GUIDESMONEY MATTERS
How to Apply for an Instant PAN Card: A Step-by-Step Guide
10 MIN • 
LAST EDITED BY SHEFAALI BOPANA ON AUGUST 21, 2024.
LAST EDITED BY SHEFAALI BOPANA ON AUGUST 21, 2024.
GUIDES LAST EDITED BY SHEFAALI BOPANA ON AUGUST 21, 2024.
Applying for an instant PAN card online is different from applying for an Aadhaar card as it does not require you to validate your biometrics. If you're searching for "instantly applying for pan online" or "online pan card application", your search ends here.
In this blog, we take you through the online instant PAN card application which is a simple, easy and hassle-free process.
A Permanent Account Number or PAN is how the Income Tax Department (ITD) identifies tax-paying entities. It is a 10-digit unique alpha-numeric identifier containing alphabets and numbers. A PAN card is a laminated physical card approved by the Income Tax Department (ITD) and has details like your PAN number, date of birth, signature and father’s or spouse's name.
To have a PAN, you or a tax-paying entity must be:
You need to quote your PAN when you open a bank account. You also need to quote it for transactions considered high value by the income tax department, like buying or selling a car or property worth more than five lakh rupees, opening a fixed deposit or depositing cash in a bank worth more than ₹50,000.
So, if you are an adult Indian resident citizen, you certainly do need a PAN.
You should note that having a PAN does not automatically mean that you have to pay income tax. You pay income tax if your income falls under the taxable brackets stipulated by the Income Tax Department. And the PAN helps the ITD to keep track of your income, thus helping them track any tax evasion.
Now, let’s look at the different ways in which you can apply for a PAN online.
Follow these quick and simple steps to apply for an e-PAN card online. These steps should take you less than 10 minutes:
The process is simple and quick if you have your prerequisites in place. You can quote your e-PAN wherever necessary.
However, if you need a physical PAN card, there are two paths you can follow for your online application:
A quick search for “UTI PAN card online apply”, might land you on the UTI Infrastructure and Technology Services Limited (UTIITSL) website. Unit Trust of India or UTI was established and incorporated by the government of India in 1963 to provide services to the investors of UTI mutual fund schemes. It is counted amongst the biggest financial service providers in India.
The Income Tax department of India has entrusted UTIITSL to manage the process of PAN application and delivery of the physical PAN card to the applicant.
If you have chosen the physical PAN card option, it will be dispatched to your address as stated in your application form. The e-PAN Card will be sent to the e-mail ID you mentioned in the application form.
National Securities Depository Limited or NSDL is an Indian central securities depository based out of Mumbai. The NSDL Tax Information Network or TIN was set up to be a repository of nationwide tax-related information for the Income Tax Department. TIN aims to modernise direct tax-related services in line with the digital age. NSDL e-governance which handles income tax-related information, is now called Protean eGov Technologies Limited. You can apply for a PAN card via the NSDL website.
Here is a detailed list of documents required for a PAN Card application.
In conclusion, the process of applying for a PAN card online has made the task much simpler and hassle-free compared to the traditional method. The PAN card serves as a unique identifier for tax-paying entities and is essential for various financial transactions. Whether you choose the instant e-PAN option or apply through the UTIITSL or NSDL portals, the online application process can be completed quickly with the right prerequisites in place. While a physical PAN card incurs additional charges, the option for a free PDF format is also available. Overall, the online application process has made obtaining a PAN card more convenient and efficient for individuals and entities.
e-PAN cards are online generated PAN cards which are accessible via the Income Tax website. PAN applicants who have an Aadhaar number from UIDAI and have linked their mobile number with Aadhaar can apply for instant e-PAN
e-PAN cards are available for taxpayers who haven't been allotted a PAN yet but have an Aadhaar number. If you have an Aadhaar, are not a minor, and haven't been allotted a PAN yet, here's what you can do for your e-PAN -
a. Generate New e-PAN
b. Update PAN details as per Aadhaar e-KYC
c. Check status of pending e-PAN request / Create e-Filing Portal account / Download e-PAN
d. Download e-PAN – Post Login
e. On the View / Download e-PAN page, you will be able to see the status of your e-PAN request. In case the new e-PAN has been generated and allotted, click View e-PAN to view or Download e-PAN to download a copy.
You can check out a detailed guide here and generate an instant e-PAN today.
While you can receive your PAN number instantly within 48 hours, it typically takes 15-20 days for the physical card to be delivered to your address.
Yes, an online PAN card is free of cost and has an easy interface to make PAN generate as seamless as possible.
An instant PAN card can be generated online, on the Income Tax website. Here is how can go ahead with this.
An e-PAN is only a pre-login service which is attached to your actual PAN. In the case that you don't get your physical PAN, your e-PAN comes in handy with its instant issue feature. That being said, an e-PAN can also be used in place of the PAN.
