The password for an e-Aadhaar PDF is the first four letters of your name in capital letters, followed by your year of birth. For SURESH KUMAR born in 1990, it is SURE1990. Type it when the PDF asks. If a website or office needs a copy without a password, save one with Unlock PDF on your own device.

Work out your password

UIDAI explains the rule in its e-Aadhaar password FAQ. Use your name exactly as it is printed on your Aadhaar.

Name on Aadhaar Year of birth Password
SURESH KUMAR 1990 SURE1990
RIA 1990 RIA1990
P. KUMAR 1990 P.KU1990

The letters must be capitals. If your name has fewer than four letters, use all of them. Dots and other marks count as characters when they appear in the first four, as in P.KU1990.

Open the PDF

  1. Download e-Aadhaar from the UIDAI website and find the file on your phone or computer.
  2. Open it in any PDF viewer. It asks for a password.
  3. Type your password. Type the letters in capitals.
  4. If it does not open, check the spelling of your name on the card and your year of birth, then try again.

Save a copy without the password

Some forms and offices ask for a PDF that opens without a password. You can make that copy without sending your Aadhaar to anyone.

  1. Open Unlock PDF and choose your e-Aadhaar file. It stays on this device. Nothing is uploaded.
  2. Type your Aadhaar password in PDF password.
  3. Select “I have permission to unlock these PDFs.”
  4. Click Unlock PDF, then download the copy.
  5. Open the new copy and check that it shows your details without asking for a password.

Keep the original file as well. e-Aadhaar is digitally signed by UIDAI, and a changed copy no longer passes that signature check. If a portal checks the signature, give it the original file.

If the file is too big for a form

Some application portals set a small size limit for documents. After unlocking, use Compress PDF to 200 KB or choose another size in Compress PDF. Open the result and make sure your photo, name and number are still easy to read.

Common problems

What happens What to do
The password is rejected Use capital letters and the four-digit year. Check your name as printed on Aadhaar, including initials and dots.
My name starts with an initial Count the initial and the dot. P. KUMAR becomes P.KU, so the password is P.KU1990.
The unlocked copy will not upload Check the portal’s size limit and file type. Compress the copy if needed.
The portal says the signature is not valid Use the original e-Aadhaar file. A changed copy fails the UIDAI signature check.

Questions

Is it safe to unlock my Aadhaar PDF on a website?

Many websites send your file to their servers first. Unlock PDF works on this device and the file is never uploaded. You can check this yourself on the verify page.

Can I remove the password if I have forgotten my year of birth?

No. You need the correct password to open or unlock the file. Unlock PDF does not guess passwords. Download e-Aadhaar again and check your details with UIDAI.

Is an unlocked copy of e-Aadhaar still valid?

UIDAI says e-Aadhaar is as valid as the physical card. A changed copy fails UIDAI’s signature check, so keep the original for any place that checks it.