How to Apply for a PRAN Card & Get a PRAN Number

How to Apply for a PRAN Card & Get a PRAN Number: The PRAN Card, better known as the Permanent Retirement Account Number card, started in 2004. The 12-digit number on the card helps identify the people who have registered under NPS or the National Pension Scheme. PFRDA, the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority, governs the special National Pension Scheme.

The Pran card will be issued by NSDL, and the cards have been made mandatory for the candidates who have joined as a state or central government employee on 1st Jan 2004 or well after that. Both NSDL and PFRDA have developed a bookkeeping system where all the details of the registered candidates will be available. Also, you can check your PRAN Status online. It can also be said that to become a part of the NPS or the National Pension Scheme, it is important to get a PRAN card.

PRAN Card Online

How To Apply For PRAN Card?


The PRAN card is almost similar to the PAN card in some ways, but the difference is that the PRAN card is associated with NSDL. The card must be made to register under the National Pension Scheme. The application can be only made by the state's employees and the central government.

  1. The application form is downloaded from the official website of NSDL.
  2. The download form is filled out and submitted to the administration officer.
  3. Further, this is submitted by the officer to the Central Record Keeping Agency.

Candidates, who are in between the age group of 18 years and 60 years, can apply for the PRAN for the National Pension Scheme. Also, the card is only approved and allotted to the candidates registered with the Drawing and Disbursing Office (DDO) and CRA.

If a candidate is not able to apply for the card through online means, then there is also an option to submit the application through offline mode. The application form must be downloaded and printed from the NSDL official site. The form has to be filled up and has to be submitted to the post office.

Required Documents For PRAN CARD Application

Whether you are applying for the PRAN card online or offline, steps must be taken properly to avoid such issues. To apply for the form, some important documents have to be attached along with the form. Some of the important documents that have to be attached are:

  1.  PAN card or the Permanent Account Number of the candidate,
  2. Aadhar Card in the absence of the PAN card,
  3. Bank account details that have been authorized by NSDL,
  4. Photograph with Signature of the candidate,
  5. Scanned copy of the residential address of the candidate,

If the candidate is applying through a Pran card online, the candidate has to provide details of the debit card, credit or internet banking through which the payment for the application will be made.


Hope you will understand PRAN card status. PoP is the place of interaction where subscribers can access the NPS infrastructure. Some of the important functions the PoP offers are registration, contribution uploading, data validation, grievance handling, etc. 


How to Apply for a PRAN Card & Get a PRAN Number

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