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Guide ·

e-Aadhaar PDF password: how to open it and unlock a copy

The e-Aadhaar you download from UIDAI is a password-protected PDF. The password is the first four letters of your name, in capital letters, followed by your year of birth. Any PDF reader opens it once you type that in; if you need a copy without the password, Unlock PDF makes one.

Unlock PDF

Remove a password you know from a PDF.

Step by step

  1. 01

    Work out the password

    Take the first four letters of your name as printed on your Aadhaar, in capitals, and add your year of birth. SURESH KUMAR, born 1990: SURE1990.

  2. 02

    Open Unlock PDF and add your e-Aadhaar

    Drop the PDF you downloaded. You'll be asked for its password.

  3. 03

    Enter the password and download

    Type the password and download a copy that opens without it.

  4. 04

    Delete the uploaded files

    Signing in to download moves them into your account. Delete them from Documents as soon as you've saved your copy.

How the password is made

These are UIDAI's own examples, all for someone born in 1990:

  • SURESH KUMAR: SURE1990.
  • SAI KUMAR: SAIK1990. The space is skipped, so the fourth letter comes from the second name.
  • P. KUMAR: P.KU1990. The dot counts as one of the four characters.
  • RIA: RIA1990. A name with fewer than four letters uses all of them.

Use your name exactly as it's printed on your Aadhaar, including initials and dots, not a nickname or another spelling.

If the password doesn't work

  • Type the letters in capitals, and check Caps Lock is off for the year.
  • Check the spelling, initials and dots of your name on the Aadhaar itself.
  • Use the year of birth recorded on your Aadhaar.
  • Make sure it's the e-Aadhaar PDF. The Offline e-KYC download is a ZIP file, and its password is the share code you chose when you downloaded it.

Keep the original for official use

e-Aadhaar is digitally signed by UIDAI, and UIDAI says it's as valid as the printed Aadhaar letter. Unlocking creates a new file, so UIDAI's signature won't verify on the unlocked copy. Keep the original, password-protected PDF for anything that needs a verifiable e-Aadhaar, and use the unlocked copy for convenience, for example to combine it with other documents in Merge PDF.

Sharing your Aadhaar safely

  • Download the masked Aadhaar when you can. It hides the first eight digits and shows only the last four.
  • Share it only with organisations that need it.
  • Store the unlocked copy somewhere private, or add your own password with Protect PDF before sending it.

Sources

UIDAI: Aadhaar online services and FAQs and the circular on e-Aadhaar validity, 28 April 2017. Checked on 28 October 2026.

Questions

Do I need to unlock e-Aadhaar to open it?
No. Any PDF reader opens it once you enter the password. Unlock it only if you need a copy without a password.
Is it safe to upload my e-Aadhaar?
Only your account can download it, and you can delete it from Documents straight after. See how files are handled. If you'd rather not upload it, just open it in your PDF reader with the password.
Can I unlock it without the password?
No, but you can work the password out from your name and year of birth as shown above.