The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has rolled out a significant decision aimed at easing the Aadhaar update process for children and their parents. With effect from October 1, 2025, mandatory biometric updates at the ages of 5 and 15 years will now be provided free of cost for a period of one year.
Nearly 60 million children across India are expected to directly benefit from this initiative, which removes the financial burden of biometric updation.
Under Aadhaar enrolment rules, children are required to update their biometric details twice — once at the age of 5 and again at 15. These updates include fingerprints, iris scans, and a fresh photograph. Until now, such updates involved a fee, but UIDAI has waived the charges for these mandatory age-linked updates.
UIDAI stated that this move will simplify children’s access to essential services, including school admissions, scholarships, exam registrations, and Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) schemes. It also urged parents to ensure timely biometric updates for their children to avoid service disruptions in the future.
Importantly, UIDAI clarified that the free service is limited only to the mandatory updates at ages 5 and 15. Other updates, such as changes in address, mobile number, or photographs, will continue to attract applicable charges.
The initiative is seen as a citizen-friendly reform, aimed at strengthening India’s digital identity ecosystem while making Aadhaar services more accessible, transparent, and affordable for families.
