Instant PAN card application using Aadhaar card: 5 things to know

• Getting a new PAN card using Aadhaar card takes just about 10 minutes
• The instant e-PAN card facility is available for free but only for those with Aadhaar cards

NEW DELHI : Getting a PAN (Permanent Account Number) card from the income tax department is now easier than ever before as anyone with an Aadhaar card can get an instant e-PAN for free. Issued in just 10 minutes in a soft copy format, the e-PAN is equivalent to the laminated PAN card that we are used to. Having a PAN card is mandatory for several purposes like paying income tax, filing income tax returns (ITR), opening a bank account or demat account, applying for a debit or credit card, etc.

5 things to know about instant PAN card application with Aadhaar:

1) Getting an electronic PAN card from the income tax department’s e-filing portal is easy. Click on the ‘Instant PAN through Aadhaar’ link on the portal, then select ‘Get New PAN’. You will be asked to share your Aadhaar number after which you get an OTP (one time password) on your registered mobile number. Once you enter the OTP, all your Aadhaar details will be validated from the UIDAI database and PAN card will be issued.

2) Applicants get the PAN card in pdf format which contains a QR code having your demographic details such as name, date of birth and photograph. You can download the e-PAN by using the 15-digit acknowledgment number sent to you after completing the application process. A soft copy is also sent to the applicant’s email id, if it is registered with Aadhaar. The income tax department had recently changed rules to make e-PAN equivalent to laminated PAN card.

3) PAN card is also being issued through NSDL and UTITSL but both the entities charge you for issuing the 10-digit alphanumeric number while it is completely free on the income tax department’s portal.

4) Under the instant PAN facility, you do not need to fill up detailed application form as all the data is fetched from Aadhaar. With this, the two identity documents also get interlinked automatically and you can them use them interchangeably according to income tax rules.

5) The income tax department says the turnaround time for issuing an instant PAN is just about 10 minutes. So far more than 6.7 lakh such instant PAN cards have been issued.