What is the e-Aadhaar PDF password, and how to remove it

The e-Aadhaar PDF password is the first four letters of your name, as printed on the Aadhaar, in CAPITAL letters, followed by your year of birth as four digits. For example, SURESH KUMAR born in 1990 would type SURE1990. To save a copy without the password, open Unlock PDF, type it in Current password and select Unlock PDF →. The file stays on your device.

The password format, from UIDAI

UIDAI’s e-Aadhaar FAQ (checked November 2, 2026) gives the rule and these examples, all for a person born in 1990:

• Name SURESH KUMAR: password SURE1990.
• Name SAI KUMAR: password SAIK1990. The space is skipped, so the letters run on into the second name.
• Name P. KUMAR: password P.KU1990. The dot counts as a character.
• Name RIA: password RIA1990. A name shorter than four letters is used as it is.

Use the name exactly as it appears on your Aadhaar, not a nickname, and use the year from the date of birth on the card.

Do you need to remove the password?

Often you don’t. UIDAI’s Aadhaar handbook says the e-Aadhaar is digitally signed by UIDAI and that the downloaded copy is legally valid. That signature belongs to the original file. Changing the file in any way, including removing the password, can make PDF readers stop showing the signature as valid.

• Keep the original as downloaded from UIDAI, with its password, for anything official.
• Make a copy without the password only when a website or office can’t accept a password-protected PDF, or when you need to print it on a computer that asks for the password every time.
• An Aadhaar has your name, photo, address and number on it. Share it only with people and offices that need it.

How to remove the e-Aadhaar password

1. Open Unlock PDF.
2. Select Choose a PDF and pick the e-Aadhaar file you downloaded.
3. Type the password in Current password. Tick Show password to check each letter.
4. Select Unlock PDF →.
5. Select Download result ↓. Give the copy a name that shows it has no password, so you don’t mix it up with the original.

We tested this on November 2, 2026 with a sample PDF protected by the password SURE1990, not a real Aadhaar. Typing sure1990 in lowercase gave “That password is not correct.” Typing SURE1990 gave “Password removed. This copy opens without a password.” The PDF and the password stay in your browser and aren’t sent to our servers.

If the password doesn’t work

• Check capitals. The letters must be uppercase. Phone keyboards often capitalize only the first letter.
• Check the name spelling on the card. An initial, a dot or a middle name changes the first four characters.
• Download it again. If the file was damaged while downloading, download a fresh copy from UIDAI.
• A forgotten or unknown password can’t be removed. Unlock PDF only removes a password you already know. It doesn’t guess or crack passwords.

Putting a password back on a copy

If you removed the password to merge the Aadhaar with other documents, you can protect the finished file before you email it. Open Protect PDF, choose the file, type a new password twice and select Protect PDF →. It uses AES-256 encryption. Send the password separately, for example by phone or SMS, not in the same email as the file.

PDFReadyGo isn’t connected to UIDAI. For problems with the Aadhaar itself, use UIDAI’s official channels.

Related tools

• Protect PDF: put a password back on a copy before you email it.
• How to remove a PDF password on iPhone or Android
• Compress PDF to 200 KB for ID uploads