- Home
- Aadhaar Card
- Aadhaar Biometric Update
Aadhaar Biometric Update
A biometric update refreshes the fingerprints, iris scans, and photograph held against your Aadhaar. These can change or degrade over time worn fingerprints from manual work, an injury, eye surgery, or simply a child growing up and when they no longer match, authentication starts failing at banks, ration shops, and AEPS points. Updating them restores a clean match. It is always done in person at an Aadhaar centre, because the machine has to capture your live biometrics; there is no online route for this. Your demographic details, like name or address, are separate and can often be changed online, but biometrics cannot.
Table of Content
Who Should Update Biometrics
You should update if your fingerprints or iris no longer authenticate reliably a common problem for older people, manual workers, and anyone after a hand injury or eye procedure. Children must update at fixed ages, covered below. It is also worth doing if your photo is badly outdated. There is no fixed renewal cycle for adults: you update biometrics only when there is a reason, not on a schedule. If your fingerprints repeatedly fail at a bank or subsidy point, that is the signal to book an update rather than struggling through repeated rejections.
Step-by-Step: Biometric Update at Aadhaar Centre
- The visit is short. Carry your Aadhaar; no other document is needed for an adult biometric-only update.
- Find an Aadhaar Seva Kendra on the Bhuvan Aadhaar portal, and ideally book a free slot.
- At the centre, ask for a biometric update and give your Aadhaar number.
- Let the operator capture your fingerprints, both iris scans, and a fresh photograph.
- Verify the details on screen and pay the fee.
- Collect the acknowledgement slip with its Update Request Number (URN) to track it. Track the request with the URN on UIDAI’s status page. The update is a stand-alone transaction, so it is handled on its own rather than bundled with a demographic change
Fee and Timeline for Biometric Update
For an adult, a biometric update costs ₹125 at the centre, the UIDAI rate revised in October 2025. It cannot be done online, so the fee always applies in person. After the update, the change typically reflects within a few days, though UIDAI’s official service standard allows up to 90 days. You will get an SMS once it is processed, and can then download a fresh eAadhaar. Booking the appointment itself is free; you pay only for the update. Children’s updates follow a different, currently waived fee, explained next.
Children’s Mandatory Biometric Update at Age 5 and 15
Children under five get a Bal Aadhaar with only a photo, no fingerprints or iris. UIDAI then requires two updates: MBU-1 at age 5 and MBU-2 at age 15, each capturing fresh fingerprints, iris, and photograph as the child matures. These keep the child’s Aadhaar usable for school admissions, scholarships, and exams. On fees, there is important current relief: UIDAI has waived the MBU charge for all children aged 5 to 17, free until 30 September 2026. Normally each MBU is free only within the 5–7 and 15–17 windows and 125 otherwise, so this ₹ waiver is worth using before it ends. Carry the child’s Bal Aadhaar and a parent’s Aadhaar.
Biometric update fees at a glance:
| Who / when | Fee |
| Adult biometric update | ₹125 (at centre) |
| Child MBU, age 5–17 (till 30 Sept 2026) | Free (waiver) |
| Child MBU within 5–7 / 15–17 windows | Free (standard) |
| Child MBU outside windows (after waiver) | ₹125 |
| Book an appointment | Free |
Source: UIDAI charges schedule, uidai.gov.in. Child MBU waiver valid till 30 September 2026.
Written By
Reviewed ByLast Updated: 2nd July 2026
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How to update biometrics in Aadhaar?
Visit an Aadhaar Seva Kendra or enrolment centre with your Aadhaar, ask for a biometric update, and let the operator capture your fingerprints, both iris scans, and a photograph. Verify the details, pay the fee, and keep the acknowledgement slip with its URN to track the request. It must be done in person, as there is no online biometric update.
Who is eligible for biometric update?
Any Aadhaar holder can update biometrics when their fingerprints or iris no longer authenticate reliably common for older people, manual workers, or after an injury or eye surgery. Children must update at ages five and fifteen. There is no fixed schedule for adults; you update only when there is a genuine reason, such as repeated authentication failures.
Where to go for Aadhaar biometric update?
Go to an Aadhaar Seva Kendra run by UIDAI, or an authorised enrolment centre in many banks and post offices. Find your nearest one on the Bhuvan Aadhaar portal, which lists addresses and services. Biometric updates cannot be done online or at home, so a centre visit is required; booking a free appointment first saves waiting time.
What is the fee for biometric update?
For an adult, a biometric update is 125 at the centre. For children, the Mandatory Biometric ₹ Update is currently free for all aged 5 to 17 under a UIDAI waiver valid until 30 September 2026; after that it is free only within the 5 to 7 and 15 to 17 windows and 125 otherwise. Booking an ₹ appointment is free.
How long does biometric update take?
After your visit, the update usually reflects within a few days, though UIDAI’s official service standard allows up to 90 days. You receive an SMS once it is processed, after which you can download a fresh eAadhaar. You can track progress in the meantime using the Update Request Number on the acknowledgement slip via UIDAI’s status page.
Can children update biometrics?
Yes in fact it is mandatory. A child enrolled under five has no fingerprints or iris on record, so UIDAI requires a first update at age five and a second at fifteen, capturing fresh biometrics. These keep the child’s Aadhaar valid for school admissions, scholarships, and exams. The fee is currently waived for all children aged 5 to 17 until 30 September 2026.
How many times can biometrics be updated?
There is no fixed limit. You can update your biometrics whenever there is a genuine need, such as authentication failures or a major change after injury or surgery. For children, two updates are mandatory at ages five and fifteen. For adults, it is need-based rather than scheduled, so you update only when your existing biometrics stop matching reliably.
What documents needed for biometric update?
For an adult biometric-only update, you generally need just your Aadhaar; no separate proof is required, since your biometrics themselves verify you. For a child’s Mandatory Biometric Update, carry the child’s Bal Aadhaar and a parent’s or guardian’s Aadhaar for verification. If you are also changing demographic details in the same visit, bring the relevant proof documents.
