e-PAN Card – Eligibility & Application Process

The Income tax department introduced the PAN (Personal Account Number) as a system for uniquely identifying and storing the records of income taxpayers. The PAN number is alphanumeric and has a unique combination of alphabets and numbers that are unique for each individual. The alphabets denote important details ever since its inception in 1972 and were made mandatory four years later. All PAN card numbers and details of allottees were maintained manually until the new PAN card system was introduced in 1995. 

The PAN card holds other vital information about the allottee, such as the date of birth and the father’s name. The presence of the date of birth makes the PAN card an important age-proof document.

The first three letters are random, the fourth letter denotes the level of the taxpayer, and the fifth letter denotes the first letter of the surname of the cardholder. The PAN card has become an important ID proof and is one of the five important KYC (Know your customer) documents, including the Aadhaar card, passport, driving license, and voter ID card. The PAN card is mostly required for different types of applications and registrations. The different places where the PAN card is required include:

The importance of E PAN card

The E PAN card is a very important document and a must for everyone. This is the single most frequently required document and is required for almost all financial transactions. Whether a person buys land, a home, a car or even applies to register a business, the PAN card is a must. Some of the important uses where a PAN card is required are:  

1. Filing of income tax returns and any query related to taxation
2. For residential proof
3. For land and home registration
4. For the opening of bank accounts and loan application
5. For telephone and postpaid mobile bills
6. For LPG connections
7. For buying and registering SIM cards
8. For business and financial transactions
9. For buying Insurance, mutual funds, and equity shares

Evolution of the PAN Card

The new E PAN card has evolved to have a biometric color photo of the cardholder and a QR code that can be scanned for verification purposes. The primary need for this new E PAN card was to reduce the waiting time for the issue of PAN cards and to clear the backlog. 

 The E PAN card facility is available on the UTIITSL (UTI infrastructure and technology limited) site and is for first-time applicants only. In other words, the E PAN card can be applied for by a person not already having a PAN number.

Eligibility to apply for an E PAN card

• Any individual above the age of 18 years can apply for an E PAN card. There is no upper age limit.
• A person with an Aadhaar card is eligible to apply for an E PAN card
• The applicant requires to have Indian citizenship. An NRI is also eligible to apply. 
• Companies and Hindu undivided families are also eligible to apply for an E PAN card and require the necessary documents at the time of application.

Documents Required to apply for an E PAN Card

• The documents required for applying for an E PAN card are
• Copies of Aadhaar card, passport (if available), voter ID Card, and ration card with a photograph of the applicant.
• An original copy of the certificate of identity and verification from the bank to certify the bank account number of the applicant,
• A hard copy of the pensioner’s certificate,
• A certificate of identity in a prescribed format signed either by a member of parliament, MLA, or a gazetted officer.

Steps to apply for an E PAN card

• The first step toward applying for an E PAN card is to have the necessary documents ready and read the procedure for applying for the E PAN card. The next step is to access the ETIISTL website and create a login ID with a password. Once the ID and password are accepted, the application process can begin, and the status of the submitted application can also be checked.
• After the site home page opens, there will be an icon marked “PAN card as an Indian citizen/ NRI. The applicant will need to click this icon.
• The next icon to be selected from the next menu that opens up is the icon marked “Apply for a new PAN card”.  
• There will be two options with the application for a new card. The first is for both the hard copy and the E PAN Card. The second option is for the e-card only. Most people prefer to select the first option.
• At this stage, personal details from the Aadhaar card need to be filled in. 
• The next stage involves clicking the acknowledge button and then uploading a signature. The signature requires to have a 200dpi resolution with a max 10KB size, or the uploaded signature will not be accepted.
• Once the signature is successfully uploaded, the applicant can click the submit button. A 15-digit acknowledgment number will be generated. The applicant requires to make a note of this number for use in future transactions until the E PAN card is successfully generated. 
• A nominal fee of Rs 93 is required to be paid online, and the PAN card will be delivered to the registered permanent address of the applicant within 15 days. Overseas NRI citizens need to pay an amount of Rs 864. 
• The application can be made offline as well as by going to an authorized PAN center, getting the application form, and submitting the filled form with all the required documents and fees.

Steps to check the status of the E PAN Card

• The first step is to go to the official website of the UTIISTL app  – https://www.pan.utiitsl.com/
• The next step is to select the application type from the drop-down menu. 
• The portal will ask for the coupon or acknowledgment number provided during the E PAN card application time. This is entered, and the “submit” application needs to be clicked.
• The status of the E PAN card application will be displayed or sent to the registered email ID of the applicant.

For those who have applied for an E PAN card from the income tax portal, the process for checking the status of the application of the E PAN card is as follows:

• The applicant needs to access the income tax portal – http://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in./
• The applicant next needs to select the option “Instant E PAN through Aadhaar”  
• On the next web page that opens, the applicant will need to select “Check the status of PAN“
• The applicant must fill in the aadhaar number, enter the captcha alphabets and numerals, and click the enter button.
• The applicant will then receive an OTP on his or her registered mobile. Once the OTP is entered, the status of the E PAN application will be displayed.

Read More:
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PAN Card Apply Online: How to Apply PAN Card Online in 5 Minutes

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e-PAN Card FAQs: