Which Aadhaar (Aadhar) Form Do You Need, and How Do You Fill It In?

Which Aadhaar form do you need?

UIDAI has 8 forms. The right one depends on three things: whether you are an Indian or a foreign national, your age, and whether your address proof is in India or abroad. The same form is used for a new Aadhaar (enrolment) and for an update; you tick which one at the top.

Applying for a new Aadhaar? The whole process, from documents to the waiting time, is in how to apply for a new Aadhaar.

Where do you get the Aadhaar form, and is it free?

• Where: UIDAI's Enrolment & Updates page, in the documents section. It lists the 8 forms and the official list of accepted documents as PDFs. Most forms are offered in several Indian languages.
• Cost: the form is free. UIDAI's forms carry no price, and a new Aadhaar is free too.
• Use the current version. UIDAI put up new 2026 versions of all 8 forms, replacing the older ones. The 2024 "Form 9" (cancel Aadhaar at 18) is no longer on the page.
• Print and fill it before you go, so you have time to copy names and the address exactly from your documents.

How do you fill in Form 1, field by field?

Form 1 is the adult form for residents and for NRIs with an Indian address. The other forms follow the same pattern (see what changes). Keep your identity, address and date-of-birth proofs next to you while you fill it in. A simplified picture of the layout is in the illustration below.

1. Tick the purpose: Enrolment or Update

   Tick Enrolment for a new Aadhaar, or Update to change details in an existing one. Tick only one. Enrol only once: a second enrolment is rejected unless UIDAI advises otherwise.

2. Tick your resident status

   Tick Resident Indian or NRI. A resident is someone who has lived in India for 182 days or more in the 12 months before applying. NRIs don't need to meet the 182-day rule.

3. Write your name exactly as on your identity proof

   Copy the name letter by letter from your proof of identity. Leave out titles, honorifics, qualifications and service names, such as Mr, Smt, Dr, Er, CA, Adv or IAS, and aliases such as "urf" or "a.k.a.".

   Common mistake: adding a title or an alias, for example "Dr" or "Smt" before the name, or "urf Pappu" after it. The form says to leave these out.

   Common mistake: a name spelled slightly differently on your identity and address proofs, such as "Mohd" and "Mohammad". At our counter this is sometimes accepted and sometimes rejected, so use documents that match.

4. Tick your gender

   The options are Female, Male and Third gender / Transgender. Gender can be changed only once in a lifetime, so check it.

5. Fill your date of birth and tick how it is proved

   Write the date as DDMMYYYY, or your age if you don't know the date. Then tick Verified, Declared or Approximate.

   • Tick Verified only if you show a date-of-birth proof.
   • With Declared or Approximate, only your year of birth is printed on the card.
   • Date of birth can be changed only once in a lifetime. See Aadhaar update: fees and limits.

6. Give an email address

   Email is optional for residents but mandatory for NRIs (and for foreign nationals on Forms 7 and 8).

7. Give a mobile number

   The mobile number is optional on the form. Still, give one if you can: without a registered mobile you can't get OTPs, for example to download e-Aadhaar. A non-Indian mobile number gets no SMS. In our experience a family member's number, such as a parent's or son's, can be linked without any problem.

8. Choose the basis: documents or Head of Family

   Tick Document verification if you have your own proofs. Tick Confirmation by Head of Family (HoF) if a family member's Aadhaar will confirm your details. Then fill only the matching part of the form.

9. Write the address as it appears on your proof

   The address has separate boxes: House / Building / Flat, Street, Landmark, Ward number, Area / Locality / Sector, Village / Town / City, Post Office and PIN code. Post Office and PIN code are mandatory. The village, district and state are filled in automatically from the PIN code. Small differences from the proof are allowed. Your Aadhaar letter is sent by India Post to this address.

   Common mistake: a wrong PIN code. Copy it from your proof of address.

   Common mistake: an address worded differently from the document, too long, or with parts repeated. Write each part once, in its own box, in the same words as the proof.

   Common mistake: the landmark written in the wrong box. Put it only in the Landmark box, or leave it out.

   More on wording the address: how to change the address in Aadhaar.

10. List your documents

    Write the names of your proof of identity (PoI), proof of address (PoA) and, if you have one, proof of date of birth (DoB). Choose them from UIDAI's list of accepted documents. You show the originals at the centre; they are scanned and returned. For NRIs, the valid Indian passport is the only accepted identity proof. Which documents count for what: documents required for Aadhaar, or test one with the Aadhaar document checker.

    Common mistake: your father's or husband's name differs between your two documents. At our counter such applications get rejected. Get one document corrected first.

    Common mistake: bringing only a DigiLocker copy on your phone. Centres want the physical original, or a printout of the e-document that shows a valid digital signature.

11. Fill the Head of Family details (HoF route only)

    Write the HoF's name and Aadhaar number, your relationship, and the document that proves it (it must show both names). The HoF signs to give consent. Who can be the HoF depends on the purpose:

    • New Aadhaar (enrolment): your mother, father or legal guardian, aged 18 or older.
    • Address update: your mother, father, legal guardian, spouse, child or ward, or sibling, aged 18 or older.

    No documents at all? Read how to get Aadhaar without documents.

12. Fill the update part (updates only)

    Write your Aadhaar number and tick only what you want to change: Biometric (photo, fingerprints, irises), Name, Date of birth, Gender, Address, Mobile, Email, or Update of PoI and PoA documents. In the details above, fill in only the fields that change.

    Name can be changed twice in a lifetime, gender and date of birth once. Fees and limits: Aadhaar update guide.

13. Read the declaration and sign

    By signing you confirm that the details are correct, that you are entitled to the documents, and that you have lived in India for 182 days or more in the last 12 months, or are an NRI with a valid Indian passport. You also agree to electronic verification of your documents.

    • A wrong declaration can lead to your Aadhaar being deactivated and to legal action.
    • You can give a thumb impression instead of a signature. The verifier at the centre also signs.
    • For a person with a disability, a lawful guardian signs where the guardianship covers consent.

    You'll know the form is ready when every ticked section is filled, the name matches your identity proof letter by letter, and the PIN code matches your address proof.

What changes in Forms 2 to 8?

For children, see Baal Aadhaar for children. For NRIs and OCI cardholders, see Aadhaar for NRIs and OCI.

What does the Aadhaar form look like?

This drawing shows the order of the parts in Form 1, so you know what to expect. It is our illustration, not the official form: download the real form from UIDAI and fill that one.

• Parts 1–4 are for everyone: purpose, resident status, your details, and the basis.
• Part 5 or Part 6: fill the document part or the Head of Family part, matching the basis you ticked.
• Part 7 is only for updates.
• Declaration (D) and fee box (₹): read both before you sign.

Which fees are printed on the form?

Every 2026 form carries the same fee box. Charges are the same at every centre.

All fees in one place: Aadhaar update: fees and limits. To add up your own fee, use the Aadhaar fee calculator.

What happens to the form at the Aadhaar centre?

1. Go to the right centre

   A new Aadhaar for an adult is taken only at designated centres, such as Aadhaar Seva Kendras, CSC state and district centres, and designated post office, railway and State Registrar centres. Child enrolment is not limited to these centres. Booking at an Aadhaar Seva Kendra is free, needs no Aadhaar-registered mobile, and allows up to 2 appointments a month: book an Aadhaar appointment.

2. Hand over the form and your originals

   The operator enters your details from the form and scans your original documents. The originals are given back to you.

3. Check every detail on the screen

   Before the operator submits, read your name, date of birth, gender, address and PIN code on the screen. Ask for any correction before it is submitted.

4. Give your biometrics

   From age 5: photo, all 10 fingerprints and both irises. Below 5: photo only. A session normally takes up to 20 minutes.

5. Keep the acknowledgement slip

   For a new Aadhaar, the slip shows your enrolment ID (EID): a 14-digit enrolment number plus a 14-digit date and time stamp. For an update, it shows the number that tracks your request (an enrolment number or an update request number). You need it to check the status.

   You'll know it worked when the status page accepts the number from your slip. UIDAI's charter aims to generate a child's Aadhaar within 30 days and an adult's within 180 days.

What goes wrong with the form, and how do you fix it?

Bottom line

Pick the form by citizenship, age and address: Form 1 for most adults. It's free. Write your name and address exactly as on your proofs, without titles, bring the originals, and check the screen before you give biometrics. For help, UIDAI's free helpline is 1947.