Lost Your Aadhaar Card? How to Get Your Number and a New Copy

Quick answer: If you lose your Aadhaar card you do not need to reapply, because your Aadhaar number never changes. Download a fresh e-Aadhaar from the myAadhaar portal, print it, or order the official PVC card for ₹75. If you have forgotten the number too, use “Retrieve EID/UID” on myAadhaar with your registered mobile, call 1947, or visit an Aadhaar centre. Lock your Aadhaar or biometrics if you are worried about misuse.

Do you need to reapply for a lost Aadhaar card?

No. An earlier version of this article said you could “cancel your old card and reapply for a new card”. That is not how Aadhaar works. According to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), a person enrols for Aadhaar only once, and after biometric de-duplication only one Aadhaar number is generated for each person. Losing the printed letter does not cancel the number, and enrolling again will not give you a new one; a fresh enrolment by someone who already has Aadhaar is rejected.

What you need is a new copy of the same Aadhaar, and there are several free or low-cost ways to get one.

Step 1: Protect your Aadhaar from misuse

If your card was stolen or you think someone else may have it, take these precautions first. All of them need your registered mobile number.

• Lock your biometrics. This stops anyone from using your fingerprints, iris or face for Aadhaar authentication until you unlock them. You can do it on the myAadhaar portal or in UIDAI’s Aadhaar app. If a biometric check is attempted while locked, it fails with error code 330.
• Consider locking your Aadhaar number. A UID lock blocks all authentication (biometric, demographic and OTP) using your Aadhaar number. You need a 16-digit Virtual ID (VID) to lock it, and you unlock it later with your latest VID. You can also lock it by SMS to 1947.
• Check your authentication history on myAadhaar or in the Aadhaar app to see whether your Aadhaar has been used recently.
• Report anything suspicious to UIDAI on the toll-free helpline 1947 or at help@uidai.gov.in.

Our guide to Aadhaar authentication and biometric locking explains how locking works and when to unlock.

Step 2: Get a new copy if you know your Aadhaar number

If you have your Aadhaar number, Enrolment ID or VID written down somewhere, choose any of these:

1. Download e-Aadhaar free from myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in or the Aadhaar app with an OTP on your registered mobile. It is as valid as the original letter. Our e-Aadhaar download guide has the steps.
2. Print it at home on ordinary paper. A printout of e-Aadhaar is valid.
3. Order the Aadhaar PVC card online for ₹75 including GST and speed post. It is posted to the address in your Aadhaar record. See printing Aadhaar and ordering the PVC card.

The downloaded PDF opens with the first four letters of your name in capitals followed by your year of birth, for example SURE1990. An earlier version of this article said to use your area PIN code; that is not the current format.

Step 3: Find your Aadhaar number if you have forgotten it

Use the Retrieve EID/UID service on myAadhaar:

1. Open myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in and choose Retrieve EID/UID.
2. Select whether you want your Aadhaar number (UID) or your Enrolment ID (EID).
3. Enter your full name exactly as it appears in Aadhaar, your registered mobile number or email address, and the captcha.
4. Verify with the OTP.
5. UIDAI sends the Aadhaar number or Enrolment ID to your registered mobile by SMS.

Once you have the number, go back to Step 2. You can also call 1947 for help retrieving your Aadhaar number.

If your registered mobile number is not working

Every online option needs an OTP on your registered mobile. If that number is lost or switched off:

• Get a replacement SIM for the same number from your mobile operator, if the number is still yours. The OTPs will then reach you again.
• Visit an Aadhaar centre. The operator can find your Aadhaar using your biometrics and give you a colour printout for ₹40, according to UIDAI’s published charges. You can update your mobile number on the same visit; no document or old number is needed, and a separate update costs ₹75. Use the Locate Enrolment Centre option on uidai.gov.in to find one.

UIDAI-run Aadhaar Seva Kendras are open every day from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm and accept walk-ins.

If you lost your enrolment slip before Aadhaar was generated

The Enrolment ID on your slip is what you use to track a new Aadhaar. If the slip is lost, use Retrieve EID/UID on myAadhaar and choose Enrolment ID, with the mobile number you gave at enrolment. You can then check your status and download e-Aadhaar once it is generated.

If your Aadhaar enrolment was rejected

The original version of this article also covered rejection, which is a different problem from a lost card. An enrolment can be rejected for reasons such as incorrect details, missing or invalid supporting documents, or poor-quality biometrics. If your status shows “rejected”, you need to enrol again at a centre with valid original documents. Before you confirm, check the details on the operator’s screen carefully, because the operator, not you, types them into the system. Only enrol again if your status clearly shows rejection, because a second enrolment while the first is valid will be rejected. Our guide to checking your Aadhaar status when the card has not arrived covers this.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a fee to replace a lost Aadhaar card?

Downloading e-Aadhaar is free. A colour print at an Aadhaar centre costs ₹40 and the PVC card costs ₹75, according to UIDAI’s published charges.

Will UIDAI post me a new paper Aadhaar letter?

UIDAI posts a new letter after enrolment and after updates to your name, address, date of birth or gender. For a simple replacement, the options are e-Aadhaar, a centre print or the PVC card. An earlier version of this article said the helpline would post a duplicate card; that is not a service UIDAI lists.

Should I file a police complaint for a lost Aadhaar card?

You do not need a police complaint to download e-Aadhaar, get a centre print or order the PVC card. If you suspect theft or misuse, lock your biometrics, contact UIDAI on 1947, and follow our guide to filing an Aadhaar complaint.

Can someone misuse my lost Aadhaar card?

Most Aadhaar-based services, such as e-KYC, need an OTP on your registered mobile or your biometrics, so locking your biometrics and never sharing OTPs closes the main routes to misuse. If you want more protection, the UID lock also blocks demographic authentication with your Aadhaar number until you unlock it with your VID.

This guide was checked in October 2026 against UIDAI’s online services FAQ (lock and unlock, VID, PVC card), UIDAI’s general Aadhaar FAQ, its Citizen’s Charter and its published charges for Aadhaar Seva Kendras. Check the myAadhaar portal before you pay for any service.