1 Identity foundation non-negotiable

Aadhaar (12-digit unique ID) — apply at any UIDAI enrolment centre. Required for: bank KYC, SIM, mutual fund, demat, hospital, domestic flight check-in, every govt benefit

If you have an old Aadhaar — update biometrics every 10 years (mandatory) and address whenever your Indian residence changes

PAN (Permanent Account Number, 10-character alphanumeric) — apply on incometax.gov.in or via NSDL. Required for: income tax, transactions over Rs 50K, FD, demat, property purchase

Link Aadhaar to PAN — mandatory deadline has passed; if not linked, PAN is "inoperative" and TDS deducted at 20%. Link on incometax.gov.in

2 Citizenship + travel if you're an NRI / OCI

OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) card if you're a former Indian citizen or descendant. Re-stamp after every passport renewal until age 20, once between 20-50

OCI checklist →

Indian passport (if Indian citizen) — 6+ months validity beyond planned travel. Tatkal renewal in 1-3 days; normal in 4-6 weeks

Surrender certificate — required if you naturalised after 1950. Must be issued before applying for OCI; takes 4-6 weeks via VFS / CKGS

3 Mobility (driving) RTO + state-specific

Indian driving licence — convert your overseas licence at the RTO (Regional Transport Office) within 1 year of becoming resident, or apply fresh

International Driving Permit (IDP) — recognised in India for visiting NRIs (1 year stay), but not a substitute for Indian licence if you're staying longer

Vehicle RC (Registration Certificate) — for any vehicle owned in your name. Transfer of ownership requires Form 29/30 + RTO endorsement

Vehicle insurance + PUC (Pollution Under Control) certificate — both mandatory; PUC is renewed every 6-12 months

4 Civic + state benefits when you're resident

Voter ID (EPIC) — only for Indian citizens (OCI cardholders cannot vote). Apply online at NVSP. Needed for some state benefits + as widely-accepted address proof

Ration card — apply at the state seva kendra. Even without subsidised grain need, useful for proof of address + family composition

Caste / domicile / income certificates if relevant — required for some state quotas, school admissions, bank loan subsidies. Issued by Tehsildar / SDM office

5 Health + digital light lift, big upside

ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) — 14-digit health ID linking medical records across providers. Apply at abha.abdm.gov.in via Aadhaar OTP

DigiLocker — official govt-issued document wallet. Stores Aadhaar, PAN, driving licence, vehicle RC, marksheets digitally. Accepted everywhere

mAadhaar — Aadhaar from your phone, required for biometric / address updates without visiting an enrolment centre

UMANG + mParivahan — single-sign-on for 1500+ govt services + driving licence / RC / challan. Free, install once

App checklist →

FASTag — RFID for highway toll. Mandatory on national highways since 2021. Buy at any toll plaza, Paytm, Amazon, or your bank

Optional: organ donor pledge via Notto (notto.gov.in) — added to Aadhaar; mandatory display on driving licence in some states

⚠️ Common issues NRIs hit

The 4 places NRIs get stuck

Aadhaar address mismatch. If your bank, mobile, mutual fund have an old Indian address but Aadhaar shows the latest, KYC checks fail. Update Aadhaar address first, then propagate everywhere — not the reverse.
PAN inoperative due to no Aadhaar link. Indian govt deadline to link Aadhaar-PAN has passed. Inoperative PAN means TDS at 20% on every transaction + you can't open new financial accounts. Link via incometax.gov.in (Rs 1,000 fine).
OCI cardholders applying for voter ID. OCI cardholders are not Indian citizens and cannot vote. Don't apply — it gets rejected and clutters your records. Voter ID is also not the right address proof for OCIs (use Aadhaar / driving licence instead).
Driving licence conversion delayed past 1 year. If you become Indian resident and don't convert your overseas licence within 1 year, you have to take the full Indian driving test from scratch (theory + practical). Convert in week 1 of becoming resident.

Cards and IDs you need in India? Here's the full set, in priority order.

The 4 places NRIs get stuck

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