Are you an NRI Citizen? Thinking whether you can apply for an Aadhar card or not? Now, there is no need to worry about that! Yeah…Even if you’re a non-residential Indian, you can also apply for an Aadhar card. The procedure and documents needed for NRI’s and foreigners are as same as the citizen of India.

Aadhar Card – For NRI, OCI and Foreigners (2017)

Eligibility Criteria for Applying Aadhar Card

• Residents of India can apply for this card.
• Children below the age of 3 years need not apply for Aadhar.
• Foreigners and Non-resident Indians can apply for the card.
• Foreigners who are residing in India can also apply the card.

List of Documents Required for Applying an Aadhar Card for NRI’s

The documents you will have to furnish include:

• Birth Certificate
• Photo ID Proof
• School Certificate

Along with these documents, you need to produce the document that implies the connection you have with another country. The documents submitted by you will be verified by officials to determine whether they are valid and eligible for applying Aadhar card.

Next Comes to Submitting Biometric Information

• Thumbprint Scanning

After submitting and verifying all the documents, you will be requested to provide the biometric information where all your 10 fingers will be scanned for unique prints and stored in the database. This will help to establish a unique identity and the thumbprint will also be printed in the Aadhar card.

• IRIS Scanning

Apart from thumbprint scanning, the UIDAI authorities will also collect your IRIS feature to establish your perfect identity. The IRIS scanning process will also be conducted in the enrolment center after your thumb prints have been scanned.

• Photograph

After the scanning process, you will have to take a photograph by a web cam at the Aadhar enrollment center. The copy of your photograph will be printed to the card which you receive from the UIDAI.

• Processing Time

The processing time taken to dispatch an NRI’s Aadhar card is as same as the time taken to grant Indian resident’s Aadhar card. Usually, the processing time takes around 3 months or 90 days to dispatch your Aadhar card, but you can track the status of your card online by visiting the UIDAI website. For checking the status of your Aadhar card, you need your enrollment number which is provided in the acknowledgement slip.

Steps to Apply an Aadhar Card

• Visit your nearby Aadhar card enrollment center.
• Once you find the center, you can make an appointment online for the enrollment process.
• Keep all the documents handy. Supporting documents includes: identity proof, address proof, date of birth certificate, and driving license etc.
• Visit the enrollment center, fill out the required details and submit the filled form to the official along with the supporting documents.
• Once the details are authenticated, you need to submit the biometric information such as IRIS scanning and fingerprints.
• All the details submitted will be verified by the officials and you will get an acknowledgement slip for your enrollment. This will be 14-digit number which will help you keep a track on the status of the Aadhar card.
• Once the data is verified and processed, Aadhar card will be sent to the registered address within 90 days.

Why NRI’s should Apply for an Aadhar Card?

• Aadhar card will help the NRI to get jobs in government sectors while returning to the country (India).
• Aadhar Card acts as a strong proof of identification for you.
• With Aadhar card, you will receive all the subsidies and schemes offered by the Government of India.

Hope, this guide conveys everything you need to know about Aadhar card for NRI. If you are an NRI or foreigner and don’t have an Aadhar card till now, visit your nearby enrollment center  and apply for Aadhar card to get all the benefits.