Guide
How to download your PAN card (e-PAN) from Protean, UTIITSL or the Income Tax site
- Protean (NSDL)
- Free 3 times within 30 days, then Rs 8.26
- UTIITSL
- Free within a month, then Rs 8.26, by email
- Instant e-PAN
- Free, only if you have no PAN yet
Where you download your e-PAN depends on who issued your PAN. Here are all three official routes, what they cost, and the one that only works for a brand-new PAN.
A real moment
“The bank wants your PAN card by email, and the card is laminated, faded and somewhere in a file. You only need the PDF.”
If Protean (NSDL) processed your latest PAN application, request the e-PAN on its site: free three times within 30 days of allotment, Rs 8.26 after that. UTIITSL does the same for PANs issued through it, by email. The Income Tax site's Instant e-PAN is only for people who do not have a PAN yet.
Protean, UTIITSL and Income Tax, side by side
When it is free, and when it costs Rs 8.26
The PDF password
Protean (NSDL)
Free 3 times within 30 days, then Rs 8.26
UTIITSL
Free within a month, then Rs 8.26, by email
Instant e-PAN
Free, only if you have no PAN yet
Validity
e-PAN is a valid proof of PAN
Protean (formerly NSDL)
Protean's e-PAN service works if your latest PAN application went through Protean. Enter your PAN or acknowledgement number, Aadhaar, and month and year of birth, then verify with an OTP. It is free three times within 30 days of allotment or a change, and Rs 8.26 a request after that. Protean says the PDF opens with your date of birth as DDMMYYYY.
UTIITSL
If your PAN was issued through UTIITSL, request it on UTIITSL's e-PAN page with your PAN and month and year of birth. The OTP and the e-PAN both come by email, to the address on your PAN record. It is free within a month of issue, then Rs 8.26 a request.
Income Tax: Instant e-PAN, for a first PAN
The Income Tax e-filing site gives a free Instant e-PAN to adults who do not have a PAN yet, using Aadhaar with a linked mobile and DigiLocker for proof of date of birth. It cannot replace a lost PAN. Once allotted, you can download it from the same Instant e-PAN page with an Aadhaar OTP.
Is an e-PAN valid?
Yes. Protean calls the e-PAN a digitally signed PAN card in electronic form and a valid proof of allotment of PAN, and the Income Tax Department says an Instant e-PAN is a valid form of PAN.
Keeping it in DigiSafe
DigiSafe cannot import a password-protected PDF yet. Keep the official PDF as it is for uploads that need the digital signature, and add a copy to DigiSafe by scanning a printout or saving an unlocked copy.
Step by step
- 1
Check who issued your PAN: Protean or UTIITSL.
- 2
Open that agency's e-PAN download page.
- 3
Enter your PAN and birth month and year, and verify the OTP.
- 4
Pay Rs 8.26 if your free window has passed.
- 5
Open the PDF with the password the agency gives.
- 6
Add a copy to DigiSafe, and keep the original PDF too.
Questions people ask
Is downloading an e-PAN free?+
Protean's is free three times within 30 days of allotment or a change, and UTIITSL's within a month of issue. After that, each costs Rs 8.26. The Income Tax Instant e-PAN is free.
Can I use Instant e-PAN if I lost my PAN card?+
No. The Income Tax Department says the Instant e-PAN service is only for people who do not already have a PAN.
What is the password for an e-PAN PDF from Protean?+
Protean says it is your date of birth in DDMMYYYY form, so 15 March 1990 becomes 15031990.
Is an e-PAN as valid as the PAN card?+
Yes. Protean describes the e-PAN as a valid proof of allotment of PAN, and the Income Tax Department calls the Instant e-PAN a valid form of PAN.
Where this comes from
Official sources, dated.
Every requirement on this page comes from the official pages listed here, last checked on 1 October 2026. Rules change and offices can ask for more, so check the official page before you go.
- 1Protean: Request and download e-PANonlineservices.proteantech.in
- 2Protean: Download e-PAN using PAN numberproteantech.in
- 3UTIITSL: e-PAN cardpan.utiitsl.com
- 4Income Tax Department: Instant e-PAN user manualincometax.gov.in
- 5Income Tax Department: Instant e-PAN FAQsincometax.gov.in
- 6Income Tax Department: FAQ on e-PAN (PDF)incometax.gov.in
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