How to Apply for Baal Aadhaar (Aadhar) for a Child or Newborn?

What is Baal Aadhaar?

Baal Aadhaar is the Aadhaar given to a child under 5. It works like any other Aadhaar, but it is made in a simpler way:

• Through a parent. The child is enrolled under a parent or legal guardian, called the Head of Family (HoF). The child's address is taken from that parent's Aadhaar.
• Photo only. Children under 5 give no fingerprints or iris scans. A parent gives a fingerprint or iris scan instead.
• Free. New enrolment costs nothing at any centre.
• Updated later. The child must give fingerprints and iris scans at age 5 and again at 15. These are the mandatory biometric updates (MBU).

Children aged 5 to 17 can also get a new Aadhaar. They give a photo, all 10 fingerprints and both irises, like adults. News reports in August 2025 said Baal Aadhaar data can be shared with birth registrars, with the parents' consent, to stop duplicate enrolments.

Which route fits your child's age?

Which documents do you need for a child's Aadhaar?

These rules come from the 2026 Schedule II (List I for under 5, List II for ages 5–17). For every document and purpose, see Documents required for Aadhaar.

Who can be the Head of Family for a child?

• Only the mother, father or a legal guardian with a valid Aadhaar.
• Both parents' Aadhaar numbers are needed. One is enough if the child lives with a single parent or guardian.
• One of them must confirm with a fingerprint or iris scan, so at least one parent comes along.
• The child's address is copied from the HoF's Aadhaar. Update the parent's address first if it is old.

Checklist before you leave home

• The child
• Original birth certificate (NRI: the child's Indian passport)
• Mother's and father's Aadhaar (or the single parent's or guardian's)
• A mobile number to link. It is optional, but a parent's number works and lets you download the e-Aadhaar later
• For a guardian: the legal guardianship document

How do you enrol a child at an Aadhaar centre?

1. Find a centre and book a slot

   Children can enrol at any Aadhaar enrolment centre, such as an Aadhaar Seva Kendra or a bank or post office centre. (Adults need a designated centre; children don't.) A normal CSC or cyber café can't enrol. Booking is free at bookappointment.uidai.gov.in for centres listed there; other centres are walk-in only.

2. Take the originals

   Take the birth certificate and the parents' Aadhaar. The operator scans the originals and gives them back.

3. Check the details on screen

   The name must be entered exactly as on the birth certificate, with no titles. Check the spelling and date of birth before anyone gives biometrics.

4. Confirm with the parent's biometrics

   One parent gives a fingerprint or iris scan. For a child under 5, only the child's photo is taken. From age 5, the child also gives all 10 fingerprints and both irises.

5. Keep the enrolment slip

   The slip shows the 28-digit Enrolment ID (EID). You need it to check status and download the Aadhaar.

   You'll know it worked when you have the printed slip with the EID. UIDAI's session standard is up to 20 minutes.

• Timings: Aadhaar Seva Kendras usually open on Sundays too. They close on about 10 holidays a year, such as Republic Day, Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti. Most work 9:30 am–5:30 pm with a lunch break from 1 to 2 pm, so avoid arriving at 1 pm. Check your centre before you go.

Find a centre bhuvan-app3.nrsc.gov.in

Can a postman make Baal Aadhaar at home?

In some areas. India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) lists free child enrolment at a few post offices, and in our experience its postmen also enrol children up to 5 years at your door. In our experience they also do children's mandatory biometric updates, though IPPB's own page doesn't list them. 155299 is IPPB's general contact line: ask there or at your post office. See Aadhaar services at home (IPPB).

What happens after enrolment?

• Status: check it on myAadhaar with the EID. See Enrolment status and Aadhaar not received.
• Download: on myAadhaar or in the Aadhaar App, with the EID. The OTP goes to the registered mobile. Without a registered mobile, the e-Aadhaar can't be downloaded. See Download e-Aadhaar.
• Password example: a child named RIA, born in 2024, has the password RIA2024.
• Plastic card: a PVC card costs ₹75, including GST and Speed Post. Order it on myAadhaar or, in our experience, in the Aadhaar App. See Order an Aadhaar PVC card.

When must a child update biometrics?

A Baal Aadhaar has only a photo. As the child grows, UIDAI needs fingerprints and iris scans. These mandatory biometric updates (MBU) are due twice:

• Don't miss it. If the update is not done after age 7, the Aadhaar "may be deactivated". UIDAI sends SMS reminders.
• Exams and scholarships: families report that a missed update blocked NEET, JEE or CUET registration and scholarships.
• School camps: school MBU drives started in September 2025. News reports say over 2 crore updates were done in 1.56 lakh schools by August 2026. Ask your child's school.
• At home: IPPB postmen also do children's biometric updates, in our experience (IPPB's own page doesn't list this service).

Full steps: Child biometric update at 5 and 15. Find your child's exact dates with the child update due-date calculator.

What problems come up, and how do you fix them?

Get a birth certificate when you have none

Before you start: for a child under 5, the birth certificate (under the RBD Act 1969) is the proof of both relationship and date of birth. It is compulsory for everyone born on or after 1 October 2023.

How to fix: register the birth with your local birth registrar. Is the registration late? A Delhi High Court ruling of March 2026 was reported on this. It said late birth registration needs an order from the DM or SDM, decided within 3 months.

After: enrol the child with the new certificate. Check the child's name and date of birth on it carefully. Later, an under-18 child's declared date of birth can be changed only with a birth certificate. See Change date of birth.

Enrol the parent first when they have no Aadhaar

Before you start: a child under 5 can only be enrolled through a mother, father or legal guardian who has a valid Aadhaar.

How to fix: the parent applies for their own Aadhaar first. Adults can enrol only at designated centres, such as Aadhaar Seva Kendras. See Apply for a new Aadhaar.

After: once the parent's Aadhaar is generated, enrol the child with it.

Fix a name mismatch

Before you start: names and dates of birth must match across all documents. The relationship proof must show both the child's and the parent's names. In our experience, if the father's name differs between two documents, the application gets rejected.

How to fix:

• Parent's Aadhaar is wrong: correct the parent's name at a centre (₹75). A name can be changed only twice in a lifetime.
• Birth certificate is wrong: ask the office that issued it to correct it before you enrol.
• Child's name typed wrongly at the centre: UIDAI's name-update rules of 18 September 2026 were reported in the news. Under them, a minor's data-entry error needs the Annexure C affidavit plus an identity proof.

After: enrol or update with matching documents, and check the screen before biometrics.

Bottom line

Baal Aadhaar is free and quick: the birth certificate, the parents' Aadhaar and a photo of the child are enough. Put the dates for the updates at 5 and 15 in your calendar. For help, UIDAI's free helpline is 1947.