How to Download e-PAN Card Online

An e-PAN is a digitally signed PDF copy of your Permanent Account Number (PAN) card. If you have lost your physical card, left it at home, or are waiting for a new one to arrive by post, you can download the e-PAN and use it immediately for KYC, bank accounts, mutual fund investments, or tax filing.

PAN cards in India are issued through two government-authorized service providers: NSDL (now Protean) and UTIITSL. You must download the e-PAN from the portal of the provider that processed your original PAN application. There is also a third option: the Income Tax portal's Instant e-PAN facility for Aadhaar-linked PANs.

Before You Start

Which Method Should You Use?

Method	Best For	Fee
NSDL (Protean) Portal	Most people. NSDL processes the majority of PAN applications in India.	Free within 30 days; Rs 8.26 after that
UTIITSL Portal	If NSDL says your PAN was not processed by them	Free within 30 days; Rs 8.26 after that
Income Tax Portal (Instant e-PAN)	If you generated your PAN via the Aadhaar-based instant facility. Also works for any PAN linked to Aadhaar.	Free

Try the NSDL (Protean) portal first, as they process the majority of PAN applications. If they did not process yours, their system will show an error directing you to UTIITSL.

Option A: Download from NSDL (Protean)

1. Visit the NSDL e-PAN Download page.
2. Select the PAN option (or Acknowledgment Number if you recently applied and do not have the PAN number yet).
3. Enter your 10-digit PAN, 12-digit Aadhaar Number, and Date of Birth (Month and Year only, not the full date).
4. Check the consent box, solve the CAPTCHA, and click Submit.
5. The portal will show your masked email and mobile number (e.g., r***@gmail.com, 98****1234). Select how you want to receive the OTP (Email, Mobile, or Both).
6. Click Generate OTP.
7. Enter the OTP received and click Validate.
8. Payment step:
   • If your PAN was issued/updated in the last 30 days, the download is free. Click the download button directly.
   • If older than 30 days, click Continue with Paid e-PAN Download facility. Pay the Rs 8.26 fee via UPI, debit card, or net banking.
9. After successful payment, click on Download PDF.

Option B: Download from UTIITSL

1. Visit the UTIITSL e-PAN Download page.
2. Enter your PAN, Date of Birth (MM/YYYY format), and the CAPTCHA code. The GSTIN field can be left blank.
3. Click Submit.
4. The screen will show your masked mobile and email. Verify they are correct, solve the CAPTCHA again, check the consent box, and click Get OTP.
5. Enter the OTP received on your mobile/email and click Submit.
6. Payment step:
   • Free within 30 days of issuance/update.
   • If older, you will be redirected to a payment gateway to pay Rs 8.26.
7. After payment, the e-PAN PDF will either download directly or a secure download link will be sent to your registered email address.

Option C: Download via Income Tax Portal (Instant e-PAN)

If you generated an "Instant e-PAN" using Aadhaar on the Income Tax portal (a paperless, free facility), or if your PAN is already linked to Aadhaar:

1. Go to the Income Tax e-Filing portal.
2. Click on Instant e-PAN under Quick Links on the homepage.
3. Click on Check Status / Download PAN.
4. Enter your 12-digit Aadhaar Number and submit the OTP sent to your Aadhaar-linked mobile.
5. If the PAN has been generated and is linked, you can download the PDF directly from there. This is always free.

How to Open the e-PAN PDF

The downloaded PDF is encrypted with a password to protect your personal data.

Password Format: Your Date of Birth in DDMMYYYY format (8 digits, no separators).

Date of Birth	PDF Password
15 August 1990	15081990
5 January 1985	05011985 (note the leading zero for single-digit day)
22 November 2001	22112001

What the e-PAN Contains

The e-PAN PDF includes:

• Your photograph (fetched from Aadhaar if e-KYC was used)
• Your full name as registered with the Income Tax Department
• Your father's name
• Your Date of Birth
• Your 10-digit PAN number
• A QR code containing your encrypted demographic details, which banks and other institutions can scan to verify authenticity

Common Problems and Solutions

Problem	Solution
OTP goes to an old mobile number	You must update your PAN records first by submitting a "PAN Correction" application on the NSDL or UTIITSL portal. Once the new number is updated (takes 15-20 days), you can download the e-PAN.
"Aadhaar not linked" error	NSDL requires your Aadhaar to be linked to your PAN to use this facility. Link them on the Income Tax portal first. See our PAN-Aadhaar linking guide.
Payment deducted but PDF did not download	Wait for a few minutes. Check your registered email, as UTIITSL often emails the PDF download link. If it failed entirely, the Rs 8.26 is usually auto-refunded within 3-5 days.
Invalid password error	Ensure you are typing the exact Date of Birth as recorded in the Income Tax database, in DDMMYYYY format with leading zeros.
"PAN not processed by NSDL"	Your PAN was issued by UTIITSL. Try the UTIITSL portal instead (Option B above).
Photo on e-PAN is blurry or outdated	The photo is pulled from your Aadhaar data at the time of PAN issuance. You cannot change the photo on the e-PAN without filing a PAN correction request with a new photograph.

Common Mistakes

• Paying more than Rs 8.26: Only the official NSDL and UTIITSL portals charge Rs 8.26. Third-party websites may charge Rs 50-200 for the same download. Always use the official portals.
• Confusing PAN number with Acknowledgment Number: Your PAN is a 10-character alphanumeric code (e.g., ABCDE1234F). The Acknowledgment Number is a 15-digit numeric code issued when you applied.
• Not saving the PDF: Download and save the PDF to multiple locations (phone, email, cloud). The portal may be down when you urgently need it for KYC.

Related Guides

• How to Apply for a New PAN Card Online
• How to Link PAN with Aadhaar
• Fix PAN-Aadhaar Name or DOB Mismatch

Need more help?

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