Can Aadhaar be treated as proof of citizenship, domicile, or date of birth?

The Department of Posts has circulated a clarification issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) regarding the properties and permissible usage of the Aadhaar number. The directive, communicated through a letter dated October 21, 2025, reiterates that Aadhaar serves only as a proof of identity and should not be treated as evidence of citizenship, domicile, or date of birth.

UIDAI emphasized three key points in circular: Aadhaar can be used to establish identity after authentication or offline verification. Aadhaar does not prove citizenship or domicile. Aadhaar is not valid proof of date of birth and should not be accepted as such.

UIDAI referred to earlier circulars and advisories issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and itself, clarifying that Aadhaar should not be used to establish or confirm an individual’s date of birth. The Aadhaar card, letter, and e-Aadhaar documents already carry a disclaimer stating: “Aadhaar is proof of identity, not of citizenship or date of birth.”

This reiteration follows multiple instances where Aadhaar has been incorrectly accepted as proof of birth or nationality in various administrative processes. UIDAI’s clarification aims to remove such ambiguities and ensure uniform understanding across government and financial institutions.

Aadhaar is a 12-digit unique identification number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to residents of India. It serves as a proof of identity and address, and is linked to a person's biometric and demographic data stored in a centralized database.