UIDAI Revises Aadhaar Enrolment And Updation Rules: Simplified Documents And Child-Friendly Updates

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has officially notified the "Aadhaar (Enrolment and Update) First Amendment Regulations, 2026," clarifying how biometric identities are issued and maintained. The new regulations substitute the previous schedule and provide an exhaustive list of acceptable documents, such as identity proof, address proof, date of birth proof, and relationship proof, among others, for children, foreign nationals, Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) and Long Term Visa (LTV) holders, transgender persons, and more.

Let’s check the details.

Information Updation For Aadhaar Holders of Any Age

According to the notification, the document required for ID, address, or DoB proof for the update of information of an Aadhaar holder of any age, includes the following:

Valid Indian passport

Ration card

Voter ID

Driving Licence

Service photo ID card by the central/state government, PSU, regulatory body, or statutory body

Pensioner photo ID card

CGHS/ECHS/ESIC cards

Kisan photo passbook

Marriage certificate

Divorce decree

Bank passbook/statement

MNREGA/NREGA job cards

Third gender ID card

Utility bills

Educational certificates/marksheets

Insurance policies

Registered rent agreements

Prisoner Induction Documents

Shelter home certificates

Enrolment Of Children Under Five

For children under the age of five years, Head of Family (HoF) based enrolment is mandatory, except for foreign nationals and those in child care institutions. Parents or legal guardians act as the HoF and must have a valid Aadhaar to apply for Aadhaar for their children. A birth certificate or an Indian passport (for non-resident Indians – NRIs) is a mandatory proof of date of birth and relationship. The child's address will be taken directly from the HoF’s Aadhaar records. Further, biometric authentication of at least one parent or guardian will be required during the process.

Enrolment Of Minors (5 to 18 Years)

For children aged 5 to 18 years,  the HoF documents-based application can be used, but the separate document-based option is also open. In that case, the acceptable documents include valid Indian passports, domicile certificates, or caste certificates (SC/ST/OBC) issued by the government.

For children in state care, a certificate from the District Child Protection Officers, as per UIDAI standard formats, can be submitted. So, in case HoF documents are missing, Aadhaar can still be applied for an individual in this age group, provided that their documents bear their name and photograph.

Enrolment Of Adults (18 Years And Above)

For citizens 18 years and above, the list of documents includes passports, Voter IDs, and Ration cards. However, considering the identity frauds these days, the new regulations also include specific papers such as service photo IDs from PSUs, MGNREGA job cards, and transgender identity cards, and educational certificates from recognised boards for name and birth date verification, but not for address. These documents must be valid, not declared invalid by the issuing authority.

Regulations For Foreign Nationals And OCI Holders

For OCI cardholders, LTV holders, nationals from Nepal and Bhutan who have resided in India for at least 182 days in the past year, special provisions will apply. Here is the detail:

For OCI and Nepal/Bhutan nationals – Aadhaar will be valid for 10 years.

For LTV holders from minority communities in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, Aadhaar validity will be tied to the LTV itself.

For other foreign nationals, Aadhaar will be valid until their visa or registration certificate expires.

Change In Process

Now, the verification process has become rigorous. Under the new process, the documents now need to be verifiable from the source and issued in the name of the applicant. Under the procedural shift, a HoF-based address update for individuals who don’t have their own proof of address can be borrowed. Besides, updates in the name and gender beyond prescribed limits will now follow a specialised standard operating procedure (SOP). UIDAI has also standardised the certificate formats for officials, including members of parliament (MPs), members of legislative authority (MLAs), and Gazetted officers, to ensure uniformity across all enrolments.

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