Guide
Lost your Aadhaar card? How to get it back from UIDAI
- e-Aadhaar
- As valid as the card
- PVC card
- Rs 75, as of 6 Oct 2026
- PVC delivery
- Up to 30 days, by post
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 6 October 2026).
A real moment
“The bank wants your Aadhaar for KYC this week, and the card is nowhere in the house.”
Download the e-Aadhaar on myAadhaar with an OTP to your registered mobile. UIDAI says e-Aadhaar is equally valid like the physical copy for all purposes. Want a card again? Order an Aadhaar PVC card on the same site, listed at Rs 75 on 6 October 2026.
Fees as listed on 6 October 2026. They come from the official pages in the sources below and can change at any time. DigiSafe cannot guarantee them, so check the official page before you pay.
The official UIDAI pages, linked
e-Aadhaar, as valid as the card
Find a forgotten Aadhaar number
e-Aadhaar
As valid as the card
PVC card
Rs 75, as of 6 Oct 2026
PVC delivery
Up to 30 days, by post
UIDAI helpline
1947
Your Aadhaar number stays the same
Losing the card does not change your Aadhaar number. UIDAI says the Aadhaar letter, the PVC card and e-Aadhaar are equally valid and acceptable. So for a duplicate Aadhaar card, what you need is a fresh copy from UIDAI's official site.
Download the e-Aadhaar
On myAadhaar, open Download Aadhaar and verify with the OTP sent to your registered mobile. You get a PDF digitally signed by UIDAI and locked with a password: the first four letters of your name in capitals, then your year of birth. A masked version, with only the last 4 digits showing, is on the same site.
Order an Aadhaar PVC card
Order an Aadhaar PVC card on myAadhaar, for yourself or for someone else. It carries the latest details in the Aadhaar database and comes by India Post to the address on the card, in up to 30 days. A UIDAI office memorandum revised the fee from Rs 50 to Rs 75, including taxes, and the page listed Rs 75 on 6 October 2026.
Forgot your Aadhaar number?
Use Retrieve Aadhaar Number / EID on myAadhaar. Enter your name as it is on Aadhaar and your date of birth, choose your registered mobile number or email, and verify with the OTP. Then download the e-Aadhaar as above.
No registered mobile number?
UIDAI says a mobile number must be registered with Aadhaar to use its online services. If you never registered one, or no longer have the old number, visit an Aadhaar Seva Kendra or an authorised enrolment and update centre to register or update it. UIDAI's locator on the Bhuvan portal finds the nearest one.
Worried about misuse? Lock your biometrics
On myAadhaar you can lock your biometrics with an OTP to your registered mobile, and UIDAI's Aadhaar app has a one-click biometric lock. myAadhaar also offers a temporary lock on the Aadhaar number itself, so read UIDAI's steps before you use it.
Keep a copy you can get back
Keep the new e-Aadhaar in DigiSafe, encrypted on your phone, with the first 8 digits hidden on copies you send. Lose your phone? Sign in on a new one with your password and PIN, and it comes back. DigiSafe is free today, with no ads.
Watch it
Hide your Aadhaar number, in 16 seconds
DigiSafe hides the first 8 digits of your Aadhaar on a copy, and can stamp what the copy is for across it.
Step by step
- 1
Open myAadhaar, UIDAI's official site.
- 2
Forgot the number? Use Retrieve Aadhaar Number with your name, date of birth and registered mobile or email.
- 3
Download the e-Aadhaar with the OTP sent to your registered mobile.
- 4
Want a card? Order an Aadhaar PVC card and pay the fee shown.
- 5
No registered mobile? Visit an Aadhaar Seva Kendra.
- 6
Keep the e-Aadhaar in DigiSafe, with the number hidden on copies you share.
Questions people ask
Is e-Aadhaar valid if I lost my Aadhaar card?+
Yes. UIDAI says that, as per the Aadhaar Act, e-Aadhaar is equally valid like the physical copy of Aadhaar for all purposes.
How much does an Aadhaar PVC card cost?+
On 6 October 2026, the myAadhaar PVC page listed Rs 75. A UIDAI office memorandum revised the rate from Rs 50 to Rs 75, including taxes. Fees can change, so check the page before you pay.
How long does an Aadhaar PVC card take to arrive?+
The myAadhaar page says up to 30 days. India Post delivers it to the address on your Aadhaar.
How do I find my Aadhaar number if I lost the card?+
Use Retrieve Aadhaar Number / EID on myAadhaar. Enter your name as on Aadhaar and your date of birth, then verify with an OTP to your registered mobile number or email.
What if my mobile number is not registered with Aadhaar?+
UIDAI says a mobile number should be registered with Aadhaar to use its online services, including the e-Aadhaar download. Visit an Aadhaar Seva Kendra or an authorised enrolment and update centre to register your mobile number. UIDAI's Bhuvan locator finds the nearest one.
Is a scan in DigiSafe an official Aadhaar?+
No. DigiSafe is a private app, not connected with UIDAI, and a scan is your own copy. For an official copy, download the e-Aadhaar from myAadhaar.
Where this comes from
Official sources, dated.
Every official detail on this page comes from the pages listed here, last checked on 6 October 2026. Fees, rules and links can change after that date. DigiSafe is a private app, not connected with these offices, and cannot guarantee them, so check the official page before you pay or rely on them.
- 1myAadhaar: Download Aadhaarmyaadhaarbeta.uidai.gov.in
- 2myAadhaar: Order Aadhaar PVC cardmyaadhaarbeta.uidai.gov.in
- 3myAadhaar: Retrieve Aadhaar number / EIDmyaadhaarbeta.uidai.gov.in
- 4myAadhaar: Lock / unlock biometricsmyaadhaarbeta.uidai.gov.in
- 5UIDAI: Aadhaar online services and FAQsuidai.gov.in
- 6UIDAI: Aadhaar app FAQsuidai.gov.in
- 7UIDAI: Office memorandums (PVC fee revision)uidai.gov.in
- 8Bhuvan: Aadhaar Seva Kendra locatorbhuvan-app3.nrsc.gov.in