How Can I Change My Name in the Aadhar Card After Marriage?

You can change your name in your Aadhar card post marriage easily by an online as well as an offline method. Simply follow these steps and provide relevant documents to make the change.

Identity documents like Aadhar card, PAN card and passport are documents that help prove a person’s identity. Aadhar card, in India, has become one of the most important and relevant identity proofs accessible to almost everybody in the country. It helps with a multitude of official tasks requiring an identity proof such as filing income tax return, availing government provided subsidiaries, for identification and verification purposes (KYCs), or opening bank accounts.

Early this year, Aadhar cards have been made mandatory along with PAN cards for tax return filing by the Supreme Court. Therefore, Aadhar card and PAN card are to be linked to complete tax return filing. In case any error or changes haven’t been corrected or updated in the Aadhaar, it might result in delinking of the Aadhaar with the PAN card or inactivation of the card. The most frequently changed information is the card name change. One of the major reasons behind Aadhaar name changes are marriages as brides adopting groom’s surname is a prevalent culture. This article talks about how to update your Aadhaar name after marriage. In case, you are a bride about to get married or a newly-wed woman looking to change your Aadhaar name, then this article will be majorly helpful to guide you through the procedures.

This article includes different methods for a successful change of the name, a list of necessary documents, and some additional pointers to keep in mind too. Make sure to go through them thoroughly so as to avoid any mistakes. In its entirety, the procedures are simple to follow and you will not have any trouble acting on them. Let us dive right in.

Brides looking to change their Aadhaar name after marriage can pick from either the online mode or the offline mode as required.

Online Method

Updating your Aadhaar online is convenient and handy—here are the few steps to follow:

• The first step is to open www.uidai.gov.in website. Rest assured the website is secured and safe as it is under the Government of India.
• UIDAI stands for Unique Identification Authority of India and is responsible for issuing and maintaining the Aadhar cards. Therefore, any changes can be made through the aforementioned site. The second step is to login using your Aadhaar number.
• Thirdly, submit a request for name change. You can change your surname or both your names in the specified format.
• This is the most important step and you will be required to provide valid documents of the name change as approved by the Government. These self-attested documents should be scanned and then added as the supporting documents.
• The next step is to authorize and verify your name change by inserting the OTP sent to your registered mobile number into the relevant slot.
• Once the name change is approved after validating and verifying all your documents and proofs, a message will be sent to your registered number.

The steps provided above are to be followed for successful name change. It is vital to note that this procedure is free of cost.

Offline Method

If you prefer getting it done hands-on, then here is now you can get your Aadhaar name changed:

• For offline method, the Aadhaar enrolment centre has to be visited. You can opt to go to the nearest centre around you for the same.
• All your documents that validate the name change are absolutely important, along with your Aadhar card (if necessary PAN cards too). Make sure to carry original documents which will be scanned and handed over to you.
• This procedure can be used to update your biometrics and any other relevant changes, if required.
• However, unlike the other method, there will be a nominal fee of Rs. 50 which will be charged for the process.

The ideal document for the Aadhaar name change is the marriage certificate as issued by the marriage registrar. This is the easiest document proof of the marriage and for the name change simultaneously. Needless to say, it can be used by newly-weds and can further be utilized to get other relevant documents updated. Here is a list of some documents that can be used to for name alteration other than the marriage certificate:

• PAN card
• Passport
• Voter ID
• Driving License (specifically the applicant’s license)
• Ration Card
• Bank ATM cards with Photo
• Credit Cards with Photo
• Any Photo Identity Card by the Government of India

Updating Aadhaar details are fairly simple, but there are certain pointers to keep in mind for the same. Let us run through them to avoid any mistakes or complications after.

• Updating Aadhaar details or correcting the information provided is done using an Update Request Number (URN) and you must keep it safe as it helps check on updates regarding the change.
• The update process takes about 90 days and after the process is complete, you can download your e-Aadhaar through the UIDAI site post verification. You can also visit the nearest Aadhaar enrolment centre to get a soft copy of your updated Aadhar card.
• All mandatory information should be provided. Make sure to provide the correct Aadhaar name and do not repeat the name previously used. No designations are required while changing the Aadhaar name either.
• Make sure to go through the required list of proofs and upload scanned copies of the necessary ones. These should be self-attest scanned copies. You could also have photocopies of the same in case of any discrepancies.
• It is crucial to provide all necessary documents and correct information before authorizing it. This can help prevent any unnecessary issues that may arise from it.

In summary, updating Aadhar card is relatively simpler as compared to that of other identity documents. This is because of the services provided by the Government of India and the ease of accessing these services. As stated, there is no better proof than an authorized marriage certificate from a marriage registrar as it eases up the process even more. Furthermore, submitting a soft copy of that document speeds up the timeline for completion. Nevertheless, other documents relevant to the updating process can also be used and they have been specified above.

Changing Aadhaar name first, before other identity documents, is preferred because of the time frame and convenience: the time taken is lesser and there is no requirement for an affidavit. Moreover, an updated Aadhaar can support the change in name for other such documents- Passport, Bank Cards etc. There are other added benefits that shatter the perceived notion of updating documents being cumbersome.

Recommended Read: How to Unlock Biometric in Aadhaar Permanently?