An Aadhaar card is one of the primary identity proofs offered by the Indian government to its citizens. These contain an individual’s demographic and biometric data, all of which is tied to a 12-digit identification number issued by the Unique Identity Authority of India (UIDAI).
Demographic information like name, address, date of birth/age, gender, mobile number, and email address can be updated online while biometric information like retinal scans, fingerprints and photographs can only be updated at an Aadhaar enrollment centres.
Before heading to such a centre, ensure that you book an appointment online to save time. These centres are open everyday from 9.30 am to 5.30 pm. Here are the steps to change/update the photo in your Aadhaar card:
1. Fill out the Aadhaar update form, which can be downloaded from the UIDAI website or is easily available on any Aadhaar enrollment centre.
2. Visit the centre with the form, submit it and provide the biometric details like fingerprints and iris capture.
3. The concerned person at the centre will capture your live photograph with his camera. A fee of ₹100 will also have to be paid to update the details. The Acknowledgement slip containing the Update Request Number (URN) will be generated.
It is to be noted that it may take up to 90 days for the request to be processed. Meanwhile you can check the status of your update request through the URN on UIDAI website.
Once the Aadhaar data is updated, you can download an e-Aadhaar or digital copy of the Aadhaar card from UIDAI website. To access the Aadhaar online, your mobile number should have been registered with it. Here are the steps to do so:
1. Visit the official UIDAI website www.uidai.gov.in and click on ‘Download Aadhaar’.
2. Enter the Aadhaar Number or, Enrolment ID, or Virtual ID.
3. Enter the captcha code and click on ‘Send OTP’. An One Time Password (OTP) would be sent to the registered mobile number.
4. Enter OTP and click on ‘verify and download’.
You can also download your masked Aadhaar. It is an option that allows users to mask the Aadhaar number which replaces the first eight digits of the Aadhaar number with some characters like “xxxx-xxxx” while only the last four digits of the Aadhaar number are visible.
