The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has clarified that there is no fixed limit on the number of times a person can request a date of birth (DoB) update in Aadhaar.
However, a second or subsequent change is subject to a much stricter process than the first update.
In a post on X, UIDAI mentioned that if the DoB has already been updated once, any further request will be handled under a stringent process. The rules are detailed in UIDAI’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
Under normal circumstances, there should be no need to change the DoB in the Aadhaar database.
A first-time DoB update can arise if the existing DoB is marked as ‘declared’ or ‘approximate’, if an operator entered it incorrectly, or if a person wants to correct a DoB recorded using a false or fraudulently obtained document.
For Indian residents and NRIs aged 18 and above, the DoB can be updated using any acceptable proof-of-DoB document listed by UIDAI.
For Indian residents below 18, a Birth Certificate is mandatory. NRIs below 18 can submit either a Birth Certificate or an Indian Passport.
If the DoB in the Aadhaar card is different from the DoB mentioned in the document submitted earlier, and the applicant wants Aadhaar corrected to match that same document, UIDAI may treat it as an operator error.
The applicant can submit the earlier document if it is still valid. If the document is no longer accepted or is unavailable, a self-declaration may be allowed.
This is where the rules become much stricter. A second or subsequent DoB update after the first update is permitted only in exceptional circumstances.
These subsequent-update rules apply to Indian residents and NRIs, irrespective of age. The same operator-error provision also applies to subsequent updates.
UIDAI also provides a way to correct a DoB that was previously recorded using a false or fraudulently obtained document. In such cases, the person gets one final opportunity to correct the DoB.
If a first or subsequent DoB update shows that a person was actually older than the age declared at enrolment, the update request can be rejected, and Aadhaar may be deactivated.
This could apply if the person was over five when enrolled in the below-5 category or over 18 when enrolled as a minor.
For foreign residents, DoB updates are allowed only in cases of operator error. The Aadhaar DoB must be corrected to match the Proof of Identity-cum-Proof of DoB document submitted during enrolment, along with a self-declaration.
