How do I print my PAN card from the e-PAN PDF?
By the PdfDady team · Updated · 7 min read
To print a PAN card from your e-PAN, open the PDF (for an individual, the password is usually your date of birth as DDMMYYYY, so 15 August 1990 becomes 15081990), crop the card from the page, and print it on A4 at 100% scale so it comes out at card size. If all you need is a copy for a form, printing the whole PDF as it is on A4 is often enough.
For the card-sized version, our PAN card print on A4 tool takes the e-PAN PDF directly, asks for the password in your browser, and lets you crop the card and place it at 85.6 × 54 mm. Here is the full process, including where the e-PAN comes from and what to do when the password doesn't work.
Where your e-PAN comes from
There are three common sources, and knowing which one you used tells you where to go for a fresh copy.
Instant e-PAN from the Income Tax e-Filing portal. This is the free, Aadhaar-based route for people who have never had a PAN. The Income Tax Department's FAQ says you will not get a physical card: "You will be issued an e-PAN which is a valid form of PAN." To download it again, use the Instant e-PAN option on the e-Filing portal, enter your Aadhaar number and confirm the OTP sent to your Aadhaar-linked mobile.
Protean (formerly NSDL e-Gov). If you applied through Protean, you can get the e-PAN emailed or downloaded from its site. Protean's page says this is free up to three times if the PAN was allotted or changed in the last 30 days, and costs Rs. 8.26 including taxes after that, at the time of writing.
UTIITSL. If your PAN application went through UTIITSL, use UTIITSL's own e-PAN download facility.
Not sure which one issued yours? Check the acknowledgement you received when you applied.
The password
Protean's own guide says: "The password to open your e-PAN card is your date of birth in the DDMMYYYY format." So:
| Date of birth | Password |
|---|---|
| 5 January 1995 | 05011995 |
| 15 August 1990 | 15081990 |
| 1 December 2001 | 01122001 |
Eight digits, day first, with leading zeros and no slashes, dashes or spaces.
Points that trip people up:
- Leaving out the zero.
5011995is seven digits and won't work. Day and month are always two digits each. - Month first.
08151990is the American order. The e-PAN uses day, month, year. - Using a different date of birth. The password follows the date on your PAN record. If your documents disagree, try the one you gave in your PAN application.
- A PAN that isn't an individual's. For a company, firm or trust, the date used can be different, such as a date of incorporation. The download page you used will ask for the relevant date, and that is the one to try.
We could not find an official statement on whether every Instant e-PAN download from the e-Filing portal is password-protected. If yours asks for a password, the date-of-birth format above is the one to try first.
If you will print it often, you can save a copy that opens without a password using Unlock PDF, once you know the password. It doesn't guess or recover passwords. The e-PAN is digitally signed, and like any rewritten file, the unlocked copy won't show a valid signature, so keep the original download as well. Our guide on removing a password from a PDF explains this in more detail.
Printing the e-PAN at card size
- Open the tool and add your e-PAN PDF as the front.
- Type the password when asked. It is used only in your browser and isn't stored.
- If the PDF has more than one page, use Previous and Next to reach the card.
- Open Crop & position. The tool starts the crop on a card-shaped area it finds on the page, or in the middle if it finds none. Treat it as a suggestion and adjust the frame so only the card is inside.
- If the same page also shows a back side and you want it, press Use the same PDF page for the back. The crop starts on the second card-shaped area. If you don't need the back, leave it empty. A page with only the front works.
- Keep 85.6 × 54 mm, choose A4 portrait or landscape, and set the gap and cut lines.
- Check the preview and the DPI figure. PDF pages are rendered at 300 DPI, so an e-PAN usually prints sharply.
- Download
pan-card-a4.pdfor press Print.
Got a physical card instead? Photograph it flat, flash off, from straight above, and add the photo (JPG, PNG, WebP or HEIC, up to 25 MB). The steps are the same from step 4.
Size and print settings
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| A4 sheet | 210 × 297 mm |
| Card size used | 85.6 × 54 mm (standard ID-1 card size) |
| Official PAN card size | Not published on the Income Tax, Protean or UTIITSL pages we checked |
| Print scale | Actual size or 100% |
| Paper | A4 |
Because no official PAN size is published, measure your own card if you have one, and set a custom width and height if it differs. In the print dialog, switch off Fit to page. Chrome and Edge hide Scale under More settings. Adobe Acrobat Reader calls it Actual size. Lay a bank card on the print to check, since it is the same standard size. Our explainer on ID card size in mm covers why a "fit" setting shrinks cards.
Common problems
"Incorrect password." Check the format: eight digits, day first, with zeros. Then check that it's your date of birth as recorded on the PAN. If it still fails, download a fresh copy from the agency that issued it.
The crop covers the whole page. The tool didn't find a card-shaped area. Drag the frame over the card by hand.
The card prints too small. Scaling was on. Reprint at 100% on A4.
A form wants the PAN copy in one PDF with other documents. Download the page and join them with Merge PDF. If the result is over the portal's limit, shrink it with Compress PDF.
Is a printed e-PAN acceptable?
Protean's guide says CBDT treats the e-PAN as valid proof of PAN for all purposes. A printout of it is a copy, though, and the organisation asking decides what it accepts and whether it wants a self-attested copy. Our guide on preparing documents for KYC covers what to send and how.
If you want a plastic card, the Income Tax FAQ says you can request a printed physical PAN card through Protean's or UTIITSL's reprint service once a PAN has been allotted.
Questions people ask
What is the e-PAN password if I was born on 9 March 1988?
09031988. Day 09, month 03, year 1988.
Do I need to print the back of the PAN card?
Not always. The back is optional in the tool. Add it only if the organisation asks for both sides.
Can I print the e-PAN in black and white?
Yes, unless you're told otherwise. Choose black and white in the print dialog.
Is my e-PAN uploaded?
No. The PDF and its password stay in your browser, and nothing is uploaded. PdfDady is independent and not affiliated with the Income Tax Department, Protean or UTIITSL.