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UIDAI Aadhaar Verification: How Identity Checks Work
Aadhaar verification is the process by which a service provider confirms that an Aadhaar is genuine and belongs to the person presenting it. It is what happens behind the scenes when a bank opens your account or a telecom activates a SIM. It is not one single thing: it ranges from a quick check that a number is valid and active, through scanning the signed QR code, to a full electronic KYC, where UIDAI confirms identity after the holder consents. What unites them is that UIDAI never simply hands over your data; it confirms, with your consent, and returns only what is needed. This page looks at verification from the side of the organization doing the checking.
Table of Content
1. Step-by-Step: Verify Aadhaar on UIDAI Portal |
2. Who Can Verify Aadhaar |
3. What Information is Revealed in Verification |
4. QR code-based verification |
Step-by-Step: Verify Aadhaar on UIDAI Portal
The simplest public check is the Verify Aadhaar Number service, which anyone can use to confirm a number is real.
- Open the myAadhaar portal at myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in.
- Under Aadhaar Services, select “Verify Aadhaar Number.”
- Enter the 12-digit number and the captcha.
- Submit to confirm whether the number is valid and active.
For organizations that verify at scale, this manual check is only the starting point. Banks, NBFCs, and other licensed entities use UIDAI’s authentication and eKYC APIs through an authorized agency, which return a verified yes/no or, with consent, the holder’s KYC details far more than the public portal shows.
Who Can Verify Aadhaar
Anyone can use the public Verify Aadhaar Number page to check a number is valid; that part is open. But verification that actually authenticates a person or pulls KYC data is restricted. Only entities UIDAI has approved as an Authentication User Agency (AUA) or KYC User Agency (KUA), typically banks, licensed financial institutions, telecoms, and notified government bodies may do that, and only for purposes permitted under the Aadhaar Act. A random individual or shop cannot lawfully run a biometric or eKYC check on you. This gatekeeping is deliberate: it limits who can touch identity data and ties every check to a permitted use.
What Information is Revealed in Verification
How much is revealed depends on the method, and it is always less than people fear. The public number check returns only whether the Aadhaar is valid and active, plus a coarse age band, gender, and state never the full record. An authentication request returns just a yes or no: does this fingerprint, OTP, or face match this number? Only a full eKYC, to which the holder explicitly consents, shares demographic details and a photo with the agency. UIDAI never returns your biometrics and never tells the verifier anything you have not consented to share. The system is built to confirm identity, not to broadcast data.
QR code-based verification
For offline or face-to-face checks, the secure QR code is the workhorse. A verifier scans the code on the Aadhaar with an official UIDAI tool, and it reads UIDAI’s digitally signed dataname, address, gender, date of birth, last four digits, and photo, confirming both that the details are authentic and that the card has not been tampered with, all without going online or contacting UIDAI’s servers. Closely related is offline eKYC, where the holder downloads a signed XML or QR from UIDAI and shares it; the verifier checks the signature locally. Both let a business verify identity without ever handling the full Aadhaar number.
Verification methods compared:
| Method | What it confirms | Who can use it |
| Verify Aadhaar number. | The number is valid/active | Anyone |
| QR / offline eKYC | Signed details + photo, tamper-proof | Any verifier (with consent) |
| Authentication API | Yes/no biometric/OTP match | AUA only |
| eKYC API | Demographics + photo (consented) | KUA only |
Source: UIDAI, uidai.gov.in.
Written By
Reviewed ByLast Updated: 3rd July 2026
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How to verify Aadhaar card online?
Use the Verify Aadhaar Number service on the myAadhaar portal: enter the 12-digit number and captcha to confirm it is valid and active. That is the open, public check. Authenticating that the Aadhaar belongs to the person, or pulling KYC details, requires an authorised agency using UIDAI’s APIs with the holder’s consent, not the public page.
What is the UIDAI verification portal?
It is the Verify Aadhaar Number service on myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in, under Aadhaar Services, where anyone can confirm whether a 12-digit number is genuine and active. It shows limited information such as age band, gender, and state, not the full record. For consent-based identity authentication and eKYC, UIDAI provides separate APIs to approved agencies, not this public page.
Can anyone verify my Aadhaar?
Anyone can check that your number is valid on the public portal, but no one can lawfully authenticate you biometrically or pull your KYC without authorisation. Only UIDAI-approved Authentication or KYC User Agencies, such as banks and telecoms, may do that, for permitted purposes and with your consent. A random person or shop cannot legitimately run such a check on you.
Is Aadhaar verification instant?
Yes, in most cases. The public number check and a QR scan are near-instant. An online authentication or eKYC request through UIDAI’s APIs also returns a result in seconds, which is why banks and telecoms can verify you at the counter. Offline QR verification is instant too, since it validates the signed data locally without contacting UIDAI’s servers.
What information is revealed in Aadhaar verification?
Less than most assume. The public number check returns only valid or not, with a coarse age band, gender, and state. An authentication returns just a yes or no match. Only a full eKYC, with the holder’s explicit consent, shares demographic details and photo. UIDAI never returns biometrics and never reveals anything the holder has not consented to share.
How to verify Aadhaar without mobile number?
Methods that do not need the holder’s registered mobile include the public Verify Aadhaar Number check and scanning the secure QR code, which validates signed data offline. These confirm validity and authenticity without an OTP. However, OTP-based authentication and online eKYC do need the registered mobile, since the one-time password is sent there to capture the holder’s consent.
Can banks verify Aadhaar directly?
Banks verify Aadhaar as approved KYC User Agencies, using UIDAI’s authentication and eKYC APIs, usually through an authorised agency. With your consent, captured via OTP, biometrics, or face, UIDAI confirms your identity and can return your KYC details for account opening. They do not access a database of Aadhaar numbers; each check is a consent-based request that returns only the permitted result.
What is demographic verification in Aadhaar?
Demographic verification checks whether demographic details you provide such as name, date of birth, or address match what UIDAI holds against the Aadhaar number. UIDAI returns only a yes or no on the match, not the stored data. Agencies use it to confirm details a person has entered, for example during onboarding, without exposing the full Aadhaar record.
