Instant e-PAN lets you get a PAN card in 10 minutes on your phone, free of cost

A PAN card has become one of the most essential documents today, needed for opening a bank account, transferring money or carrying out any major financial transaction. Earlier, getting a PAN card meant filling forms, submitting photocopies, making rounds of government offices and losing an entire day. The government has now introduced a facility called Instant e-PAN, which lets anyone generate a PAN card from their mobile phone at home in just 10 minutes, without paying a single rupee.

Earlier, people went to agents to get a PAN card made and paid them between 300 and 400 rupees. But if a mobile number is linked to the Aadhaar card, anyone can generate the PAN card themselves. This e-PAN works exactly like a normal plastic PAN card and is valid everywhere, whether for government work or private use. This facility has been made possible because of Digital India. The Income Tax Department introduced it so that people do not face inconvenience.

This is a completely paperless scheme. There is no need to submit any documents, and there is no need to visit a cyber cafe either. All that is needed is a smartphone and an internet connection, and it does not cost a single rupee. More information is available at incometax.gov.in.

There are certain conditions for getting this PAN card. Having an Aadhaar card is mandatory. The mobile number must be linked to Aadhaar, since the OTP is sent to it. The applicant should not already have a PAN card, because holding two PAN cards is an offence that can attract a fine of up to 10,000 rupees. Minor children cannot get this PAN card. Those whose Aadhaar does not have a complete date of birth recorded will also not be able to use this facility.

The process of making a PAN card from a mobile phone is simple. First, open the incometax.gov.in website on the phone. On the homepage, under Quick Links, an option called Instant e-PAN will be visible; click on it. A new page will open, where the Get New e-PAN button has to be pressed. Then enter the 12-digit Aadhaar number, tick I confirm below it, and click Continue. After this, a 6-digit OTP will be sent to the mobile number linked to Aadhaar, which has to be entered. As soon as the OTP is entered, the photo, name, date of birth and address will automatically appear on the screen. This should be checked once and then submitted.

After submitting, an Acknowledgement number will be issued and the PAN card will be ready in 10 minutes, which can be downloaded as a PDF from the same website. This digital PAN card is fully valid. The Income Tax Department has itself stated that this e-PAN carries a digital signature and is valid just like the original PAN card. If someone wants the plastic card delivered home, it can be ordered from the NSDL or UTIITSL website by paying just 50 rupees, and it will be delivered by post.