How to Update Your Aadhaar Card Details Online and Offline

Aadhaar has become the reference document for almost every other application in India, which is exactly why a small error on it — a misspelled name, an outdated address, an old photo — tends to cause knock-on problems everywhere else. Fixing it isn't complicated once you know which updates can be done from home and which genuinely require an in-person visit.

What You Can Update Online

The UIDAI self-service portal allows certain updates without visiting a centre, provided your mobile number is already linked to your Aadhaar for OTP verification:

• Address — can be updated online with a valid address proof document uploaded directly, without needing to visit a centre in most cases.
• Name (minor corrections) — small spelling corrections can sometimes be processed online, though significant name changes usually require offline verification.
• Date of birth and gender — limited correction requests are possible online, generally allowed only a limited number of times over the life of the Aadhaar number.

What Requires a Physical Centre Visit

Some updates are restricted to in-person enrolment centres because they need biometric verification that can't be securely done remotely:

• Mobile number update or linking — always requires a centre visit, since this is the credential OTP-based verification itself depends on.
• Biometric updates — fingerprints, iris scan, and photograph updates all require in-person biometric capture.
• Cases without a linked mobile number — if your Aadhaar isn't linked to any mobile number at all, most updates will need to start with an in-person visit to register one.

Documents Needed for Common Updates

Address update: any of the accepted proof-of-address documents — utility bill, bank statement, rent agreement, ration card, or voter ID — dated within the period specified by UIDAI's current guidelines.

Name correction: typically requires a proof-of-identity document showing the correct spelling, such as a passport, PAN card, or a gazette notification if the name has been legally changed.

Date of birth correction: usually needs a birth certificate, school leaving certificate, or passport as supporting proof, since this field has stricter verification requirements than most others.

Step-by-Step: Online Address Update

1. Visit the official UIDAI self-service update portal and log in using your Aadhaar number and the OTP sent to your registered mobile.
2. Select "Address" as the field to update.
3. Enter the corrected address and upload a valid, legible proof-of-address document.
4. Submit the request — you'll receive an Update Request Number (URN) to track progress.
5. Check status periodically using the URN; most address updates are processed within a couple of weeks.

Step-by-Step: Offline Update at an Enrolment Centre

1. Locate your nearest Aadhaar Seva Kendra or enrolment centre using the official centre-locator tool.
2. Carry original supporting documents (not just photocopies) for whichever field you're updating.
3. Fill out the Aadhaar update form at the centre and complete biometric verification if required for your update type.
4. Pay the applicable update fee, which varies by update type.
5. Collect your acknowledgement slip with the URN to track your request online afterward.

A Note on Getting the Update Right the First Time

Blurry, low-resolution scans or documents where the address or name field isn't clearly legible are a common reason updates get rejected and need resubmission. Photographing a document in good light against a plain background, rather than a hurried phone photo, meaningfully reduces the chance of rejection.

Why It's Worth Fixing Promptly

Because so many other systems — bank KYC, PAN linking, scholarship applications, government scheme registrations — cross-check details against Aadhaar, an error here has a way of surfacing repeatedly in unrelated processes until it's corrected at the source. Treating an Aadhaar correction as a priority, rather than something to fix "eventually," tends to save considerably more time down the line than the update itself takes.