaar is your e-Aadhaar with the first 8 digits of the number replaced by xxxx-xxxx. UIDAI treats it as a valid form of Aadhaar, so you can prove who you are without handing over your full number.
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Guide
Aadhaar PVC card: how to order it online, the fee and tracking
The Aadhaar PVC card is a wallet-size plastic Aadhaar that UIDAI prints and posts to you. Order it on myAadhaar for Rs 75 (as of 20 October 2026), even without a registered mobile, and it is as valid as e-Aadhaar.
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Guide
Aadhaar address update: documents required, fee and how to do it online
You can change the address on your Aadhaar online, on myAadhaar or in UIDAI's Aadhaar app, for Rs 75 (as of 28 October 2026), with a proof of address in your own name. No document in your name? A family member's Aadhaar can lend you theirs.
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Guide
Aadhaar mobile number update: how to change or link your number
You can change the mobile number on your Aadhaar in UIDAI's Aadhaar app if you can still get OTPs on the old number, or at any Aadhaar centre without it. It costs Rs 75 (as of 28 October 2026) and needs no documents.
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Guide
Aadhaar Virtual ID (VID): what it is and how to generate it
A VID is a 16-digit number linked to your Aadhaar that you can give instead of your Aadhaar number for authentication and e-KYC. Your Aadhaar number cannot be worked out from it, and generating one is free.
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Guide
How to download your PAN card (e-PAN) from Protean, UTIITSL or the Income Tax site
Where you download your e-PAN depends on which agency processed your PAN application. Here are all three official routes, what they cost, and the one that only works for a brand-new PAN.
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Guide
PAN card PDF password: how to open your e-PAN
Your e-PAN arrives as a locked PDF. If it came from Protean (formerly NSDL), the password is your date of birth in DDMMYYYY form. Here is that rule with Protean's own examples, what UTIITSL and the Income Tax Department say, and what to check when the PDF will not open.
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Guide
Link PAN with Aadhaar: how to link, check the status and fix an inoperative PAN
If your PAN was allotted on or before 1 July 2017 and you are not exempt, it has to be linked with your Aadhaar, or it becomes inoperative. You can still link it on the Income Tax e-filing portal after paying a Rs 1,000 fee (as of 29 October 2026).
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Guide
PAN card correction online: change your name, date of birth or address
To change your name, date of birth or another detail on your PAN, apply on Form PAN CR-01 through Protean or UTIITSL, for Rs 101 to Rs 107 in India (as of 2 November 2026). Only changing your address? If your PAN is linked with Aadhaar, that is free with an Aadhaar OTP.
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Guide
PAN card status: track your PAN application, correction or e-PAN
Where you check your PAN status depends on where you applied: Protean, UTIITSL or the Income Tax e-filing site's Instant e-PAN. Here is what each one asks for, and who to call if your card is late.
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Guide
Forgot your PAN number? Know your PAN from official sources
Start with papers that already carry your PAN. If you are registered on the Income Tax e-filing site and your Aadhaar is linked with your PAN, log in with your Aadhaar and read your PAN on your profile. Never apply for a second one.
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Guide
DigiLocker vs UMANG vs mParivahan: which government app does what
DigiLocker holds documents that government departments and agencies issue to you. UMANG puts many central, state and local government services in one app. NextGen mParivahan is the transport app for your licence, RC and vehicle checks. Under a 2018 transport ministry advisory, a licence or RC fetched into either app is legally recognised like the original at a traffic check.
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Guide
How to download your voter ID card (e-EPIC) online
The e-EPIC is a PDF copy of your voter ID that you can keep on your phone or print. Here is how to get it from the Election Commission's portal.
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Guide
How to download your driving licence and RC on your phone, legally valid
A licence or RC fetched into DigiLocker or mParivahan counts like the original during a traffic check. Here is how to get them, and the rules that make them valid.
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Guide
Link or update the mobile number on your driving licence and RC
Parivahan urges every driving licence holder and vehicle owner to keep their mobile number updated, and says it can be done online without visiting an RTO. For a licence, use Mobile Number Update on Sarathi; for a vehicle RC, Vahan's mobile number update.
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Guide
ABHA card download: by mobile, Aadhaar or ABHA number
ABHA, the Ayushman Bharat Health Account, gives you a 14-digit ABHA number for India's digital health records. Download the card on the ABHA portal by logging in with your mobile number, Aadhaar number or ABHA number. Creating one is free and voluntary.
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Lost or stolen
What to do first, and how to get a replacement, country by country.
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Lost your Aadhaar card? How to get it back from UIDAI
Your Aadhaar number does not change when you lose the card. Download the e-Aadhaar from UIDAI's myAadhaar site, which UIDAI says is as valid as the physical copy, or order a PVC card by post (Rs 75 as of 20 October 2026).
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Guide
Lost your passport? What to do in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and India
Report it, then replace it: that order is the same everywhere. The forms, fees and phone numbers are not, so here is each country's official route.
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Guide
Lost your PAN card? How to get a PAN card reprint (duplicate PAN) online
Your PAN does not change when you lose the card. Order a PAN card reprint, what most people call a duplicate PAN card, from the agency that processed your PAN, Protean or UTIITSL (Rs 50 in India as of 6 October 2026), and use an e-PAN while you wait.
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Guide
Lost your driving licence? How to replace it in the UK, India, the US, Canada and Australia
Replacing a licence is quick when you know where to go and have your details to hand. Here is the official route in each country DigiSafe serves.
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Guide
Lost your Aadhaar, PAN card or wallet? What to do, step by step
Losing your wallet feels like losing a week. It goes faster when you do things in the right order, and faster again when you already have the numbers somewhere safe.
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Guide
Lost your voter ID card? How to get a replacement EPIC
There are two answers: a printed replacement card through Form 8, and a digital e-EPIC you can download today. Here is how both work, from the Election Commission's own forms.
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Guide
Lost your RC book? How to get a duplicate registration certificate
A lost registration certificate is replaced by the RTO that last registered the vehicle. Here is the process and the documents, from Parivahan's own pages.
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Guide
Lost your Social Security card? How to replace it for free
A replacement card is free, and you may not need one at all. Here is how the Social Security Administration handles a lost card, step by step.
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Guide
Lost your birth certificate? How to get a copy in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and India
A birth certificate is replaced by the office that registered the birth, not by a national body. Here is where to go in each country DigiSafe serves, from the official pages.
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Guide
How to spot a KYC or Aadhaar scam before you send a copy
A KYC scam rarely looks like a scam. It looks like your bank, your SIM company or a courier, in a hurry, with a problem only you can fix today.
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Sizes, scans and photos
Get a file past the upload form on the first try.
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The best free document scanner apps in 2026, compared honestly
The best free scanner depends on what happens after the scan: a quick PDF, searchable text, or a private home for your IDs. Here is what each free option really does, from each maker's own pages.
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Guide
CamScanner alternatives in 2026: free scanner apps, compared
CamScanner was blocked in India in June 2020, and Microsoft retired Lens in 2026. Here is what each remaining option does, from each maker's own pages, and where DigiSafe fits.
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Guide
Microsoft Lens is gone: the best free alternatives in 2026
Microsoft retired Lens in 2026: it left the app stores on 9 February and stopped making new scans after 9 March. Here is what Microsoft points to, what else is free, and how to keep the scans you already have.
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Guide
Are scanner apps safe for your ID? Adobe Scan, Genius Scan and CamScanner, checked
Is Adobe Scan safe for your Aadhaar, PAN or passport? It saves every scan to Adobe's cloud automatically, and Adobe may analyse stored content unless you opt out. Genius Scan keeps scans on your phone unless you make an account. Here is what each maker says, from its own pages.
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Guide
Which scanner apps are still free? What each charges for in 2026
Yes, you can still get a free scanner app without a subscription. iPhone and Android have one built in, Genius Scan's Basic plan is free and ad-free, and Adobe Scan scans free but charges for compressing and combining. Here is what each gives free and what it charges for, from each maker's own pages.
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Guide
How to compress a PDF or photo to 100 KB or 200 KB for an online form
Upload forms reject files for being a few kilobytes too big, and then tell you nothing useful. Here is how to get under the limit without turning your document into a blur.
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Guide
Photo, signature and document size limits for Indian online forms, in one table
Every Indian form sets its own limit for a photo, a signature and your documents. Here they are in one table, from each official notice, with the free tool that fixes a file that is too big or too small.
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Guide
Passport size photo size in cm and pixels: Indian passport, OCI and visas
Every form wants a slightly different photo. Here are the official sizes for an Indian passport, OCI, an Indian visa and a US visa, in centimetres, pixels and kilobytes.
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Guide
PAN card photo size and signature size for online applications
A PAN application goes through Protean (formerly NSDL) or UTIITSL, and each sets its own upload limits. Here are both, from their official pages.
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Guide
Photo and signature size for NEET and SSC applications in 2026
Exam forms reject uploads for a few kilobytes, and copycat sites still quote old rules. Here is what the NEET UG 2026 bulletin and the SSC 2026 notices actually say.
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Guide
JEE Main 2027 photo and signature size: NTA's upload rules
NTA's JEE Main 2027 Information Bulletin asks for a colour photo of 10 to 200 KB, a signature of 10 to 100 KB and PDFs of 50 to 300 KB. Session 1 applications are open until 22 November 2026.
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Guide
TNPSC photo and signature size: KB, centimetres and pixels
TNPSC asks for a studio photo of 20 to 50 KB with your name and the date printed at the bottom of it, and a signature of 10 to 20 KB signed inside a 6 x 2 cm box. Here are the rules from TNPSC's instructions and its Group IV notification.
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Guide
How to scan documents with your phone so they are clear and accepted
A phone scan gets rejected for small reasons: a shadow, a glare spot, a cut-off corner. Get the light and the angle right, and your phone is all the scanner you need.
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Guide
How to turn photos into one PDF on your phone
Forms ask for one PDF, and your phone gives you five separate photos. Joining them takes a minute, and you do not need to upload anything to do it.
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Keep and share safely
Store your papers so they are there when you need them, and share only what is asked for.
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The best apps to store your documents in India, compared honestly
The best app to store your documents depends on what you keep: official government documents, everyday files, or your own copies of ID papers. Here is what each option really does, from each maker's own pages.
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Guide
Masked Aadhaar: what it is, and how to share one safely
A masked Aadhaar shows only the last four digits of your number, with the first eight hidden. A full copy sent in a chat can give away far more than the job needs.
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Guide
Aadhaar biometric lock: how to lock, unlock and check who used your Aadhaar
Locking your Aadhaar biometrics stops anyone using your fingerprint, iris or face for Aadhaar authentication, while OTP authentication keeps working. Here is how to lock and unlock them, and how to check your authentication history, from UIDAI's own pages.
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Guide
A safer way to send documents than a chat message
Sending your passport as a chat photo is handy for ten minutes and permanent for everyone else. A link you can switch off is a better habit.
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Guide
The safest way to keep your ID documents on your phone
Most people keep their documents as photos in the gallery. It works fine, right up until the day it does not.
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Guide
Where to store passwords safely: what security experts advise
The UK's National Cyber Security Centre recommends passkeys wherever a site offers them, and says a password manager, built into your browser or installed separately, is a tool that lets every account have its own strong password. Here is its advice, where a notes app falls short, and where DigiSafe fits.
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Guide
How to store important documents, on paper and digitally
Originals somewhere safe, copies somewhere else, and a digital set only you can open. That is the short version, and the official advice agrees with it.
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Guide
How to make an emergency binder, and what to put in it
An emergency binder holds copies of the papers you would need after a fire, flood or break-in, in one place you can grab. FEMA publishes a checklist for exactly this, so here it is in plain words.
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Guide
How to never miss a warranty again
The fridge starts making a strange noise, you finally find the bill, and the warranty ended last month. A reminder a few weeks earlier would have saved you the repair bill.
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