How to get your lost Aadhaar?

Written By Gautham Krishna   | Published on April 20, 2020




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:

  • Your Aadhaar Number or Enrolment ID or Virtual ID
  • Your Aadhaar Registered Mobile Number or Email Id

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 here 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.
If you wish to get the Aadhaar Letter by post again, you can Order a Reprint of your Aadhaar from here. 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 is here.

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 here 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 here or use your mAadhaar app. The OTP for this service is sent to your registered mobile number or email Id. Once you authenticate 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:

  • Call Aadhaar helpline 1947
  • Confirm your details like Name, Date or Year of Birth, Pin code etc.
  • Note down the Enrolment ID shared on successful verification of details
  • Use this Enrolment ID to Order a Reprint of your Aadhaar from here (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 here 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.
 
Source: This article is retrieved from the Facebook page of UIDAI

FAQs

What are some common queries related to Aadhaar Card?
You can find a list of common Aadhaar Card queries and their answer in the link below.
Aadhaar Card queries and its answers
Where can I get my queries related to Aadhaar Card answered for free?
Tesz is a free-to-use platform for citizens to ask government-related queries. Questions are sent to a community of experts, departments and citizens to answer. You can ask the queries here.
Ask Question
I have lost my mobile number/ do not possess the number that I enrolled with in Aadhaar. How should I submit my Update request?
In case you have lost/do not possess anymore, the mobile, that you have declared at the time of enrolment, you will have to either visit the nearest Update Centre to personally update the information or send your Update request through Post.
Is it mandatory to provide Mobile number details when submitting Update Request through Post/online portal?
Yes, it is mandatory to provide mobile number as it may be used for Verification by calling the Applicant. Status of application will be intimated to the resident by sending an sms on this mobile number. Applications without mobile number for update through post/online will be rejected.
What if the Aadhaar letter does not get delivered to a Resident?
Your Aadhaar number should reach the address provided during enrolment normally within 90 days of enrolment. If not, the resident will need to call/email the UIDAI Contact Centre with the enrolment number.
I lost my Aadhaar card, but I know my Aadhaar number. In this case, can I download a new Aadhaar card using my Aadhaar number from UIDAI website?
Currently there is no option to download Aadhaar number using Aadhaar number. If you lost your Aadhaar card, you can contact our toll-free number 1800-4251-1800 or your nearest Akshaya centre and give your Aadhaar number or your basic details like name, pin code, address, house name, etc., and get your EID number using the look-up facility available with them and using that you can download your Aadhaar card from the website www.eaadhaar.uidai.gov.in or from your nearest Akshaya centre.
I enrolled for Aadhaar long back, but I lost my EID slip and I did not receive my Aadhaar letter yet. What should I do now?
You can contact our toll-free number 1800-4251-1800 or visit your nearest Akshaya centre and give your basic demographic details like name, date of birth, name of house, pin code, etc., and they will provide you your EID number with which you can check the status of your Aadhaar.