How to verify PAN and Aadhaar e-sign with Zerodha

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This guide covers the PAN verification and Aadhaar-based electronic signature (e-sign) steps during Zerodha account opening, explaining the technical process, the legal significance of the e-sign, and the common failure points with their solutions.

Step-by-step procedure

Step 1: Enter PAN and date of birth

At the beginning of the Zerodha sign-up flow (zerodha.com/open-account), the first data entry screen asks for:

  • PAN number: Enter the 10-character PAN exactly as printed on the card. Characters 4 and 10 are always letters; the middle five characters (positions 5-9) are digits. All characters are entered in capital letters. Do not include spaces or hyphens.
  • Date of birth: Enter in DD/MM/YYYY format, matching the date on the PAN card exactly.

Zerodha verifies these in real time against the ITD PAN verification API. If verification succeeds, the form advances. If it fails, the error message will specify the reason.

Common PAN verification error messages and what they mean:

Error messageLikely cause
“PAN not found”PAN number entered incorrectly; check and re-enter
“PAN inactive”PAN deactivated due to non-linkage with Aadhaar; reactivate on incometax.gov.in
“Date of birth mismatch”DOB entered does not match ITD records; use the DOB on the PAN card, not the Aadhaar
“PAN already registered”A Zerodha account already exists for this PAN; contact support

Step 2: Check and confirm PAN-Aadhaar linkage

Since July 2023, the Income Tax Department has made PAN-Aadhaar linkage mandatory. Unlinked PANs have been declared inoperative. To check the linkage status:

  1. Visit incometax.gov.in.
  2. Navigate to Quick Links > Link Aadhaar Status.
  3. Enter the PAN and Aadhaar numbers.
  4. The portal shows one of three statuses: linked, pending (payment made but not yet processed), or not linked.

If the PAN is inoperative, pay the prescribed penalty (Rs 1,000 as of 2023 guidelines) and submit the linkage request. The PAN reactivation takes 4-7 business days after payment. Zerodha’s KYC cannot proceed until the PAN is active and linked.

Step 3: Aadhaar eKYC via OTP

After successful PAN verification and payment of the Rs 200 account opening fee, the Aadhaar eKYC step appears:

  1. Enter the 12-digit Aadhaar number in the field provided.
  2. Click or tap Request OTP.
  3. UIDAI sends a 6-digit OTP to the mobile number registered with Aadhaar. This is typically delivered within 30-60 seconds via SMS.
  4. Enter the OTP in the field and click Verify.

The OTP is valid for 10 minutes. If it expires, click “Resend OTP” to request a new one. A maximum of three OTP requests per session is typically allowed by UIDAI before a cool-down period is imposed.

Upon successful OTP entry, UIDAI returns the following data to Zerodha under the eKYC consent framework:

  • Name
  • Date of birth or age band
  • Gender
  • Address (as stored in Aadhaar)
  • Photograph

This data pre-fills the Zerodha account form, reducing the need for manual data entry.

Step 4: Review fetched details

After UIDAI returns the data, Zerodha displays it on screen for review. Check each field:

  • Name: Should closely match the name on the PAN card. If the Aadhaar name uses a full middle name but the PAN uses only an initial, this is generally acceptable. If the surnames are spelled differently, make a note and contact Zerodha support after completing the remaining steps; a manual review may be triggered.
  • Date of birth: Should match the PAN card exactly.
  • Address: The Aadhaar address is automatically used as the correspondence address. If you prefer a different correspondence address, some fields allow manual override at this stage.

No changes to the PAN-sourced name are permitted at this stage. If the PAN name needs to be corrected, apply for a PAN name correction on the NSDL or UTIITSL portal (a separate process that takes 2-3 weeks) and complete the Zerodha account opening after the corrected PAN is issued.

Step 5: Review account opening documents

After the eKYC, IPV, photograph/signature upload, and bank verification steps are complete, Zerodha presents the account opening documents for e-sign. These typically include:

  • Broker-client agreement: The agreement governing the trading relationship between the applicant and Zerodha Broking Limited.
  • Rights and obligations document: A SEBI-mandated document outlining the rights and obligations of both parties.
  • Tariff sheet: The brokerage schedule and applicable charges.
  • Depository participant agreement: The DP agreement for the CDSL or NSDL demat account.

Review each document carefully. The tariff sheet in particular specifies brokerage rates, account maintenance charges (AMC), and other fees. The DP charges are detailed in the Zerodha DP charges overview.

Step 6: Authenticate the e-sign via Aadhaar OTP

After reviewing the documents:

  1. Click or tap Proceed to e-sign.
  2. Enter the 12-digit Aadhaar number.
  3. Click Request OTP. An OTP is sent to the Aadhaar-registered mobile number.
  4. Enter the OTP within the validity window.
  5. On successful OTP entry, the e-sign is applied to all documents simultaneously.

The Aadhaar-based electronic signature is legally valid under Section 3A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, read with Schedule II of the IT Act (notified in 2015). The signed documents are stored by Zerodha and a complete copy is delivered to the registered email address within a few hours.

After the e-sign step, the account opening application is complete. Account activation takes a few hours to one business day.

References

  1. Income Tax Department, PAN-Aadhaar linkage requirement and penalty notification (Circular No. 6/2023, 23 March 2023).
  2. UIDAI, Aadhaar-based eKYC and e-sign service specifications (uidai.gov.in, accessed May 2026).
  3. Information Technology Act, 2000, Section 3A and IT (Electronic Signature or Electronic Authentication Technique and Procedure) Rules, 2015, Schedule II.
  4. SEBI Circular on Aadhaar-based KYC for securities market (SEBI/HO/MIRSD/DOP/CIR/P/2019/107, 24 September 2019).
  5. Zerodha account opening documentation: zerodha.com/open-account (accessed May 2026).

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