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PAN Card Download: How to Download Your e-PAN Online

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A practical guide to downloading your e-PAN (a digitally-signed PDF) through the three official routes – the Income Tax e-Filing portal, Protean (formerly NSDL) and UTIITSL – including fees, the PDF password and legal validity.

How to download your e-PAN

An e-PAN is a digitally-signed PDF copy of your PAN card issued by the Income Tax Department. It is downloaded, not couriered, so you can get it within minutes. There are three official routes depending on which agency processed your PAN, and PaisaMath is not the government – we only show you how to use the official portals below.

  • Income Tax e-Filing portal – for an instant e-PAN generated against your Aadhaar; download is free. Use incometax.gov.in → Instant e-PAN.
  • Protean (formerly NSDL) – if you applied/updated PAN through Protean. Use protean-tinpan.com (the old tin.tin.nsdl.com link redirects here).
  • UTIITSL – if your PAN was processed by UTIITSL. Use pan.utiitsl.com → Download e-PAN.

Not sure which agency holds your PAN, or whether your card is dispatched yet? First check your PAN card status – the acknowledgement/coupon number and processing agency shown there tell you exactly which route to use.

Route 1: Income Tax e-Filing portal (instant e-PAN, free)

If you obtained an instant e-PAN using your Aadhaar, the Income Tax e-Filing portal lets you check the status and download the PDF free of cost. You need a valid Aadhaar with your mobile number linked to it, so you can receive the OTP.

  1. Go to the official e-Filing portal at incometax.gov.in and click Instant e-PAN on the homepage.
  2. Under Check Status / Download PAN, click Continue.
  3. Enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number, tick the confirmation box and click Continue.
  4. Enter the 6-digit OTP sent to your Aadhaar-linked mobile number and click Continue (the OTP is valid for a limited time only).
  5. View the status of your e-PAN request. Once it shows allotted, click Download e-PAN to save the digitally-signed PDF.

Don't have an instant e-PAN yet? On the same Instant e-PAN page choose Get New e-PAN, enter your Aadhaar, accept the consent screens, verify the OTP, and a fresh e-PAN is allotted free – provided you do not already hold a PAN and your Aadhaar is not already linked to one.

Route 2: Protean (formerly NSDL) e-PAN download

If your PAN application or update was handled by Protean eGov Technologies (the agency formerly known as NSDL), download the e-PAN from the Protean TIN-PAN portal. The older tin.tin.nsdl.com / tin-nsdl.com addresses now redirect to the current Protean portal.

  1. Open the official Protean portal at protean-tinpan.com and go to the Download e-PAN service.
  2. Choose how to identify yourself – by 15-digit Acknowledgement number (from a recent application) or by PAN + Aadhaar.
  3. Enter the required details: acknowledgement number (or PAN and Aadhaar), your date of birth (DOB) / date of incorporation, GSTN if applicable, and the captcha.
  4. Submit, then select where to receive the OTP – email, mobile, or both – and enter it to verify.
  5. If a fee applies, complete the small payment, then download the e-PAN PDF or receive it via the email link.

Download is free within a short window after a PAN is allotted or last updated; after that a nominal fee applies (see the next section).

Route 3: UTIITSL e-PAN download

If your PAN was processed by UTIITSL, use its dedicated e-PAN service. You identify yourself with your PAN number, date of birth/incorporation and a captcha.

  1. Go to the official UTIITSL PAN portal at pan.utiitsl.com and open the Download e-PAN page.
  2. Enter your PAN number, date of birth / incorporation, GSTIN (if applicable) and the captcha.
  3. Submit and choose the OTP delivery mode – email, SMS or both – then enter the OTP to validate.
  4. Pay the small fee if you are outside the free window, then download the e-PAN PDF from the link provided.

As with Protean, downloads are free for a short period after the PAN is issued or updated, and chargeable thereafter.

When is the download free vs paid?

The cost depends on which route you use and how recently the PAN was allotted or updated.

RouteCost to download e-PAN
Income Tax e-Filing portal (Instant e-PAN)Free – the portal states the instant e-PAN service is completely free of cost
Protean (NSDL) – within free windowFree (typically within 30 days of allotment or last confirmation/update)
Protean (NSDL) – after free windowSmall fee, around ₹8.26 (inclusive of GST)
UTIITSL – within free windowFree (typically within 30 days of issuance or latest update)
UTIITSL – after free windowSmall fee, around ₹8.26 (inclusive of GST)

Free within ~30 days of allotment/update on Protean & UTIITSL; after that, roughly ₹8.26 (incl. GST) per download. The Income Tax portal's instant e-PAN is always free.

These amounts and the free-window length can change. Always confirm the current fee on the official portal before paying – the exact charge is shown on screen at the payment step.

PDF password and legal validity

The downloaded e-PAN PDF is password-protected. The password is your date of birth in DDMMYYYY format (date of incorporation for non-individuals).

PDF password = your DOB as DDMMYYYY – e.g. for 24 June 1990, type 24061990.

An e-PAN is a valid form of PAN. Because it is digitally signed by the Income Tax Department, it holds the same legal status as a physical PAN card for income-tax filing, KYC and other financial transactions – the Department does not differentiate between the electronic and physical versions. If you still want a physical card, you can request a reprint through Protean or UTIITSL for a separate charge.

Once downloaded, you can keep the e-PAN in DigiLocker alongside your Aadhaar for easy access during KYC.

Common problems and fixes

  • OTP not received – your mobile number must be linked to your Aadhaar (for the Income Tax route) or registered with the PAN agency (Protean/UTIITSL). Update the number with the relevant agency if it has changed.
  • PDF won't open – the password is your DOB in DDMMYYYY with no spaces or slashes; use a current PDF reader.
  • "PAN not found" on a portal – you may be on the wrong agency's site. Check which agency processed your PAN via your PAN card status, then use that agency's portal.
  • Asked to pay unexpectedly – you are likely past the free 30-day window. Confirm the fee on screen before paying; never pay on a non-official site.
  • Instant e-PAN says not allowed – the e-Filing route only works if you do not already hold a PAN and your Aadhaar is not already linked to one; in that case use the Protean or UTIITSL download instead.

Frequently asked questions

It can be. The instant e-PAN service on the Income Tax e-Filing portal is completely free of cost. On Protean (NSDL) and UTIITSL, downloads are usually free within about 30 days of the PAN being allotted or updated, after which a small fee (around ₹8.26 including GST) applies. Always confirm the current fee on the official portal.

The e-PAN PDF is password-protected. The password is your date of birth in DDMMYYYY format with no spaces or slashes – for example, 24061990 for 24 June 1990. For companies and firms, use the date of incorporation in the same format.

Use the Income Tax e-Filing portal if you obtained an instant e-PAN via Aadhaar. Use Protean (formerly NSDL) at protean-tinpan.com or UTIITSL at pan.utiitsl.com depending on which agency processed your PAN application. Your PAN status page shows the acknowledgement/coupon number and the processing agency.

Yes. The e-PAN is a digitally-signed document issued by the Income Tax Department and is a valid form of PAN. It carries the same legal status as a physical card for income-tax filing, banking and KYC. The Department does not differentiate between the electronic and physical versions.

Yes, if you have a valid Aadhaar with a linked mobile number and do not already hold a PAN. On incometax.gov.in, open Instant e-PAN, choose Get New e-PAN, enter your Aadhaar, accept the consent screens and verify the OTP. The e-PAN is allotted free, and you can then download the PDF.

For the Income Tax route, your mobile number must be linked to your Aadhaar. For Protean and UTIITSL, the OTP goes to the email/mobile registered with your PAN application. If the number has changed, update it with the relevant agency, then retry. The OTP is valid for a limited time, so request a fresh one if it expires.

On the Income Tax e-Filing portal, yes – the instant e-PAN flow works with your Aadhaar and an OTP. On Protean and UTIITSL you generally enter your acknowledgement/coupon number or PAN along with your date of birth, and Aadhaar may also be requested, followed by OTP verification.

The download itself is near-instant once your request is verified by OTP. If you are generating a brand-new instant e-PAN, allotment typically completes within a few minutes, after which the Download e-PAN option appears on the portal.

The e-PAN is sufficient for almost all purposes, but if you want a printed card you can request a reprint through Protean or UTIITSL by entering your PAN, date of birth and captcha. A separate printing-and-dispatch charge applies; check the current amount on the official portal.

Use our step-by-step PAN card status guide to track your application by acknowledgement, coupon or PAN number. The status page also tells you which agency (Protean or UTIITSL) is processing your PAN, so you know exactly which download portal to use.