How to open your e-Aadhaar PDF: the password format explained
The e-Aadhaar you download is locked with a password made from your name and year of birth. Here is the exact rule, the cases that trip people up (initials, short names, spaces), and when to use a masked Aadhaar instead.
You downloaded your e-Aadhaar, tapped to open it, and it asked for a password you were never given. That is normal. UIDAI locks the e-Aadhaar PDF because it contains your photo, address, date of birth and Aadhaar number, and the password is built from details only you should know.
The password rule
The password is:
Use the name exactly as it appears on your Aadhaar.
| Name on Aadhaar | Year of birth | Password |
|---|---|---|
| Suresh Kumar | 1990 | SURE1990 |
| Sai Kumar | 1990 | SAIK1990 (the space is skipped) |
| P. Kumar | 1990 | P.KU1990 (the dot counts as a character) |
| Ria | 1990 | RIA1990 (fewer than four letters: use the whole name) |
When the password doesn't work
Nearly every failure is one of these:
- Spelling. The name must match your Aadhaar exactly, not a nickname or the spelling on another document.
- Initials. If your Aadhaar name starts with an initial and a dot, like "P. Kumar", the dot is part of the four characters.
- Capital letters. The four letters must be capitals. Typing on a phone often capitalises only the first letter.
- Year of birth. It is the year on your Aadhaar. If your Aadhaar shows only a year of birth, use that.
Type the password slowly and check it with the "show password" eye before pressing Open.
If you need a copy without the password
Some portals, print shops and family members can't open a locked PDF. If you know the password, you can save a copy that opens without it.
Do this on your own phone, not on a website that uploads your file. An "unlock" site that receives your e-Aadhaar receives your photo, address, date of birth and Aadhaar number. The PDFkey tool opens the file inside your browser, and the PDF never leaves your device.
Keep the original
Your e-Aadhaar is digitally signed by UIDAI. The unlocked copy shows the same document, but it no longer carries a valid signature, because the file has changed.
- For printing and most uploads, the unlocked copy is fine.
- For a service that checks UIDAI's digital signature, use the original, locked PDF.
Keep both.
Do you need the full number at all?
Often you don't. A hotel, a landlord, a courier or a SIM shop usually needs only your name, photo and address. Share a masked Aadhaar, which hides the first eight digits and shows only the last four.
- UIDAI's own download offers a masked e-Aadhaar.
- If you only have the regular copy or a photo of the card, you can mask it yourself.
What this tool does not do
- It does not guess or crack passwords. It only uses the password you type.
- It is not connected to UIDAI and is not an official UIDAI tool. It opens a file you already have, with a password you are entitled to use.
- It stores nothing. Your PDF, name and year of birth stay in the browser tab.
Only open Aadhaar files that belong to you, or that the person they belong to asked you to handle.
Quick answers
Is the unlocked e-Aadhaar still valid?
For printing and most uploads, yes; it is the same document. Services that verify UIDAI's signature need the original locked PDF.
My name has a title like "Dr." on Aadhaar.
Use the name exactly as printed on the Aadhaar, including any characters at the start.
Can I open other locked PDFs the same way?
Yes, if you know their password. Bank statements, Form 16 and ITR-V each have their own rules.
PKUnlock any PDF with a password you knowRemove the open password or print/copy restrictions from a PDF whose password you know, and save an unlocked copy — text, pages and quality unchanged