Aadhaar is the backbone of your digital identity in India — your 12-digit number ties together your bank accounts, your PAN, your government benefits, your phone SIM, and now even your DigiLocker. But "having" an Aadhaar card and actually verifying it is genuine, active, and correctly linked are two very different things.
This guide covers every type of Aadhaar verification you'll ever need — from a simple number validity check to validating the digital signature on your e-Aadhaar PDF, checking your mobile linkage, bank seeding status, and PAN linkage. Step-by-step. No fluff.
What Does "Aadhaar Verify" Actually Mean?
People search "Aadhaar verify" for very different reasons. A landlord wants to check that a tenant's card is real. A job applicant wants to confirm their card is still active. Someone who just downloaded an e-Aadhaar PDF is confused about the yellow question mark on the digital signature. A bank customer wants to know if their Aadhaar is seeded to the right account.
All of these are valid "verification" needs — but each one uses a completely different tool and process. Let's break them all down.
- ✅ Number verification — Is this 12-digit number real and active?
- 📱 Mobile linkage verification — Is my phone number registered with UIDAI?
- 🔏 Digital signature verification — Is the e-Aadhaar PDF authentic and untampered?
- 📂 DigiLocker verification — Fetch and share a legally valid digital Aadhaar
- 🔲 QR code verification — Offline scan to confirm physical card details
- 💳 PAN linkage verification — Is my PAN linked and operative?
- 🏦 Bank account linkage verification — Is my account seeded for DBT?
How to Verify an Aadhaar Number on the UIDAI Portal
This is the most basic check — you enter a 12-digit number and UIDAI confirms whether it exists in their database and is currently active. This is what a bank, employer, or landlord would do before accepting someone's Aadhaar as a KYC document.
The official tool is at myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in/verifyAadhaar. You do not need to log in for this — it's completely anonymous.
Step-by-step
- Go to myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in/verifyAadhaar
- Enter the 12-digit Aadhaar number in the field provided
- Solve the CAPTCHA (image or text-based)
- Click "Proceed to Verify"
- Read the result — see below for what each outcome means
What the result tells you
UIDAI intentionally limits what this check reveals to protect privacy. If the number is valid and active, you'll see:
- ✅ Age band (e.g., 18–30, 31–45) — not the exact date of birth
- ✅ Gender
- ✅ State of residence
- ✅ Last 3 digits of the registered mobile number (if any)
You will not see the full name, address, photo, or complete date of birth. That's by design — it's enough to confirm authenticity without exposing sensitive personal data to third parties.
Can you verify Aadhaar via API?
Yes. Businesses doing large-scale KYC can access UIDAI's licensed Authentication API. This requires a formal agreement with UIDAI, an approved Authentication User Agency (AUA) or KYC User Agency (KUA) license, and a Hardware Security Module (HSM) setup. It is not for individual use — the self-service portal is the right tool for personal verifications.
How to Verify Your Mobile Number Is Linked to Aadhaar
Your registered mobile number is the key to almost every Aadhaar service — OTP authentication, downloading e-Aadhaar, updating details online, checking authentication history. If your old number is linked (the one you lost three years ago), many services become inaccessible. So knowing the exact status matters.
Read our detailed guide on how to verify your mobile number in Aadhaar for the complete process — but here's the quick version:
Method 1: UIDAI "Verify Email/Mobile" Tool
- Go to myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in
- Under Aadhaar Services, click "Verify Email/Mobile Number"
- Enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number and the mobile number you want to verify
- Complete the CAPTCHA and click Submit
- If the number is registered, you'll receive an OTP confirming the match
Note: This tool confirms whether a specific number is linked. It won't reveal what mobile number is currently registered if you don't already know it.
Method 2: Check via Aadhaar Authentication History
If OTPs are consistently failing on your current number, go to myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in → Authentication History. You'll be able to see recent authentication attempts. If OTPs are going to a different number, you'll need to visit an Aadhaar Seva Kendra (enrollment center) with biometric verification to update it.
How to Verify the Digital Signature on Your e-Aadhaar PDF
This is one of the most misunderstood parts of Aadhaar. When you download your e-Aadhaar from the UIDAI website, it comes as a password-protected PDF signed by UIDAI's official digital certificate. But when most people open that PDF — whether in Chrome, Edge, macOS Preview, or even mobile PDF readers — they see a yellow question mark and the words "Validity Unknown."
Understandably, this panics people. It looks like the document might be fake. But it's not. Here's what's actually happening.
Why does the signature say "Validity Unknown"?
PDF digital signatures work like a trust chain. Your PDF viewer needs to recognize the certificate authority (CA) that signed the document as "trusted." UIDAI uses India's National Informatics Centre (NIC) as its CA — which is trusted in India's government framework, but is not in the default trusted root store of Adobe Acrobat, Chrome, Edge, or Apple Preview.
So your viewer sees a valid signature from an authority it doesn't recognize — and flags it as "unknown" rather than "valid" or "invalid." The document has not been tampered with. The signature is real. The viewer just doesn't know that yet.
For a deep dive, read our guide on fixing the Aadhaar card "Validity Unknown" signature problem.
Method 1: Manually trust the UIDAI certificate in Adobe Acrobat Reader (desktop)
- Open your e-Aadhaar PDF in Adobe Acrobat Reader DC (the free desktop version — not the browser plugin)
- Look for the signature panel at the top or a yellow signature badge at the bottom of the page
- Right-click the signature badge → "Validate Signature"
- In the dialog, click "Signature Properties"
- Click "Show Signer's Certificate"
- Go to the "Trust" tab → click "Add to Trusted Certificates"
- In the next window, check "Use this certificate as a trusted root" → OK
- Back in Signature Properties, click "Validate Signature" again
- The badge should now show a green tick and "Signature Valid"
The limitation? This fix only works on that one computer, in that one Adobe installation. Share the PDF with someone else, or open it on a new device, and they'll see "Validity Unknown" again. The signature hasn't been permanently updated — you've just changed your local trust settings.
Method 2 (Best): Use AadhaarVerify.com for LTV Embedding — permanent green tick, any viewer
There's a better approach that fixes the problem at the document level — so the green tick shows up everywhere, on any device, in any PDF viewer, forever.
If you downloaded your e-Aadhaar PDF and see a Validity Unknown yellow question mark over the digital signature, standard PDF viewers cannot fix this. You must use AadhaarVerify.com to instantly embed LTV (Long Term Validation) and get a permanent Green Tick directly from your browser — no software to install, no data uploaded to any server, done in seconds.
LTV (Long Term Validation) is a PDF signature extension that embeds the full certificate chain and OCSP (Online Certificate Status Protocol) response inside the PDF itself. Once embedded, any compliant PDF viewer — Adobe, Foxit, Chrome, iOS, Android — can verify the signature without needing to contact the UIDAI trust chain externally. Our guide on verifying the Aadhaar digital signature explains the complete technical background if you're curious.
🔏 Why LTV matters: Without LTV, even a "trusted" signature can fail future validation once the signing certificate expires. With LTV embedded, the green tick will remain valid even after the original UIDAI signing certificate has expired — because all the validation material is baked into the file.
How to validate digital signature in e-Aadhaar online — step by step with AadhaarVerify.com
Our detailed walkthrough at How to validate digital signature in e-Aadhaar online covers this in full. The short version:
- Visit AadhaarVerify.com from any browser (mobile or desktop)
- Drop your e-Aadhaar PDF onto the upload area
- The tool processes the signature locally in your browser — your file never leaves your device
- Download the LTV-embedded version of your PDF
- Open it in any PDF viewer — you'll see a permanent green tick
How to Verify Aadhaar via DigiLocker
DigiLocker is the Indian government's official digital document wallet. The e-Aadhaar available in your DigiLocker is fetched live from UIDAI's servers — which means it's always up-to-date and legally equivalent to the physical card. It's not a scan or a photo; it's an official digitally-signed document.
Many organizations — banks, colleges, airlines, government offices — now accept the DigiLocker Aadhaar in place of the physical card.
How to access your Aadhaar on DigiLocker
- Download the DigiLocker app (Android/iOS) or visit digilocker.gov.in
- Sign up or log in with your Aadhaar-registered mobile number
- Go to Profile → Link Aadhaar (first-time setup only)
- Enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number and verify the OTP sent to your registered mobile
- Go to Issued Documents — your Aadhaar will appear automatically
- Tap the Aadhaar entry to view, download as PDF, or share directly
What makes DigiLocker Aadhaar different?
- It's fetched from UIDAI's live database — reflects any recent address or name updates
- It carries a valid UIDAI digital signature (same "Validity Unknown" issue applies — see Section 4)
- You can share it directly via a link — the recipient sees a live government-verified document
- Under the IT Act 2000 and the Aadhaar Act, this document is legally equivalent to the original
How to Verify Aadhaar via QR Code (Offline)
Every Aadhaar card — physical, PVC, or e-Aadhaar printout — has a digitally-signed QR code. This QR code contains all your demographic details (name, date of birth, gender, address, photo) encrypted and signed by UIDAI. It's designed specifically for offline identity verification without a network connection.
Who uses QR code verification?
Hotels doing in-person check-in, election officials at booths, police during verification drives, and businesses doing physical KYC. You scan the QR with the official app, and it instantly displays the resident's details — no internet needed, no UIDAI server call.
Steps to scan and verify the Aadhaar QR code
- Download the official "Aadhaar QR Code Scanner" app from UIDAI (available on Google Play and Apple App Store)
- Open the app and grant camera permission
- Point the camera at the QR code on the Aadhaar card or e-Aadhaar printout
- The app decrypts and displays: Name, Gender, Date of Birth, Address, and Photo
- A green "Aadhaar Data Verified" message confirms the QR is genuine and untampered
Do not use generic QR scanner apps like Google Lens or other barcode apps — they'll either show garbled encrypted text or fail entirely. The Aadhaar QR format is proprietary and only the official scanner can decode it correctly.
How to Verify PAN–Aadhaar Linkage Status
Since the government made PAN–Aadhaar linking mandatory (with a deadline that has already passed for most categories), an unlinked PAN becomes inoperative. An inoperative PAN means higher TDS/TCS deductions, inability to file income tax returns, and blocked financial transactions above certain thresholds. This is serious stuff.
Checking the linkage status is free, instant, and doesn't require login. Our full guide on how to verify PAN card with Aadhaar status covers the complete process — here's the quick version:
Steps to check PAN–Aadhaar link status
- Go to incometax.gov.in
- Under Quick Links on the homepage, click "Link Aadhaar Status"
- Enter your PAN number and your Aadhaar number
- Click "View Link Aadhaar Status"
Understanding the status messages
| Status Shown | What It Means | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
| ✅ Your PAN is linked to Aadhaar | All good. PAN is operative. | Nothing needed |
| ⏳ Linking in progress / under validation | Request sent to UIDAI, awaiting confirmation | Wait 5–7 working days, recheck |
| ❌ PAN not linked — PAN is inoperative | Deadline missed, PAN is now inoperative | Pay ₹1,000 late fee via e-Pay Tax, then link |
| ⚠️ Linking failed — details mismatch | Name/DOB on PAN and Aadhaar don't match | Correct details on one of the documents first |
Exempted categories (who don't need to link): Non-resident Indians (NRIs), individuals aged 80 or above, and residents of Assam, Meghalaya, or Jammu & Kashmir.
How to Verify Aadhaar–Bank Account Linkage (Seeding Status)
Your Aadhaar number needs to be "seeded" to a bank account for you to receive Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) payments — things like LPG subsidies, scholarship money, pension payments, MGNREGA wages, and other government schemes. Seeding means the NPCI mapper (a central database) has recorded your Aadhaar as pointing to a specific bank account.
Our detailed guide on how to check Aadhaar bank link status walks you through every method — here are all three approaches:
Method 1: UIDAI myAadhaar portal (most accurate)
- Go to myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in/bank-seeding-status
- Enter your Aadhaar number and CAPTCHA → click "Send OTP"
- Enter the OTP received on your registered mobile
- Click the "Bank Seeding Status" tab
- You'll see the linked bank name, seeding status (Active/Inactive), and last update date
Method 2: USSD code (no internet needed)
From your Aadhaar-registered mobile number, dial *99*99*1# and enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number when prompted. This works on any mobile network and any handset — even a basic feature phone.
Method 3: NPCI BASE platform
Visit the NPCI website → Consumer section → Bharat Aadhaar Seeding Enabler (BASE). This lets you see your full Aadhaar mapping history and even update which account should be active in the NPCI mapper — useful if you've changed banks and want DBT payments redirected.
How to Check Aadhaar Authentication History
Every time your Aadhaar is used for authentication — whether for a SIM card, a bank KYC, a government scheme enrolment, or a digital service login — UIDAI logs that event. You can view up to the last 50 authentication records. This is an excellent way to detect unauthorized use of your Aadhaar.
- Go to resident.uidai.gov.in/aadhaar-auth-history
- Enter your Aadhaar number and CAPTCHA
- Select OTP → enter the OTP received on your registered mobile
- Choose a time period (last 6 months, 1 year, etc.)
- View the list of all authentication events — date, type, and which agency used your Aadhaar
What to look for: Any authentication you don't recognize. Common fraud patterns include an unknown AUA (Authentication User Agency) — often appearing as a suspicious company name — with a recent timestamp. If you spot something unauthorized, immediately lock your Aadhaar biometrics at myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in → "Lock/Unlock Biometrics."
Common Aadhaar Verification Errors and How to Fix Them
❌ "Invalid Aadhaar Number" on UIDAI portal
Check if you've entered all 12 digits correctly — no spaces, no dashes. The first digit cannot be 0 or 1. If the number is from an old card that was replaced, the old number might still be valid. If someone has given you a number that doesn't verify, it could be a fake card.
❌ OTP not received for mobile verification
This almost always means the mobile number currently registered with UIDAI is different from the one you're using. An old, lost, or ported number may still be on file. To change your registered mobile number online, you need access to the current registered number for OTP. If you've lost access to that number entirely, you must visit an Aadhaar Seva Kendra for biometric-based update.
❌ e-Aadhaar PDF password not working
The default password for a UIDAI-issued e-Aadhaar PDF is the first 4 letters of your name (in CAPS) followed by your 4-digit birth year. Example: If your name is Rahul Sharma born in 1990, the password is RAHU1990. Note: Use the name as it appears on Aadhaar — no spaces, all caps for the name part.
❌ Digital signature showing "Validity Unknown" or yellow question mark
This is not an error — it means your PDF viewer hasn't been told to trust the UIDAI certificate chain. The document is genuine. Either manually add the UIDAI certificate to Adobe Reader's trust store (local fix only), or use AadhaarVerify.com to embed LTV into the PDF for a permanent green tick that works everywhere. See Section 4 above for full details.
❌ PAN–Aadhaar linking failed due to name mismatch
The Income Tax Department matches your name and date of birth across both documents. Even minor differences (e.g., "Mohammad" vs "Mohammed," or a missing middle name) can cause a mismatch. Decide which record to update — either change your name/DOB on Aadhaar via UIDAI, or update your PAN details via NSDL/UTIITSL — then retry the linking.
❌ Bank seeding shows "Inactive" even after updating at the branch
The NPCI mapper can take 2–7 working days to reflect updates made at a bank branch. If it's been more than a week, ask your bank to check the NPCI API response when they submitted your seeding request — sometimes there's a backend rejection that the bank's front office staff isn't aware of. You can also use the NPCI BASE portal to check the exact mapping history.
Quick Reference: All Aadhaar Verification Methods at a Glance
| Verification Type | Official Tool / URL | Requires OTP? | Login Required? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aadhaar number validity | myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in/verifyAadhaar | No | No |
| Mobile/email linkage | myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in → Verify Email/Mobile | Yes | No |
| Digital signature (PDF) | AadhaarVerify.com (for LTV/green tick) | No | No |
| QR code offline verify | UIDAI Aadhaar QR Scanner app | No | No |
| PAN linkage status | incometax.gov.in → Link Aadhaar Status | No | No |
| Bank seeding status | myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in/bank-seeding-status | Yes | Yes (Aadhaar login) |
| Authentication history | resident.uidai.gov.in/aadhaar-auth-history | Yes | Yes (Aadhaar login) |
Keeping Your Aadhaar Secure: What Every Indian Should Know
Verification isn't just about confirming your own details — it's also about protecting your Aadhaar from misuse. Here are the most important security tools UIDAI gives you:
Go to myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in → Lock/Unlock Biometrics. When locked, nobody — including government agencies — can use your fingerprint or iris for Aadhaar authentication. Unlock temporarily when needed (e.g., at a ration shop or bank). This is your single most important security tool.
Generate a 16-digit Virtual ID from the UIDAI portal. Share this VID instead of your 12-digit Aadhaar number wherever possible. The VID is temporary and can be regenerated — but it can never be reverse-engineered back to your actual Aadhaar number by third parties.
Check your authentication logs every 3–6 months. Look for agencies you don't recognize. If you find something suspicious, lock your biometrics immediately and file a complaint at UIDAI's helpline: 1947.
When sharing Aadhaar for KYC, use a masked version. Download it from UIDAI — it shows only the last 4 digits of your Aadhaar number and is equally valid for most KYC purposes. Never post your full Aadhaar details on social media or WhatsApp groups.
Frequently Asked Questions About Aadhaar Verification
Can I verify someone else's Aadhaar number without their permission?
You can use the UIDAI's "Verify an Aadhaar Number" tool to confirm whether a 12-digit number exists in the database — this reveals only the age band, gender, and state, and is designed for third-party verification (like landlords or employers doing KYC). However, accessing more detailed information, pulling authentication history, or checking linkage details requires the registered mobile number for OTP, which means the Aadhaar holder must be involved. This is an intentional privacy safeguard built into the system.
My e-Aadhaar PDF has a yellow question mark on the signature — is it fake?
No, a yellow question mark ("Validity Unknown") does not mean the document is fake. It means your PDF viewer doesn't automatically trust the UIDAI certificate authority (NIC). The document downloaded directly from UIDAI's official portal is genuine — the signature is real. To permanently fix this, you can use AadhaarVerify.com to embed LTV (Long Term Validation) into the PDF, which gives you a green tick in every PDF viewer, on every device, without any manual certificate trust setup.
What is the password to open a downloaded e-Aadhaar PDF?
The password is a combination of the first 4 letters of your name (in uppercase, as registered in Aadhaar) followed by your 4-digit year of birth. For example, if your name is Priya Menon and you were born in 1995, the password is PRIY1995. If your name has fewer than 4 letters, use all available letters. Note: Use the name as it appears on your Aadhaar, not your legal name if they differ.
How do I know if my mobile number is linked to my Aadhaar?
The quickest way is to go to myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in → "Verify Email/Mobile Number" → enter your Aadhaar and the mobile number you want to check. If it's linked, you'll receive an OTP on that number confirming the match. Another indicator: when you download your e-Aadhaar, UIDAI shows the last 3 digits of the registered mobile — you can cross-check those against your numbers to figure out which one is on file.
Can I verify my Aadhaar without a registered mobile number?
For basic number verification (just checking if a number exists and is active), yes — the myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in/verifyAadhaar tool only needs a CAPTCHA, no OTP. However, most other services — downloading e-Aadhaar, checking authentication history, verifying mobile linkage, checking bank seeding status — require OTP authentication via your registered number. If you don't have access to your registered number, you'll need to visit an Aadhaar Seva Kendra with your biometrics to update the mobile number first.
Is the e-Aadhaar from DigiLocker legally valid?
Yes. The e-Aadhaar available in DigiLocker is issued directly by UIDAI and is legally equivalent to the physical Aadhaar card under the Aadhaar Act 2016 and the Information Technology Act 2000. It is accepted by banks, government offices, airlines, insurance companies, and most KYC processes. The document carries UIDAI's valid digital signature and reflects your most current registered details.
What happens if my Aadhaar biometrics are locked?
When your biometrics are locked, fingerprint and iris-based Aadhaar authentication is completely blocked — even for government services like ration shops, hospitals, or banking correspondents. OTP-based authentication (via TOTP or SMS) still works. You can unlock biometrics anytime from myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in using your OTP — unlocking is instant. For high-risk periods, you can lock again after completing the needed biometric transaction.
Fix the Yellow Question Mark on Your e-Aadhaar — Permanently
Downloaded your e-Aadhaar and getting "Validity Unknown"? AadhaarVerify.com embeds LTV (Long Term Validation) directly into your PDF — giving you a permanent green tick in every PDF viewer, forever, for free. Your file never leaves your browser.
Fix My Signature Now →