How to Apply for a New PAN Card Online

A Permanent Account Number (PAN) is a 10-digit alphanumeric identifier issued by the Income Tax Department. It is mandatory for filing taxes, opening a bank account, investing in mutual funds, and conducting any transaction above ₹50,000 in India.

You can apply for a new PAN card completely online through the NSDL (now Protean) portal. If your mobile number is linked to your Aadhaar card, you can use the paperless e-KYC method, which takes about 15 minutes and requires zero physical documents.

Methods of Application

Before starting, you must choose how you want to submit your documents:

Submission Method	How it Works	Pros & Cons
Submit digitally through e-KYC & e-Sign	Uses your Aadhaar data. No documents to upload or mail.	Pros: Fastest, paperless. Cons: Uses your Aadhaar photo and address. You cannot upload a different photo.
Submit scanned images through e-Sign	Paperless, but you manually upload your photo, signature, and address proof.	Pros: You can use a recent photo and a different address. Cons: Requires careful scanning of documents.
Forward application documents physically	You print the form, sign it, attach photos, and courier it to NSDL.	Pros: Good if you don't have Aadhaar linked to mobile. Cons: Very slow (takes over a month).

Step 1: Visit the NSDL Portal

Go to the Online PAN Application page on the NSDL (Protean) website.

Step 2: Fill out the initial application

Under the Apply Online tab:

1. Application Type: Select "New PAN - Indian Citizen (Form 49A)".
2. Category: Select "Individual".
3. Fill in your Title (Shri/Smt/Kumari), Last Name/Surname, First Name, Date of Birth, Email ID, and Mobile Number.
4. Check the consent box, enter the CAPTCHA, and click Submit.
5. The system will generate a Token Number. Note this down immediately. If your browser crashes or the session times out, you can resume your application using this token number.
6. Click Continue with PAN Application Form.

Step 3: Select submission mode and parent details

1. Choose Submit digitally through e-KYC & e-Sign (Paperless).
2. Enter the last 4 digits of your Aadhaar number.
3. Select "Yes" to confirm that your photograph as available in Aadhaar shall be printed on the PAN card.
4. Parents Details: The PAN card traditionally prints the father's name. Even for married women, the father's name must be provided, not the husband's name. You also have the option to print your mother's name instead if you are raised by a single mother.

Step 4: Source of income and contact details

1. Select your source of income (e.g., "Income from Salary", "Income from Business/Profession", or "No Income" if you are a student/homemaker).
2. Because you selected e-KYC, your address will be automatically fetched from the UIDAI database. You cannot manually type a different communication address.
3. Enter your country code (+91 for India) and confirm your email address.

Step 5: Enter the AO Code

You need to provide your Assessing Officer (AO) Code. This code tells the Income Tax Department which tax jurisdiction your PAN belongs to based on your address and income type. If you don't know it, the portal helps you find it automatically:

1. Click on the Indian Citizens tab in the help section at the bottom.
2. Select your State and City from the dropdowns.
3. The system will display a list of AO codes for your city.
4. Read the descriptions (e.g., "Ward 1 - Alphabet A to M"). Choose the appropriate one based on the first letter of your name or your salary bracket. Double-click the code and it will autofill the fields above.

Step 6: Pay the application fee

Proceed to the payment page.

• Physical PAN Card: Approximately ₹107 (delivered to an Indian address).
• e-PAN Only: Approximately ₹66 (delivered via email only).

Pay using debit/credit card, net banking, or UPI.

Step 7: Authenticate via Aadhaar

After payment is successful, you must legally authenticate the application using your Aadhaar:

1. Check the consent box and click Authenticate.
2. Click OTP Authentication.
3. Enter the OTP sent to your Aadhaar-linked mobile number and submit.
4. Click Continue with e-Sign.
5. You will be redirected to the NSDL electronic signature page. Enter your Aadhaar number and click "Get OTP".
6. Enter the final OTP to digitally sign the application.

Your application is complete. You will see a final acknowledgement screen with a 15-digit acknowledgement number. You will also receive a PDF of your application via email.

Real-world Timelines

Action	Time Taken
Initial processing and e-PAN generation	24 to 48 hours
Printing of physical card	3 to 5 days
Delivery by India Post	7 to 10 days
Total time to receive physical card	10 to 15 days

Common Mistakes

• Husband's name instead of father's name: The PAN database strictly requires the father's name, even for married women. Entering a husband's name will cause the application to be rejected.
• Title mismatch: Using the wrong title (e.g., "Shri" for a woman) will cause the Aadhaar verification to fail.
• Initial instead of full name: You must enter your full name. If your Aadhaar says "Rahul K", but you try to expand it to "Rahul Kumar" on the PAN application, the e-KYC will fail. The names must match exactly.

Troubleshooting

The payment failed but the money was deducted: Do not start a new application. Go to the NSDL portal homepage and click on the "Registered User" tab. Log in using your Token Number, Email, and Date of Birth. The portal will check the payment status and let you resume from where you left off. If the payment truly failed, the money will be refunded by your bank in 3-5 days.

I opted for e-KYC but my Aadhaar photo is very old: If you use e-KYC, you cannot change the photo on your PAN card during the application. It will pull whatever photo is currently in the UIDAI database. If you want a new photo on your PAN card, you must first update your biometrics (photo) at an Aadhaar center, or use the "Submit scanned images through e-Sign" method instead.

My application is stuck on "Under Processing": Use the 15-digit acknowledgement number to track your status on the NSDL website. If it is stuck for more than a week, it usually means there is a demographic mismatch that requires manual review by an assessing officer. Wait for an email from NSDL detailing the discrepancy.

Related Guides

• How to Link PAN with Aadhaar
• How to Download e-PAN Card
• Fix PAN-Aadhaar Name & DOB Mismatch

Need more help?

For more information, check out our Identity & KYC guides or try our Income Tax Calculator.