An Aadhaar Card is a unique identity document. It includes your demographic and biometric data. It is acceptable in pan India as a proof of identity and address. You can avail several banking and financial services with the help of this documents. If you are an Indian resident, you can apply for an Aadhaar Card. As per the Aadhaar Act of 2016, a resident is a person who lives in India for a continuous period of at least 182 days or more. In case of the Aadhaar application, this condition must be fulfilled 1 year immediately before the application date.
So, if an NRI (non-resident India) resides in India for a period of 182 days or more immediately 12 months before the date of Aadhaar application, then he/she can apply for this document.
The procedure and requirements to apply for an Aadhaar Card is similar for both an Indian resident and NRI. If you are a non-resident India, visit the UIDAI website to get the Aadhaar application form and search for an authorized enrolment centre nearby. After selecting the enrolment centre, you have to visit it with your proof of identity and other required documents. Below-mentioned are the steps which you need to follow to avail NRI Aadhaar Card:
The first step is to submit the relevant documents that prove your identity as an NRI. The documents must include the proof of birth date (birth certificate), school certificate, and photo ID card. The official at the enrolment centre will verify the document to determine if you are an NRI and eligible for the Card or not.
After submission of the documents, you need to provide details of biometric. For this, the official will take scan of your fingerprints. All the ten fingers are scanned. The fingerprint scan is unique to every individual. This data is fed to the Aadhaar database. The biometric scan is mandatory to ensure that your identity is accurate. This is one of the reasons you cannot drop an Aadhaar application online, but visit an Aadhaar Kendra Seva for the application procedure.
The biometric scan is not limited to fingerprints alone. The official will also scan iris of both your eyes to establish your unique identity. This is done so that there is no confusion between your identity and that of someone else. Together with fingerprint and iris scan, there will be no error in determining your personal identity. The iris scan is also done at an enrolment centre, after scanning of your fingerprints.
After the completion of scanning procedure, the official will take your photograph. You do not have to carry a hard or soft-copy of your photograph. Rather, the official will tell you to look into the web-camera at the enrolment centre. This camera will capture your current photograph. This photograph will then reflect on your Aadhaar Card and database. So when you receive the physical copy of the document, the picture captured in the web-cam of enrolment centre will be printed upon the Card.
It can take about 60 days to 90 days for the UIDAI to dispatch your Aadhaar Card. You can keep a track of the Aadhaar Card status online on the website of UIDAI. To do so, you have to refer the EID (Enrolment Number) provided in the acknowledgement slip. This is a slip you receive after you complete the application process at the enrolment centre.
