Lost your Aadhaar? Here’s how to get it back…
Aadhaar is today the most trusted identity proof that is used by people across the country everyday. However, if you lose your Aadhaar, due to some mishap, what can you do? Firstly, if you lose a printed copy of Aadhaar, file an FIR with your local police station. This should be done for any important document. Next, you can retrieve your Aadhaar easily by following the below steps.
To retrieve your Aadhaar you need the below information:
1. Your Aadhaar Number or Enrolment ID or Virtual ID
2. Your Aadhaar Registered Mobile Number or Email Id
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Case 1: You have your Aadhaar number and registered mobile number
If you have your Aadhaar number then the process is simple. You can download your Aadhaar from: https://eaadhaar.uidai.gov.in/#/ or from the mAadhaar App in your smartphone and use a printed copy of your eAadhaar. This downloaded eAadhaar is a legally valid version of your Aadhaar and is as acceptable as the Aadhaar letter sent via Post. Watch a tutorial on how to download Aadhaar here: https://youtu.be/DO0nIh9LJmA
If you wish to get the Aadhaar Letter by post again, you can Order a Reprint of your Aadhaar from: https://resident.uidai.gov.in/ order-reprint . You can also use the reprint service from your mAadhaar App. For a nominal fee of Rs. 50, you can get a reprinted Aadhaar delivered to your address within 15 days via speed post. Tutorial to use this service: https://youtu.be/TCyvnWXDDAQ
Case 2: You have your Aadhaar number but don’t have registered mobile number/ email ID
You can still order a reprint of your Aadhaar from https://resident.uidai.gov.in/order-reprint by giving an alternate mobile number to receive OTP. However, in this case, a preview of the Aadhaar details will not be available before you make the payment.
Also note that this does not mean that the new mobile number you gave gets registered in your Aadhaar. Mobile number update requires mandatory biometric authentication. For that you will need to visit an Aadhaar Kendra.
Case 3: You don’t have Aadhaar number but have your registered mobile number/ email ID
In this case, you can retrieve your Aadhaar number from: https://resident.uidai.gov.in/lost-uideid or use your mAadhaar app. The OTP for this service is sent to your registered mobile number or email Id. Once you athenticate by entering the OTP received, your Aadhaar number is sent to the mobile number/ email Id.
You can use the received Aadhaar number to either download your Aadhaar or Order a reprint of your Aadhaar as explained in case 1.
Case 4: You don’t have both Aadhaar number and registered mobile number/ email ID
This might also be the case for residents who enrolled for Aadhaar but did not receive their Aadhaar. Now when they try to re-enroll, their new enrolment gets rejected stating that Aadhaar already exists. In such cases, the resident needs to follow the below steps:
1. Call Aadhaar helpline 1947
2. Confirm your details like Name, Date or Year of Birth, Pin code etc.
3. Note down the Enrolment ID shared on successful verification of details
4. Use this Enrolment ID to Order a Reprint of your Aadhaar from: https://resident.uidai.gov.in/order-reprint (see case 2 for more details)
Case 5: Downloading Aadhaar with biometric authentication
In addition to the above, most Aadhaar Kendras across the country also offer the facility of downloading Aadhaar with biometric authentication. You can get details of your nearby Aadhaar Kendra from: https://appointments.uidai.gov.in/easearch.aspx or on call from the Aadhaar helpline 1947 or from your mAadhaar App. With some basic identity details like Name, Date or Year of Birth, Pin code etc. and biometric authentication, your Aadhaar can be retrieved, downloaded and then printed. The charges for this service are Rs. 30.
Aadhaar: An identity card that is never lost
If you did not receive your Aadhaar or lose your Aadhaar, you don’t need to worry. Aadhaar is truly an identity document that you can never lose. You can retrieve it easily in any of the cases described above.
