Aadhaar Update 2026: Biometric, Address, Online & Fees

📝What You Can and Cannot Update in Aadhaar

Aadhaar holds two kinds of data. Demographic data (name, address, date of birth, gender, email, mobile) can be changed online or at a centre.

Biometric data (photograph, fingerprints, iris) can only be updated in person at an Aadhaar centre. It is never done online.

You can do a limited number of demographic updates online. After that you must visit a centre, a rule meant to prevent casual misuse of a critical ID.

Email and mobile updates need no document. Name, address, and DOB changes always need supporting proof.

Keep your linked mobile active before starting any online update. Without it, the OTP login will not work and you will be forced to visit a centre.

⏱️How Long an Aadhaar Update Takes

Most Aadhaar updates are processed within 7 to 30 days of your request. Demographic changes like name or address usually update faster than biometric ones.

You get an Update Request Number (URN) or SRN when you apply. Use it to track the status until the update is approved and your e-Aadhaar refreshes.

🪜Step by Step: Updating at myAadhaar or a Centre

📱Mobile Number Update, a Special Case

Mobile number is the most frequently changed field, and it cannot be updated online. You must visit an Aadhaar centre in person for it.

At the centre, biometric verification (fingerprint or iris) confirms your identity, then the operator updates the number. There is no fee for a mobile update.

Your registered mobile is critical: it receives the OTP for bank authentication, scheme disbursements, and tax e-filing. If it is wrong, you lose access to all Aadhaar OTP services until you fix it.

If your old number is lost and you have no OTP access, the centre visit is the only route, since the OTP cannot reach a dead number.

If you have lost access to your old number, you cannot recover OTP-based services until you update it at a centre.

Carry your original Aadhaar and a valid ID. The operator captures your fingerprint to verify you, so no document is needed for the mobile field itself.

🔍How to Check Your Aadhaar Update Status

After you submit an update, check its status on myAadhaar using your Update Request Number. The portal shows whether it is in process, approved, or rejected.

If it is approved, download the fresh e-Aadhaar right away. If it is rejected, the reason is usually a document mismatch, so fix that and reapply.

📋What Updates Online vs at a Centre

🧬Biometric Update: Photo, Fingerprints, Iris

Biometric updates happen only at an Aadhaar centre. Book a slot at appointments.uidai.gov.in or walk in, then carry your original Aadhaar; no other document is needed.

The operator captures a fresh photo, all ten fingerprints, and an iris scan. The fee is ₹125 for adults.

Why it matters: biometrics age. An old photo can fail facial matching, and worn fingerprints (common for farmers and labourers) can block bank and pension authentication.

A biometric refresh keeps authentication working. UIDAI recommends updating documents at least once every 10 years.

If your fingerprints repeatedly fail at a ration shop or bank, a biometric update usually fixes it. Carry your Aadhaar and ask the operator to recapture all ten fingers.

📄Accepted Documents by Update Type

✅Which Documents Are Accepted

For identity (POI): passport, PAN card, voter ID, driving licence, or any government photo ID. For date of birth: birth certificate, 10th marksheet, or passport.

For address (POA): a utility bill under three months old, bank statement, passport, or rent agreement. Since November 2025, electricity and water bills are accepted as valid address proof for online updates.

Each document must clearly show the new detail you are changing. Name documents must show the new name, address documents the current address.

For date of birth, a passport, PAN, or a government mark sheet showing the date works as proof.

Always carry the original when you visit a centre, since the operator verifies it against your uploaded scan.

🏠Address Update Without Standard Documents

If you have no address proof for a new home, use the Address Validation Letter service on myAadhaar. UIDAI posts a letter with a secret code to your new address.

Once it arrives, you log in and enter the code to confirm you live there. The whole process takes about 15 to 30 days including postal delivery.

Alternatively, the Head of Family method links you to a relative who already has the correct address. Both visit a centre together and your address updates to match theirs.

Note that the Aadhaar address is not legal address proof for courts. There is no limit on how many times you can change your address, unlike DOB.

📋Update Limits and Costs

⚠️Common Mistakes That Delay Your Update

Uploading a blurry or cropped document is the top reason updates get rejected. Scan the full document clearly before uploading.

A name that does not match your current Aadhaar exactly also triggers rejection. Match spelling, initials, and order carefully.

People also forget that mobile and biometric updates cannot be done online. Plan a centre visit for those rather than waiting on the portal.

Another frequent error is a name that does not match across your documents, even by a single letter or initial.

Fix spelling and order to match exactly before you apply, and avoid using nicknames or short forms.

🧒Mandatory Biometric Updates for Children

A child under 5 gets Aadhaar with photo and demographics only, no fingerprints or iris. It carries a 'child' watermark and has limited use.

The first mandatory biometric update (MBU) is at age 5, and the second is at age 15. Both capture fingerprints and iris as the child grows.

UIDAI has waived the MBU charge for children aged 5 to 17, free till October 2026, so these updates currently cost nothing. A parent must accompany the child to the centre.

Skipping these updates can make the child's Aadhaar unusable for school, banking, or SIM verification later.

📈Why an Updated Aadhaar Matters

Bank KYC: a mismatched address can trigger re-verification and even freeze your account. Update Aadhaar first after moving, then your bank.

Government schemes: PM Kisan, LPG subsidy, MGNREGA wages, and pensions all reach your Aadhaar-linked account. A wrong mobile number blocks the authentication and stops the benefit.

Passport: a mismatch with your Aadhaar triggers manual police verification and delays issuance by weeks. Fix Aadhaar before applying.

PAN: a name or DOB mismatch blocks PAN-Aadhaar linking, and an unlinked PAN becomes inoperative. Correct one document before linking.

A current Aadhaar also speeds up passport, PAN, and pension work, where the address and name must match.

For students and job seekers, a correct Aadhaar avoids last-minute trouble during exams and document checks.

An outdated Aadhaar can block your bank transactions, gas subsidy, and government benefits - a 15-minute update at the nearest centre keeps everything running smoothly.

🔒Aadhaar Security Features to Use

Lock biometrics on myAadhaar so nobody can use your fingerprint or iris without you. Unlock it briefly only when you need to authenticate.

Use Masked Aadhaar, which shows only the last four digits, when sharing for KYC. It is legally valid and keeps your full number private.

Check your Authentication History on myAadhaar to see every use in the last six months. Anything you do not recognise should be reported at 1947.

Generate a Virtual ID (VID) to use instead of your real Aadhaar number, and download a password-protected e-Aadhaar after every update.

Set up email and mobile alerts so you are told whenever your Aadhaar is used for authentication.

Review your authentication history on myAadhaar from time to time to spot any use you do not recognise.

🚫When Not to Share Your Aadhaar

Never post your Aadhaar number on social media or unverified websites, and never share the OTP with anyone over the phone. No bank or agency ever asks for it.

If a hotel, courier, or random service demands Aadhaar, ask whether a voter ID or driving licence works instead. Share Masked Aadhaar when you must.

Treat your Aadhaar like your ATM PIN, since it links to your bank accounts and biometrics. Report any suspicious use at 1947 or on the UIDAI complaint page.

Use a Virtual ID or Masked Aadhaar where full disclosure is not legally required, such as hotel check-ins.

If a service insists on a photocopy, write the purpose and date across the masked copy so it cannot be reused.

🔄Updating Aadhaar for Common Life Situations

After marriage: update your name on myAadhaar with a marriage certificate, then update PAN, passport, and bank using the new Aadhaar. Keeping your maiden name is also legally valid; a name change is not required.

After relocating for work: update your address within a month using a new rent agreement or utility bill. Remember that ration card and voter registration need separate updates.

Lost Aadhaar and changed mobile: visit a centre in person, where biometric verification retrieves your number without an OTP. You can update the mobile and download a fresh e-Aadhaar in one visit.

For senior citizens: help elderly parents fix an outdated photo, address, or mobile at a centre. Pension and PM-JAY authentication depend on a correct, current Aadhaar.

📑What C/O Means on Your Aadhaar

C/O on an Aadhaar card stands for care of, and it shows whose address the holder lives at, such as a father, husband, or guardian.

If your C/O details are wrong after marriage or a move, update them through the address section on myAadhaar with valid proof.

Getting the C/O right matters because banks and offices read it as part of your full address.

🏢Aadhaar and Udyog Aadhaar Are Not the Same

Many people confuse Aadhaar with Udyog Aadhaar, but they are different. Aadhaar is your personal identity number.

Udyog Aadhaar, now Udyam Registration, is a separate registration for small businesses and does not replace your personal Aadhaar.

If you run a small business, keep both in order, since your personal Aadhaar is linked to the Udyam registration.

🛠️Troubleshooting Common Update Problems

🔗Official Aadhaar Resources

All services live at uidai.gov.in, including the centre locator and FAQs. The myAadhaar portal (myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in) handles updates, downloads, biometric locking, VID, and authentication history.

The toll-free helpline is 1947, available 24x7, and the email is help@uidai.gov.in. Aadhaar is auto-fetched in DigiLocker, so no separate upload is needed.

Avoid third-party websites that charge for Aadhaar services. Every genuine update, download, and complaint is free or fixed-fee through the official UIDAI channels above.

📥After Your Update Is Approved

Once approved, download the latest e-Aadhaar from myAadhaar and reprint any copies you keep at home.

Then update the new details wherever your old Aadhaar was used, such as your bank, PAN, ration card, and EPF account.

This keeps your records consistent everywhere and avoids a mismatch that could pause a service later.

❓Frequently Asked Questions