Lost Your Aadhaar Card? Here’s What You Should do

The Buyt Desk

In India, 95% of the citizens possess an Aadhaar card and use it at least once a month. This fact points to the importance an Aadhaar card holds in the country today. Most of the public services are linked or being linked with the Aadhaar card. It is an important proof of identity. It is a matter of concern if you lose your Aadhaar card. With access to your biometric information, someone can commit fraud. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has put in place simple solutions in case your Aadhaar card is stolen or lost. You can apply for a duplicate copy of the Aadhaar card. You can also avail “lock and unlock” facility for the Aadhaar identification number.

Process to request a reprint of your Aadhaar card

∙ Online: Visit the website of the UIDAI https://uidai.gov.in. Then visit the page “Retrieve Lost or Forgotten EID/UID”. Henceforth, fill in your details like UID, name, email address, and mobile number. After the captcha verification, you will receive an OTP on your registered mobile phone via SMS. Enter the OTP on the web page and click “Submit”. You will be redirected to the Payment page. The cost of a reprint along with delivery charges and GST is Rs.50. After making the online payment, you can download the acknowledgment slip. You will receive the Aadhaar card within a time of 15 days by speed post.

On-call or at center: You can also request a duplicate Aadhaar card at the UIDAI toll-free number 1800-180-1947 or 1947 or the nearest Aadhaar Enrolment Center. At the center, biometric verification will confirm your identity. While on the call, IVR options will confirm your identity. After the verification, in both cases, the duplicate card will be sent to your residential address by registered post.

Way to check your Aadhaar card reprint status

You can check the status of your reprint request using the EID (Enrolment ID) or SRN (Service Request Number) given on the acknowledgment slip. To check the status, visit https://resident.uidai.gov.in/check-aadhaar.

Process to “lock and unlock” an Aadhaar card

Visit https://resident.uidai.gov.in/aadhaar-lockunlock to request locking or unlocking your Aadhaar card. The process is simple. Fill in details like name, UID, pin code, captcha, and click on “Send OTP”. Enter the OTP received on your registered mobile phone and click “Submit”. After processing your request, an SMS will be sent to the registered mobile number. This facility can prevent misuse of your biometric information with an immediate effect.

You can also lock or unlock your Aadhaar card via SMS to the UIDAI toll-free number. Send GETOTP followed by the last four digits of your UID to 1947 from your registered mobile. Then, you will receive the OTP on your phone. Again, send LOCKUID followed by the last four digits of your UID and the six digits OTP to 1947. After your request is successfully processed, you will receive an SMS on your phone.