An APAAR ID is a 12-digit lifelong student ID under the government's One Nation, One Student ID programme. It links your marksheets, certificates and credits to DigiLocker and the Academic Bank of Credits. School students get it through their school with a parent's consent; college and skill learners create it themselves on DigiLocker and download the card there.
What is APAAR ID?
APAAR stands for Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry. The APAAR portal describes it as an identification system for every student in India, set up under the One Nation, One Student ID programme in line with the National Education Policy 2020. Think of it as one number that follows you from school to college to skilling courses and job applications, so your records never have to be collected again from scratch.
The ID does not hold documents by itself. It points to them. Your results and credits sit in DigiLocker and the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC), and institutions send credit data to your account through the National Academic Depository. When a college or employer needs to check your record, this number is the key they use.
What it can hold: score cards, marksheets, grade sheets, degrees, diplomas, certificates and co-curricular achievements, according to the APAAR portal.
How long it lasts: it is a lifelong ID, so you keep the same number through school, higher education and later upskilling.
Who runs the platform: both the APAAR and ABC portals are powered by Digital India Corporation under the Ministry of Electronics and IT, and ABC is a Ministry of Education initiative regulated by the UGC.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Full form | Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry |
| Length | 12 digits |
| Programme | One Nation, One Student ID, aligned with NEP 2020 |
| Linked with | DigiLocker and the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) |
| School students | Generated by the school's UDISE+ system against the student's PEN, after parental consent |
| College and skill learners | Created by the learner through the ID creation service in DigiLocker |
| Where the card appears | DigiLocker, under Issued Documents |
| IDs created so far | Over 33.7 crore, as shown on both portals |
| Helpline | 1800-889-3511 |
APAAR ID, ABC ID and DEB ID: how they connect
Students often see three IDs in admission forms and assume they need three separate registrations. They are linked, and they come in a fixed order. The ABC portal says each learner gets one lifelong APAAR ID, and ABC uses that ID to track and manage academic credits. Without it you cannot use ABC services at all. That is why many forms, including the DEB portal, still say "ABC ID" when they mean the same number. Our ABC ID meaning guide explains the older name and how credits work.
The DEB ID is different. The UGC's Distance Education Bureau says every learner joining an open and distance learning or online programme must create a DEB ID, and the DEB form asks for your ABC ID first. So the order is APAAR (ABC) ID, then DEB ID, then admission. Our DEB ID guide walks through that second step.
Who needs one
School students: schools generate the ID through UDISE+ once parents give consent, and the card then appears in the student's DigiLocker.
College and university students: if your institution is registered on ABC, your credits are stored against your ID and can move with you if you change colleges.
Online and distance learners: you need it to create a DEB ID, which is compulsory for ODL and online admission at UGC-recognised universities.
Working professionals and upskillers: the ABC portal has separate routes for higher and skill education learners and for other learners, so you can create an ID even if you are not enrolled anywhere right now.
Is APAAR ID mandatory?
The answer depends on where you are in your studies. For school students, the APAAR portal says parents fill the consent form voluntarily, so the school route runs on consent. The ABC portal's FAQ, on the other hand, says every student in India is required to register for one. In practice, the ID becomes unavoidable the moment you apply for an online or distance degree, because the DEB ID cannot be created without it. For regular college admissions, check the admission notice of each institution. Our advice: create it before you start applying, because fixing a name mismatch later can take longer than the application window.
How to create APAAR ID
There are two routes, and the one you use depends on your stage: school, or college and beyond. Both end in the same place: a virtual ID card in your DigiLocker account.
For school students (through the school and UDISE+)
Parents visit the school to learn about the ID.
Parents fill in the consent form. The portal describes this step as voluntary.
The school verifies the student's demographic details and authenticates identity through school records.
The UDISE+ system generates the ID against the student's PEN (Permanent Education Number).
The ID is pushed into the student's DigiLocker account, where the virtual card appears under Issued Documents.
Two rules decide whether this works first time. The PEN is mandatory, and the student's name in UDISE+ records must match the name in Aadhaar. The school needs these details:
| Detail | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| UDISE+ Unique Student Identifier (PEN) | Mandatory; the ID is generated against it |
| Student name, and name as per Aadhaar | The two must match or generation fails |
| Date of birth and gender | Mismatches with Aadhaar stop generation |
| Mobile number | Listed as a mandatory field |
| Mother's name and father's name | Listed as mandatory fields |
| Aadhaar number | Used to verify identity |
For college, university and skill learners (through DigiLocker)
Create or log in to your authenticated DigiLocker account, using the mobile number linked to your Aadhaar.
Select the education category and open the APAAR ID creation service.
Choose your institution, admission year and roll number, check the details shown and submit.
Accept the terms so your learning records are linked to the new ID.
Open DigiLocker and download your APAAR card.
You can also start from abc.gov.in by choosing Login/Register and then Student; the portal sends you to DigiLocker to sign in. If your college does not appear in the list, it has not registered on ABC yet. Ask the admission office to confirm, because only registered institutions can upload your credits.
If you are not enrolled anywhere right now
The ABC portal lists "Other Learners" as a separate route with the same first steps: sign in to DigiLocker, open the ID creation service in the education category and submit your details. This suits graduates planning a postgraduate course, people returning to study after a break, and anyone about to apply for an online degree.
APAAR ID download: get your card from DigiLocker
There is no separate download site. Once the ID is generated, the card lives in DigiLocker.
Sign in to the DigiLocker app or website with your Aadhaar-linked mobile number.
Go to Issued Documents.
Open the virtual APAAR ID card.
Download it as a PDF and save a copy with your admission documents.
Note the 12-digit number. Most admission and DEB forms ask you to type it.
If a school student's card is not in Issued Documents, the ID may not have been generated yet. The APAAR portal says schools can check the status in the APAAR module of the UDISE+ portal, which lists each student with their ID status, so ask the class teacher or school office to look it up.
How to link it with DigiLocker and ABC
For most students there is nothing extra to link. When the ID is created, it is pushed into your DigiLocker account automatically. To open your Academic Bank Account on ABC, the ABC FAQ says you register on abc.gov.in using your APAAR ID and DigiLocker credentials. After that, credits uploaded by registered institutions show up against your ID.
Which credits count: ABC covers credits earned from academic year 2021 onwards, awarded by ABC-registered institutions.
How long they last: credits are valid for up to seven years, or the period set by the discipline, and cannot be reused once redeemed.
Who gives the degree: ABC does not award degrees, diplomas or certificates. It stores and transfers credits; your university confers the award.
Breaks and transfers: credits stay in your account if you pause your studies or change institutions.
Generation failed? Common errors and fixes
The APAAR portal says a failed request shows an error message, usually a mismatch between Aadhaar and academic records. You correct the data and resubmit. These are the usual problems and what to do about each:
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Generation fails at school | Name in UDISE+ does not match Aadhaar | Ask the school to correct the UDISE+ record, then resubmit |
| School cannot generate the ID | PEN missing for the student | The school must create or update the PEN in UDISE+ first |
| OTP does not arrive in DigiLocker | Mobile number not linked to Aadhaar | Update the mobile number in Aadhaar, then try again |
| College not in the list | Institution not registered on ABC | Check the onboarded institutions list on abc.gov.in and ask the college |
| Card not in Issued Documents | ID not generated yet | Ask the school to check the UDISE+ APAAR module, or redo the DigiLocker request |
| Wrong name, date of birth or gender on the card | Old Aadhaar data | Follow the correction steps below |
How to correct details on your card
The card takes its details from Aadhaar, so the fix starts there. The ABC portal sets out three steps:
Update the detail in your Aadhaar card.
Do KYC again in DigiLocker so it picks up the corrected Aadhaar data.
Update the ID in DigiLocker so the card shows the new details.
If the card still shows old details, call the helpline on 1800-889-3511 or raise a ticket through ABC's support option. School students should also ask the school to correct the UDISE+ record, since that is where their ID was generated. If you already made a DEB ID with the wrong details, the DEB portal asks you to fix the APAAR card first and then use its Update Your DEB Details option.
Where you will use it
The APAAR portal lists admissions, scholarships, concessions, credit accumulation, redemption and transfer, internships, certifications, job applications and verification of academic records as uses. The most immediate one for many students is an online or distance degree. For the August 2026 session, the DEB portal gives 13 October 2026 as the last date for universities to admit learners, and none of that is possible without the APAAR (ABC) number.
The ID proves who you are, not whether a university is genuine. Before you pay any fee, check the university on our list of UGC-recognised universities, rule it out of the UGC fake universities list, and confirm its online or distance approval using our guide on how to check if an online university is UGC-DEB approved. If you are still unsure about the mode itself, read whether an online degree is valid in India.
Keep your ID safe
Create the ID yourself on DigiLocker or through your school. Do not pay anyone to make it for you.
Never share your DigiLocker PIN or OTP. The ABC FAQ says access is authenticated through your ID and Aadhaar-linked DigiLocker credentials, so whoever has those has your records.
Check for an existing card in Issued Documents before creating a new one. A second request can cause mismatches later.
Keep the PDF and the 12-digit number with your admission papers, because most forms ask for the number, not the card.
Frequently asked questions
What is the full form of APAAR ID?
APAAR stands for Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry. It is a 12-digit lifelong student ID under the One Nation, One Student ID programme.
How can I download my APAAR ID card?
Sign in to DigiLocker with your Aadhaar-linked mobile number, open Issued Documents and select the virtual APAAR ID card. You can download it as a PDF from there.
How do I create an APAAR ID online?
If you are in college or a skill course, log in to DigiLocker, open the ID creation service in the education category, choose your institution, admission year and roll number, and submit. School students get the ID through their school after a parent gives consent.
Is APAAR ID and ABC ID the same?
For students, yes in practice. ABC uses your APAAR ID to track and manage your credits, and you cannot use ABC services without it. Read our ABC ID guide for the details.
Is APAAR ID mandatory for students?
For school students the portal describes parental consent as voluntary, while the ABC FAQ says every student is required to register. It is effectively compulsory for online and distance degrees, because the DEB ID needs it.
How many digits are in an APAAR ID?
The APAAR portal describes it as a unique 12-digit code.
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