Aadhaar Card for Kids – How to Apply for an Aadhaar Card for Your Child

Aadhaar has become one of the most reliable and important proof of identities for every citizen of India. It contains various important demographics as well as biometric details of the cardholder, which is very tough to forge. Irrespective of age, the Aadhaar issuing authority, UIDAI, has made this scheme possible for every Indian citizen.

Why Kids Require an Aadhaar Card

Even if your child is not 18, an Aadhaar card can still be useful for your child. Here are some benefits of having an Aadhaar card.

1. Identity Proof

People of all ages can use the Aadhaar as proof of their identity. Aadhaar can be used to establish the identification of adults and children in flight and railway bookings, admissions in schools, etc. They are also very useful for getting other official documents from the government such as the voter ID card, PAN card, driving licence, etc., as soon as the minor turns 18.

2. For Opening Bank Accounts

For opening bank accounts for your children, Aadhaar cards can be used. Today, most banks accept the Aadhaar card as a proof of residence and identity. The child will have to provide his birth certificate and ID proof, but here, the child’s Aadhaar card can be used if a birth certificate is not available. However, the Aadhaar of the guardian is compulsory for opening a bank account for the minor.

3. Mutual Fund Investments

You could have mutual fund investments in the name of your child even if he is a minor using the Aadhaar. Usually, the child’s birth certificate is needed, but many companies nowadays accept the Aadhaar as well.

How to Apply for Your Child’s Aadhaar Card

For Aadhaar, the process for enrolling children is different.

1. For Ages Five Years and Below

• For an Aadhaar card for a child below 5 years of age, visit the Aadhaar Enrolment Centre.
• They will provide you with a form. Fill this Aadhaar Enrolment Form. You should fill the form along with your Aadhaar number.
• Remember that any one of the parents should provide their Aadhaar details for enrolling their child who is below 5 years of age.
• They will take a photograph of your child.
• From the parent’s Aadhaar card, other demographic details, including the address will be filled.
• It is compulsory to submit the birth certificate of the child.
• Iris scan and fingerprints will not be taken for children below 5 years of age.
• The Aadhaar executive will hand over the acknowledgement slip. This slip will contain the enrolment number.
• This enrolment number can help you check the status of the generation of the Aadhaar card.
• Within 90 days, your child will get the Aadhaar card.

2. For Children Over Five Years of Age

• Fill the enrolment form they give at the Aadhaar Enrolment Centre nearby.
• You should provide a copy of the child’s birth certificate and his school’s identity card. Even a declaration on the letterhead of the institution would work.
• If your child is not yet enrolled in a school, then a parent’s Aadhaar card or even an identity certificate with a photo issued by the Tehsildar/Gazetted Officer on the letterhead will be accepted as an identity proof.
• However, the birth certificate of the child is compulsory in this case as well.
• You could give the certificate of address with a photo issued by a Gazetted Officer/ Tehsildar/ MP or MLA on the letterhead or a Village Panchayat head or any other equivalent authority for the address proof. Other address proofs will not be accepted.
• A facial photograph, and the scans of all ten fingers and the iris will be taken during the enrolment process. This process will be repeated when the child turns 15.
• Every other procedure is the same as getting an Aadhaar card for an adult.
• The UIDAI has not classified Aadhaar cards for children and adults separately. Every citizen can apply for an Aadhaar card and obtain it at any age. However, if a child below 15 years of age gets an Aadhaar card, then they would be required to take their photo and biometrics again after they turn 15.

3. For Online Registration

• To obtain an Aadhaar card for your child, online registration can also be done. Visit the Unique Identification Authority of India’s (UIDAI) website. You will find an Aadhaar card registration link.
• Get the required form and fill in all the details such as the child’s name, the parent’s phone number, email ID of the guardian or the parent, etc. Make sure the email ID and the number you fill in are permanent.
• After filling in all the personal details, provide your demographic details such as the location of the parents, locality, district, state, etc.
• There will be a Fix Appointment button. Click on it. It will allot you an appointment time at the Aadhaar Card Enrolment Centre you have selected.
• When you are done fixing an appointment, go to the office on the day allotted. Carry the required documents and the reference number with you. You should also carry a printout of the form with you.
• At the centre, all the documents will be verified, including the Aadhaar card of the parents.
• After verification, the biometric details will be taken if the child is above 5 years old which will be linked to their Aadhaar card.

How to Access the m-Aadhaar & e-Aadhaar Card for Kids

Parents can register their own phone numbers with their kid’s Aadhaar card and can use the m-Aadhaar app to have their kid’s Aadhaar card on their smartphones always. This app is designed to hold as many as 3 Aadhaar cards. A single parent can manage his own along with his child’s Aadhaar card in the app. This is very helpful since the Aadhaar card can be accessed whenever they need to show proof of identity. This can be accessed by parents of children who are below the age of 5 as well as those who are in the age gap of 5 to 15 years.

In case you have not received the Aadhaar card even after 60 days of having submitted the application, then you can consider checking the status of your application online. If the status shows your Aadhaar card to be ready, then you can download the e-Aadhaar card and then take a printout. An e-Aadhaar is always valid.

Documents Required for Minor (Baal) Aadhaar Card

Here are the lists of documents you will need:

1. For Ages Five Years and Below

• The original birth certificate of the child.
• The Aadhaar card of any one parent.
• You should provide the original copies of both documents along with its verification.

2. For Ages Five Years and Above

• The child’s birth certificate and any one of the identity proofs given below:
  • The identity card from his school.
  • The institution’s bonafide certificate on the letterhead.
  • The Aadhaar card of a parent.
  • The identity card issued by a Tehsildar/ Gazetted Officer on the letterhead that has the child’s photograph.

FAQs

You might have many questions about the process of obtaining an Aadhaar card for your child. Here are the answers to a few of them.

1. Is It Compulsory for Kids to Have an Aadhaar Card?

It is not mandatory for kids to have an Aadhaar card as of now, but there is no harm in enrolling them for one.

2. What is the Processing Time for Kids’ Aadhaar Card?

It will take up to 90 days from the time you enrolled the child for the card to reach the residential address you have given.

3. What is the Colour of the Baal Aadhaar Card?

If your child is below 5 years, then you will get a blue-coloured Baal Aadhaar Card. It will only be valid until he is 5 years old. You will have to submit his biometrics after he turns 5 since the Baal Aadhaar will no longer be valid.

4. Is it Mandatory to Update the Child’s Aadhaar Card When the Child Turns 15?

Yes, it is compulsory to submit the biometrics of the child and a photograph after he turns 15. This takes just minutes and is free of cost.

5. Is the Aadhaar Card Mandatory for School Admissions?

Many schools do insist that parents produce an Aadhaar card for the child during school admissions though it has not been made compulsory.

6. Is There Any Fee for Aadhaar Enrolment for Children?

The government bears the cost of enrolling, and no fee is charged for enrolling a child. Even for the biometric update of the child, no fee is charged.

Though obtaining an Aadhaar card is not yet compulsory for children, it is better to enrol them because it will make their lives easier in the future. Aadhaar would be of great help when the child needs identity proof. Even when the child is planning to go overseas for various educational scholarships, possessing the Aadhaar card will make those proceedings easier.

Also Read:

How to Get Birth Certificate for Your Newborn Child in India
Procedure to Adopt a Child in India
Best Government Schemes for Girl Child in India