How To Get A Digital Copy Of Your Aadhaar Card

An online service by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) - which manages the Aadhaar biometric ID programme - allows Aadhaar-registered users to access and store a digital copy of their personal identification card. This digital Aadhaar is "as valid as the Aadhaar letter received by post", according to the UIDAI, which provides a range of Aadhaar-related services. A digital Aadhaar card can be downloaded either through the UIDAI website (uidai.gov.in) or the mAadhaar app. (Also Read: How To Get An Aadhaar Card Reprinted)

Here is the step-by-step guide to access and save a digital version of your Aadhaar card:

Visit the Aadhaar website, uidai.gov.in, and click on the "download Aadhaar" option in the "Get Aadhaar" section.

Select any of the three options to proceed: Aadhaar number, enrolment ID or virtual ID.

Select whether a masked copy is needed. (In a masked version, the entire Aadhaar number - which is a 12-digit personal identification number allotted to every Aadhaar enrollee)

Fill the required spaces with relevant information and click on the "Send OTP" button to proceed.

Enter the OTP or one-time passcode in the given space. This OTP is received on the Aadhaar-registered mobile.

Select the "verify and download" option.

This password is a combination of the first four letters of the user's name in capital letters, followed by the user's birth year in the YYYY format, according to the UIDAI website.

A similar process can be used to download an Aadhaar card using the mAadhaar app.