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PAN Card — Apply, Correct, Link and Verify

PAN is a ten-character alphanumeric identifier issued by the Income Tax Department, required for tax filing and most significant financial transactions.

Issued by Income Tax Department, Government of India.

Last updated

Official source last verified 9 August 2026

At a glance

Issued by
Income Tax Department
Format
Ten characters — five letters, four digits, one letter
Instant e-PAN
Free, through the e-filing portal, using Aadhaar
Application channels
Protean (NSDL) and UTIITSL, plus the e-filing portal
One per person
Holding more than one PAN is an offence
Income Tax Department e-filing portal — incometax.gov.inThe official portal for this document.https://www.incometax.gov.in/(opens the official website in a new tab)

What the ten characters mean

A PAN is not a random string. Its structure is fixed, and knowing it lets you spot an obviously invalid number immediately.

  • The first three characters are a letter sequence from AAA to ZZZ.
  • The fourth character identifies the holder type — P for an individual, C for a company, H for a Hindu Undivided Family, F for a firm, T for a trust, and so on.
  • The fifth character is the first letter of your surname, if you are an individual, or of the entity name otherwise.
  • Characters six to nine are a four-digit sequence.
  • The tenth character is an alphabetic check digit.

How to get an instant e-PAN

If you have an Aadhaar with a linked mobile number and you do not already hold a PAN, the fastest route is the instant e-PAN facility on the income tax e-filing portal. It is free and usually completes in minutes.

  1. Go to incometax.gov.in and find the Instant e-PAN option on the home page.
  2. Choose Get New e-PAN and enter your Aadhaar number.
  3. Confirm the declaration and request an OTP, which is sent to your Aadhaar-registered mobile number.
  4. Verify the details pulled from Aadhaar and submit.
  5. The e-PAN is generated and can be downloaded from the same page. It is a valid PAN — a physical card is not required.

How to apply for a PAN the standard way

  1. Choose an authorised service provider — Protean eGov (formerly NSDL) or UTIITSL. Both are linked from the Income Tax Department website.
  2. Select Form 49A if you are an Indian citizen, or Form 49AA if you are a foreign citizen.
  3. Fill in the form and pay the applicable fee online.
  4. Complete verification, either through Aadhaar-based e-KYC or by sending the signed acknowledgement and documents to the address given.
  5. Track the application using the acknowledgement number issued at submission.

Linking PAN with Aadhaar

Linking is mandatory for most PAN holders. An unlinked PAN becomes inoperative, which has real consequences: you cannot file a return, refunds are not issued, and TDS is deducted at a higher rate on your income.

  1. Log in to incometax.gov.in, or use the Link Aadhaar option available without logging in.
  2. Enter your PAN and Aadhaar number.
  3. If a fee applies to your case, pay it first through the e-Pay Tax facility and wait for the payment to reflect before submitting the linking request.
  4. Submit and verify with the OTP sent to your Aadhaar-registered mobile number.
  5. Check the linking status using the Link Aadhaar Status option, which confirms whether the link has been completed.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get a PAN card quickly?
Use the Instant e-PAN facility on incometax.gov.in if you have an Aadhaar with a linked mobile number and do not already hold a PAN. It is free and typically completes within minutes. The e-PAN is a valid PAN in its own right; you do not need a physical card.
What happens if my PAN is not linked to Aadhaar?
The PAN becomes inoperative. You cannot file an income tax return, pending refunds are not issued, TDS and TCS are deducted at higher rates, and several financial transactions that require a valid PAN will fail. Linking restores it, though there may be a fee and a processing delay.
Can I have two PAN cards?
No. Holding more than one PAN is an offence under the Income-tax Act and attracts a penalty. If you have inadvertently been issued a second PAN, surrender it through the correction form on the service provider’s portal.
How do I correct my name or date of birth on PAN?
Use the PAN correction application on the Protean or UTIITSL portal, select the fields to change, and submit supporting documents. The corrected PAN keeps the same number — only the details change. Ensure the corrected details match Aadhaar, or linking will fail.
How do I check if a PAN is valid?
The income tax e-filing portal has a Verify Your PAN facility that confirms whether a PAN exists and is active. It is also the way to check whether your own PAN has been rendered inoperative.
Is a physical PAN card necessary?
No. An e-PAN issued by the Income Tax Department is valid for all purposes. A physical card can be requested for a fee if you prefer one, but nothing depends on having it.

Official sources

Every figure on this page is traceable to the official source below. If a source has changed since the date shown, please tell us and we will correct it.