Government IDs & Authorities

These are the documents and authorities a name change touches. Knowing what each is helps you plan the order of updates.

Aadhaar / UIDAI

Aadhaar is India's 12-digit identity number, issued and managed by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). It's a foundation record — banks, EPFO and PAN are verified against it — and UIDAI allows only a limited number of name updates.See: UIDAI guide · Update limit

PAN

The Permanent Account Number issued by the Income Tax Department. It must agree with Aadhaar for linking, tax refunds and KYC.See: Income Tax / PAN guide

KYC (Know Your Customer)

The identity-verification process banks, insurers and investment platforms run, checking your name against Aadhaar and PAN. A mismatch blocks KYC.See: Banks & KYC guide

UAN / EPFO / PF

The Universal Account Number is your permanent EPFO (provident fund) account number. A UAN name that doesn't match Aadhaar holds PF claims and transfers, and corrections often need employer attestation.See: EPFO guide

PPO (Pension Payment Order)

The record governing a pensioner's payments. It should carry the same name as Aadhaar and the bank for the annual life certificate to authenticate.See: Pension records mismatch

EPIC / Voter ID

The Electors Photo Identity Card — the formal name for the Voter ID — issued by the Election Commission. Its name should match your other identity documents.See: Voter ID guide

OCI (Overseas Citizen of India)

A status held by many people of Indian origin abroad. An OCI name should stay consistent with the Indian passport; NRIs often align both after a name change.See: NRI name change

PoI / PoA (Proof of Identity / Address)

The categories of document authorities accept to verify who you are and where you live. A Gazette is commonly accepted as recognised proof of identity for a name change.