e-Shram card: Eligibility, documents needed, how to register

To provide social security for the unorganised sector workers in India, the government has introduced the e-Shram portal. It offers a comprehensive database of workers and facilitates access to welfare schemes. You, too, can make helpers and workers around you aware about getting this card.

Eligibility criteria
All unorganised sector workers between the ages of 16 and 59 years, including labourers and daily-wage earners, are eligible to register for the e-Shram card. They should not be a member of the EPFO/ESIC or the NPS.


Online registration
Workers can register on the e-Shram portal https://www.eshram.gov.in/ by providing basic details like Aadhaar number, mobile number, and bank account details. The registration process is user-friendly and can be completed with minimal effort and without any charges. The portal verifies the details against Aadhaar records.

Upload documents
During the registration, workers may be required to upload supporting documents, such as a passport-sized photograph and cancelled cheque or bank passbook, for verification purposes.

Acknowledgement and generation
Once the registration is successful, an acknowledgement will be provided and the e-Shram card will be generated. This card serves as a unique identification for the registered worker and is linked to the worker’s Aadhaar number.

Content on this page is courtesy Centre for Investment Education and Learning (CIEL).
Contributions by Girija Gadre, Arti Bhargava and Labdhi Mehta.