How to apply for PAN card?

Earlier, applying for a PAN card used to be a long and cumbersome process, with the applicant receiving the card after a long waiting period. The government has now introduced a fast track process through which applicants can receive their e-PAN cards within 48 hours of submitting their application.

In addition to being an important document for financial purposes such as opening a bank account, buying or a motor vehicle, filing of Income tax returns etc., it is also used as an identity document.

The PAN card is a photo ID issued by a government body and it serves as proof of identity anywhere within the country. The card is valid throughout the holder’s lifetime.

How to Get a PAN Card

A PAN card will be issued by the Income Tax Department of India provided the applicant submits certain documents that serve to verify his/her identity as well as additional information as required.

To make an application for issuance of a PAN card, the individual or entity has to submit a form to the Income Tax Department mentioning their particulars such as their name, address, age (or date of registration for firms/corporate bodies). The applicant can apply for a PAN card either online or offline. Those wishing to apply online can visit the NSDL website and fill in the online application form and upload the documents as mentioned in the form.

Applicants who wish to submit the form offline can do so by downloading the form from the NSDL website and submitting the filled-in form along with the supporting documents to the PAN Service Center nearest to your place of residence.

Steps to apply for PAN Card online:

Step 1: Go to the official website of NSDL i.e. www.onlineservices.nsdl.com.

Step 2: A page will open, under Application Type select New Pan- Indian Citizen (Form 49A). If you are a foreign national then select New PAN -Foreign Citizen(49AA)

Step 3: Select the category of PAN card you need.

Step 4: Fill in your personal details like name, date of birth, mobile number, etc.

Step 5: Enter the captcha code and click submit

Step 6: After clicking the submit button, a token number will be generated. You will be required to click on the link to continue with your PAN application

Step 7: A new page will appear and it will show you three options: 1. Submit digitally through e-KYC and e- Sign (paperless) 2. Submit scanned image through e-Sign 3. Forward application documents physically.

Step 8: The most common and preferred is the scanned image through e-sign.

Step 9: After selecting the option, enter your details such as Aadhaar Card number, parents name, etc. click next.

Step 10: This step requires you to fill in your name, date of birth, address etc. After filling all the details click Next.

Step 11: In the next step, you will be required to enter your area code, AO (Assessing Officer) type, range code, and AO number. Click next.

Step 12: Select the documents you have submitted as proof of age and residence from the drop-down menu, fill in the required detail and then click submit.

Step 13: Once your documents are uploaded you will be directed to the payment page, you can choose one of the many online payment methods. The fee for PAN card application if Rs. 115.90 excluding additional bank charges, if any. If you have chosen to send the physical documents instead of opting for e-KYC or e-Sign, then you will have to make a payment of Rs. 110.

Step 14: Once you have made the payment, you will be required to go through the Aadhaar authentication process, or submit documents via e-sign or to physically send the documents to NSDL. You will also receive an email acknowledgement from NSDL about your application.

Step 15: Your Pan Card will be couriered to you once the application has been processed. Keep the acknowledgment number with you.

PAN Card Structure

A PAN card is made up of 10 alphanumeric characters, with the first 5 characters being alphabets, the next 4 being numbers and the last character being an alphabet.

• The first three character are a sequence of alphabets, which are generally a random sequence.
• The fourth character indicates the type of the applicant (such as a firm, individual, company, local authority, etc.)
• The fifth character could be any of the following:
• The first character of the applicant’s name or surname if the applicant is an individual
• The first character of the company/firm/local authority etc. name
• The last character is an alphabet.

Details Mentioned in PAN Card

• The PAN card being a photo identity document, it contains information relating to the entity it has been issued to, such as:
• The entity’s full name (in case of firms/companies/governments etc, the registered name of the body
• The date of birth (date of registration in case of companies/firms)
• The PAN number
• In addition to this, the PAN card also mentions the date on which it was issued, if the card was issued by the NSDL.

[Author Profile: Yash Singh, 2nd Year BBA LLB, Faculty of Law, University of Allahabad]