All Government PDF Passwords in One Place — Complete Cheat Sheet for 2026
Introduction
You just filed your ITR, downloaded the acknowledgment, and bam — a password prompt. What do you type? Your name? Your PAN? Your pet’s name? Nobody tells you.
This happens to almost everyone. Crores of Indians download government PDFs every year and get stuck at the same wall. The passwords are there for security, sure, but the departments rarely make the format obvious.
Here is the thing though — virtually every government department follows a pattern. Learn the pattern, and you will never waste time guessing again.
The Master Password Table
Income Tax Department
| Document | Password Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ITR-V / ITR Acknowledgment | PAN (lowercase) + DOB (DDMMYYYY) | abcde1234f15081990 |
| Form 26AS (from TRACES) | DOB (DDMMYYYY) only | 15081990 |
| AIS (Annual Information Statement) | PAN (uppercase) + DOB (YYYYMMDD) | ABCDE1234F19900815 |
| Intimation u/s 143(1) | PAN (lowercase) + DOB (DDMMYYYY) | abcde1234f15081990 |
| Any IT Notice / Order | PAN (lowercase) + DOB (DDMMYYYY) | abcde1234f15081990 |
| Form 16 / 16A / 27D / TBR | First 5 letters of PAN (uppercase) + DOB (DDMMYYYY) | ABCDE15081990 |
| Form 16B | DOB of Buyer (DDMMYYYY) only | 15081990 |
| e-PAN Card (NSDL / UTIITSL) | DOB (DDMMYYYY) only | 15081990 |
One format covers most Income Tax documents: your PAN in lowercase plus your date of birth in DDMMYYYY. Try this first before digging into the variations.
TDS / TRACES Documents
| Document | Password Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| TDS Certificate ZIP File | TAN (uppercase) | DELH12345A |
| TDS Justification Report (Conso File) | TAN + Form No + Quarter + FY | DELT1234524QQ3FY2025 |
| Form 16 ZIP from TRACES | Employer’s TAN (uppercase) | DELH12345A |
| 26AS ZIP File | DOB (DDMMYYYY) | 15081990 |
| TAN Letter | 6-digit PIN code of address | 110001 |
UIDAI — Aadhaar
| Document | Password Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| e-Aadhaar PDF | First 4 letters of name (CAPS) + Year of Birth (YYYY) | SURE1990 |
| Masked Aadhaar PDF | First 4 letters of name (CAPS) + Year of Birth (YYYY) | SURE1990 |
Short name? No problem. If your name is “Ria” and you were born in 1995, the password is RIA1995 — just the full name in caps. For names like “A S Rama”, ignore the spaces and take the first four characters: ASRA1978.
EPFO
| Document | Password Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| UAN Passbook PDF | No password required | Opens directly |
| PF Claim Settlement PDF | Varies — check EPFO portal | N/A |
This one surprises people. The EPFO passbook PDF you download from passbook.epfindia.gov.in has zero password protection. Opens straight up. If someone emails you a password-protected EPFO file, do not trust it — always go to the official portal.
Bank Statements
| Bank | Password Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| SBI | 11-digit account number | 12345678901 |
| HDFC | Customer ID (last 3 digits in email subject) | 12345678 |
| ICICI | First 4 letters of name (lowercase) + DOB (DDMM) | vive0102 |
| Kotak Mahindra | CRN (Customer Relationship Number) | 123456789 |
| Yes Bank | Customer ID + DOB (DDMMYYYY) | 123456701021990 |
| Axis Bank | First 4 letters of name (lowercase) + DOB (DDMM) | rahu1508 |
| Canara Bank | Customer ID | 987654321 |
For joint accounts, use the first holder’s details.
GST Department
| Document | Password Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| GST Registration Certificate | GSTIN | 27AAACS1234A1Z5 |
| GST Return Filing Confirmation | GSTIN | 27AAACS1234A1Z5 |
SEBI / Depositories — CAS (Consolidated Account Statement)
| Source | Password Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| CDSL eCAS | Encrypted PAN (changes each statement) | AXXXX1234X |
| NSDL eCAS | Encrypted PAN (changes each statement) | AXXXX1234X |
| CAMS CAS | PAN (uppercase or lowercase — varies) | ABCDE1234F |
| KFintech CAS | PAN (uppercase) | ABCDE1234F |
| CDSL (some variants) | PAN (uppercase) + DOB (DDMMYYYY) | ABCDE1234F15081990 |
The CDSL and NSDL eCAS passwords are encrypted versions of your PAN that change every statement. Check the email that came with the PDF — it usually spells out the format.
Post Office / Small Savings
| Document | Password Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Post Office RD/SCSS Account Statement | Account Number + DOB | 123456789001081990 |
| PPF Statement | Account Number + DOB | 1234567890015081990 |
Insurance Documents
| Document | Password Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| LIC Policy Document | Policy Number + DOB (DDMMYYYY) | 12345678915081990 |
| Other Insurer PDFs | PAN + DOB or DOB only | Varies by insurer |
Pension Documents
| Document | Password Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| PPO (Pension Payment Order) | PPO Number + DOB (DDMMYYYY) | 12345678915081990 |
| Bhavishya Portal PDFs | Usually DOB (DDMMYYYY) | 15081990 |
Scholarship / Education Portals
| Document | Password Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| National Scholarship Portal (NSP) | DOB (DDMMYYYY) | 15081990 |
| Swayam / NPTEL Certificate | Registration details based | Check course portal |
| CBSE DigiLocker Documents | Mother’s first name (lowercase) + Roll Number | sushmita4567 |
How to Open Password-Protected PDFs
On Desktop (Adobe Reader):
Double-click the PDF. When the password prompt pops up, type the password from the table above. Click OK.
On Mobile:
Tap the PDF to open it. Enter the password when asked. That is it.
Quick troubleshooting:
- Check Caps Lock. These passwords are case-sensitive.
- No spaces anywhere. None.
- Date format is DDMMYYYY, not DD/MM/YYYY and not YYYYMMDD.
- PAN must be lowercase where the table says lowercase.
- For Aadhaar, your name must match exactly what is on the card.
- If nothing works, delete the file and download it again. Corrupted downloads happen more often than you think.
Mistakes That Waste Your Time
Adding spaces. “abcde1234f 15081990” will never work. The government does not use spaces. Ever.
Wrong date format. If your birthday is September 5, 1990, type 05091990. Not 19900905. Not 05/09/1990. The format is always DDMMYYYY with zero separators.
Wrong case. The Income Tax portal wants lowercase PAN. Aadhaar wants uppercase name letters. They mean it — get the case right.
Confusing the PAN rules. For Form 16, the password uses only the first 5 alphabetic characters of your PAN. For ITR-V, it uses the full 10-character PAN. They are not the same.
Skipping the email. Bank statements always tell you the password format in the email itself. Read it before trying random guesses.
Key Takeaways
- Income Tax documents use PAN (lowercase) + DOB (DDMMYYYY) — this covers most scenarios
- Aadhaar uses first 4 letters of name in CAPS + birth year (YYYY)
- EPFO passbook needs no password — it opens directly
- Bank statements use customer ID, account number, or name initials — the email tells you
- Case sensitivity is not optional. Uppercase and lowercase are different things.
- No spaces, no slashes, no special characters. Keep it clean.
Conclusion
Bookmark this page. Save the screenshot. The next time a government PDF locks you out, you will know exactly where to look. The formats rarely change, so this should stay useful for a long time.
Missed any department? Drop a comment and I will add it to the table. And if you are ever stuck with no idea where to start, try PAN (lowercase) plus DOB (DDMMYYYY) — that one combination opens more government documents than anything else in India.
Disclaimer: This is for educational purposes only. Password formats can change without notice. If the standard format does not work, check the official portal for updates. Consult a qualified financial advisor for personalized advice.
