How to Download e-PAN Card Online in 2026 (NSDL, UTIITSL and DigiLocker)

If you have lost your PAN card, or you simply need a copy to attach to a bank form tonight, you do not have to wait for a physical card in the post. You can download your e-PAN card online in a few minutes, and depending on how recently your PAN was issued or updated, it may cost you nothing at all. The e-PAN is a digitally signed PDF issued by the Income Tax Department, and it is treated as valid proof of your Permanent Account Number wherever a PAN card is asked for.

The confusing part is that there is no single button. PAN applications in India are processed by two agencies on behalf of the Income Tax Department, and each has its own download page. There is also an instant e-PAN service on the income tax e-filing portal, and a copy that sits inside DigiLocker. This guide from TechLein walks through all four routes, explains which one applies to you, and covers the two things people usually get stuck on: the PDF password and the dreaded message that your details could not be found.

Key takeaways

• An e-PAN is a digitally signed PDF and is accepted as valid PAN proof.
• Download it from Protean (formerly NSDL e-Gov) or UTIITSL, depending on which agency processed your application.
• The PDF password is your date of birth in DDMMYYYY format, with no slashes or spaces.
• Downloads are free within roughly a month of issue or update; after that a nominal fee applies, so check the current amount on the portal.

What an e-PAN is and where it is accepted

An e-PAN is not a screenshot or a scanned copy. It is a PDF carrying a digital signature from the issuing authority, which is what makes it legally equivalent to the laminated card in your wallet. Banks, mutual fund houses, employers and most KYC desks accept it, and many now prefer it because the signature can be verified inside a PDF reader rather than eyeballed.

Newer e-PANs also carry a QR code that encodes the holder’s core details. A verifying officer can scan it with the official reader application to confirm that the document has not been altered. If your PDF shows a signature panel that says the signature validity is unknown, that usually means your PDF reader has not been told to trust the issuing certificate authority. It does not mean the document is fake.

First, find out which agency holds your PAN

Every PAN application in India goes through one of two service providers: Protean eGov Technologies, which most people still call NSDL, or UTI Infrastructure Technology and Services Limited, known as UTIITSL. Your e-PAN can only be downloaded from the one that processed your application or your most recent correction request.

If you do not remember, look at the acknowledgement receipt or the email you received when you applied. Failing that, try the Protean download page first, since it handles a larger share of applications, and move to UTIITSL if it reports that no record was found. Trying both costs nothing at the lookup stage.

How to download your e-PAN from Protean (NSDL)

The service is listed on the Protean PAN portal as the e-PAN download facility. You can search either by acknowledgement number, if you have just applied, or by PAN, which is what most existing holders will use.

1. Open the Protean PAN services site and find the option to download an e-PAN card.
2. Choose the PAN option, then enter your PAN, your Aadhaar number if you are an individual, your date of birth in the month and year format the page asks for, and your GSTIN only if it applies to you.
3. Tick the declaration confirming the details are yours and complete the captcha.
4. Verify the masked details shown on the next screen. If the name or date of birth is wrong, stop and get the PAN record corrected first.
5. Choose to receive the one-time password on your registered mobile number, your registered email, or both, and submit the OTP.
6. If a fee is due, pay it through the payment gateway. Once payment clears, the download link becomes active.
7. Download the PDF. The link is usually valid for a limited number of attempts within a short window, so save the file rather than leaving it in the browser.

Note that the OTP goes to the mobile number and email recorded against your PAN, not to whatever number you use today. If those details are stale, you will need to file a PAN correction request before this route works.

How to download your e-PAN from UTIITSL

UTIITSL runs an equivalent facility on its PAN services website. The flow is shorter: you enter your PAN, your date of birth, the captcha, and submit. The site then shows the masked mobile number and email on record and sends an OTP to one of them. After verification, and payment if a charge applies, you get the signed PDF.

One quirk worth knowing is that UTIITSL will refuse the request if there is no mobile number or email registered against the PAN at all, which is common for very old PANs issued before contact details were mandatory. In that case the only way forward is a correction application to add contact details.

The instant e-PAN route on the income tax portal

The Income Tax Department’s e-filing portal offers a separate service called Instant e-PAN. It is aimed at people who do not have a PAN at all and want one allotted on the spot using Aadhaar. It is free, and the PAN is usually allotted within minutes rather than days.

To use it you need an Aadhaar with a working mobile number linked to it, because the entire identity check runs on Aadhaar OTP. Your name, date of birth and address are pulled straight from the Aadhaar database, which means any error there becomes an error on your PAN. If your Aadhaar details are out of date, sort that out first using our walkthrough on how to update your Aadhaar details online before applying. Keeping the Aadhaar-linked mobile number active is also what makes the mAadhaar app and offline eKYC usable, so it is worth fixing once and for all.

The same section of the e-filing portal has a Check Status and Download PAN option. If you were allotted a PAN through the instant route in the past, this is where the copy lives, and it is free every time.

How to get your PAN into DigiLocker

DigiLocker holds a PAN verification record issued by the Income Tax Department. It is not identical to the full e-PAN PDF, but it is an issued document with the same legal standing under the IT Act, and it is accepted at a growing number of counters.

1. Sign in to DigiLocker with your mobile number and security PIN, or with Aadhaar.
2. Go to the issued documents section and search for the Income Tax Department.
3. Select the PAN verification record, enter your PAN and the name exactly as it appears on the card.
4. Confirm the consent prompt. The document is fetched and stored in your issued documents list.

Because it is fetched live from the issuer, this copy cannot be edited or faked in the way a photograph of a card can. If you have not set DigiLocker up yet, our complete DigiLocker guide for India covers account creation, document fetching and sharing in detail. Several of the same documents also surface inside the government’s UMANG app and its bundled services, which is handy if you would rather keep everything in one place.

Fees, timelines and which route to use

Charges change from time to time, so treat the figures below as indicative and confirm the current amount on the portal before you pay. What does not change is the structure: a free window right after issue or update, and a small charge afterwards.

Opening the PDF and fixing common errors

The password format

The e-PAN PDF is password protected. For individuals the password is the date of birth in DDMMYYYY format: eight digits, no slashes, no dashes, no spaces. A date of birth of 5 September 1992 becomes 05091992. For companies and other non-individual holders, use the date of incorporation or formation in the same format. If it still fails, the date of birth on the PAN record probably differs from the one you think it is, which is itself worth correcting.

When the portal says your PAN was not found

This message is rarely a sign that your PAN has vanished. The usual causes, in rough order of frequency, are that the PAN was processed by the other agency, that the date of birth entered does not match the record character for character, that a very recent application has not finished processing, or that no mobile number and email are registered against the PAN so no OTP can be sent. Duplicate or deactivated PANs also fail here and need a written grievance rather than a retry.

Avoid the lookalike websites

Search results for PAN downloads are full of paid intermediaries that charge several hundred rupees for the same free or nearly free service, and some are outright collection points for identity data. Only use the two official service provider sites, the income tax e-filing portal and DigiLocker. If you want a broader sense of how these traps are built, our online safety guide for India and the piece on how to protect your privacy online are worth reading before you hand over any document numbers.

PAN 2.0 and the QR code on newer cards

PAN 2.0 is the government’s programme to consolidate PAN and TAN services onto a single platform and to move the card design towards a QR-code-based format. The two points that matter for ordinary holders are simple. First, your existing PAN number does not change, and an old card without a QR code remains valid. Second, you are not required to apply for a new card just because the format has been refreshed.

If you do want the newer QR-enabled version, it is issued through the normal reprint or correction route, with the electronic copy sent to your registered email and a physical card available for a fee. Anyone claiming you must pay to replace an existing valid PAN or it will be deactivated is running a scam. Ignore the message and check the official portal directly.

Frequently asked questions

Is an e-PAN valid without a physical card?

Yes. A digitally signed e-PAN is accepted as valid proof of PAN. Some smaller offices still ask for a printed copy, and a colour printout of the PDF is generally enough for that.

Can I download an e-PAN without a registered mobile number?

No. Every route requires an OTP sent to the mobile number or email on record. If neither exists, you must first file a PAN correction request to add them.

How long does the download link stay active?

Only for a short window and a limited number of attempts after payment. Save the PDF to your device or DigiLocker straight away rather than relying on the link later.

Does the e-PAN expire?

No. The PDF and the PAN itself do not expire. You only need a fresh copy if your details change or you lose the file.

What if my name on PAN and Aadhaar do not match?

Fix the mismatch through a PAN correction request or an Aadhaar update, whichever holds the wrong version. Mismatches block Aadhaar-PAN linking and can cause returns and refunds to stall.

The bottom line

Downloading an e-PAN is a five-minute job once you know which agency holds your record. Start with the Protean portal, fall back to UTIITSL, and use the income tax e-filing portal if you were allotted a PAN through the instant Aadhaar route. Keep a copy in DigiLocker so you are never hunting for it at a bank counter again.

The one piece of housekeeping worth doing today is making sure the mobile number and email registered against your PAN are current. Almost every failure people hit with e-PAN downloads traces back to an OTP that cannot be delivered. Fix that once and every future request, from a reprint to an income tax login, becomes straightforward.