e-Aadhaar PDF Password: How to Open It and Save an Unlocked Copy

Why your e-Aadhaar PDF asks for a password

When you download e-Aadhaar, the PDF is password protected. This is a safeguard: if the file is forwarded by mistake or found on a shared computer, it cannot be opened without the password. The password is not something you set yourself. It is built from details printed on your Aadhaar, so you can work it out without any OTP once the file is downloaded.

IndiaDigital is an independent tools website and has no affiliation with UIDAI. This guide explains the publicly documented password format and how to handle the file safely. For anything about your Aadhaar record itself, use UIDAI's official website, app or help channels.

The e-Aadhaar password format, with examples

UIDAI's documented format is: the first four letters of your name as it appears on Aadhaar, in CAPITAL letters, followed by your year of birth in YYYY format. There are no spaces between the two parts.

The first row is the standard example; the other rows simply apply the same rule to illustrate it. Points that commonly trip people up:

• Use capitals. suresh1990 or Sure1990 will not work; it must be SURE1990.
• Use the name exactly as printed on Aadhaar, not a nickname or the spelling on another document. If your Aadhaar begins with an initial or a title, look at exactly how the name is written there.
• Use the year only, in four digits, not your full date of birth.
• Ignore spaces in the name; take the first four letters as written.

TipIf your name on Aadhaar has fewer than four letters, or is otherwise unusual, UIDAI publishes guidance on how the password is formed in that case. Check UIDAI's official instructions rather than guessing repeatedly.

If the password still does not work

1. Check Caps Lock and type the password again slowly.
2. Look at your Aadhaar and confirm the exact spelling of the first four letters, including any initial.
3. Confirm the year of birth recorded on your Aadhaar, which may differ from what you expect if only a year was recorded.
4. Try a different PDF reader in case the one you are using has trouble with protected files.
5. Download the e-Aadhaar again from the official UIDAI website or app, in case the file was damaged.
6. If none of this works, refer to UIDAI's official help pages.

Watch outNever share your Aadhaar OTP with anyone who calls, messages or emails you, whatever reason they give. OTPs are only for you to enter on the official website or app yourself. Nobody needs your OTP to tell you your PDF password.

Saving an unlocked copy for uploads

Some application portals, banks and office systems cannot handle password-protected PDFs, or the person processing your file cannot open it. In that case you can make an unlocked copy. You must know the password: removing it is only possible because you can already open the file.

Open Remove PDF password, select your e-Aadhaar PDF and enter the password. The tool writes a new copy without the password, entirely in your browser. Your original protected file is left unchanged, and nothing is uploaded to a server.

If the portal also has a file size limit, run the unlocked copy through Compress PDF, or use Target-size PDF to aim for a specific size. Our guide to compressing a PDF to 100 KB explains the trade-offs.

Watch outAn unlocked Aadhaar PDF can be opened by anyone who gets hold of it. Only create one when you actually need it, upload it straight away and delete it afterwards. If you want to protect a document again before sharing, see how to password protect a PDF.

Masked Aadhaar and other privacy cautions

UIDAI offers a masked Aadhaar option when downloading, which hides most of the Aadhaar number and shows only the last four digits. Where an organisation does not need your full number, a masked copy is a sensible choice because it reveals less if the file goes astray.

• Keep copies private. Do not post Aadhaar images or PDFs on social media, public groups or shared drives.
• Clean up shared computers. At a cyber cafe or office PC, delete the file from Downloads and empty the browser download list before you leave.
• Share only where required. Give the document only to organisations that genuinely need it, and prefer the masked version where accepted.
• Avoid unknown upload sites. Upload-based tools receive your full Aadhaar on their servers. Browser-based tools process the file on your device. Our article on whether it is safe to upload PDFs online explains the difference.
• Never share OTPs. No genuine service will ask you to read out an OTP over the phone.

Turning Aadhaar images into a PDF

Sometimes a portal asks for Aadhaar as a PDF but you only have photos of the front and back of your card. The Images to PDF tool combines them into a single PDF in your browser. Crop each photo neatly first so the card fills the page, and check that every number is readable. Our guide to converting JPG to PDF covers this in more detail.