## Introduction
You just downloaded your ITR acknowledgement. Double click. And boom — password protected. You try your date of birth. Nothing. Your PAN. Still nothing.
I’ve been there too. Every government and bank document in India now comes as a password-locked PDF. Aadhaar, bank statement, GST certificate, NPS statement — each one has a different format. Get it wrong and you’re staring at that “incorrect password” popup forever.
Here are the 10 most common passwords. Bookmark this page, share it with anyone who struggles with PDFs. Trust me, it will save you time.
## 1. ITR Acknowledgement / Notice
**Password:** PAN (lowercase) + DOB in DDMMYYYY
**Example:** PAN: ABCDE1234F, DOB: 15 August 1990 → **abcde1234f15081990**
ITR V, notices, Section 143(1) intimations, rectification orders — pretty much everything from the Income Tax Department uses this. The PAN must be in lowercase, DOB in DDMMYYYY, no spaces. This is the most common government PDF password you’ll come across.
## 2. Aadhaar Card (e-Aadhaar)
**Password:** First 4 letters of name in CAPITAL + Year of Birth (YYYY)
**Example:** Suresh Kumar, Year 1990 → **SURE1990**
UIDAI keeps the e-Aadhaar locked with the first four letters of your name (uppercase) plus your birth year. Names shorter than 4 letters? Just use whatever you’ve got. “RIA” + 1990 = RIA1990. Names with initials like “P. Kumar”? The dot stays — P.KU1990.
## 3. PAN Card (e-PAN)
**Password:** DOB in DDMMYYYY
**Example:** 15 August 1990 → **15081990**
Simplest one on this list. Just your date of birth. Companies and LLPs use their date of incorporation instead. Nothing else needed.
## 4. Form 16 / Form 16A
**Password:** First 5 letters of PAN (uppercase) + DOB in DDMMYYYY
**Example:** PAN: ABCDE1234F, DOB: 15 August 1990 → **ABCDE15081990**
Your employer sends you Form 16 showing tax deducted from your salary. The password takes the first five letters of your PAN in uppercase (not the full PAN, just the first five) followed by your DOB.
## 5. Form 26AS
**Password:** DOB in DDMMYYYY
**Example:** 15 August 1990 → **15081990**
Form 26AS from TRACES uses only your date of birth. If you download it from the Income Tax portal directly, the HTML version doesn’t even need a password. The text file from TRACES is where the password applies.
## 6. AIS / TIS
**Password:** PAN (lowercase) + DOB in DDMMYYYY
**Example:** ABCDE1234F, 15 August 1990 → **abcde1234f15081990**
Same as ITR documents. The Annual Information Statement and Taxpayer Information Summary show all your financial transactions in one place. PDF and JSON files both use the same lowercase PAN + DOB formula.
## 7. NPS Statement
**Password:** First 4 letters of first name (lowercase) + DOB in DDMM
**Example:** Name: Hemant, DOB: 16 November → **hema1611**
NPS monthly statements from Protean use a slightly different format. Take the first four letters of your first name (lowercase) and add your DOB in DDMM — only day and month, no year. Short name? Add 9s. “Om” with 16 Nov becomes “99om1611”.
## 8. GST Registration Certificate
**Password:** No PDF password — but you need portal login
The GST Registration Certificate (Form GST REG-06) has no PDF password. The catch? You have to log into gst.gov.in to download it. Forgot your GST login? Use the “Forgot Password” option on the portal.
## 9. Bank E-Statements
This is where things get messy. Every bank has its own system.
| Bank | Password Format | Example |
|——|—————-|———|
| **SBI (YONO)** | DOB in DDMMYYYY | 15081990 |
| **SBI (Net Banking)** | Full account number (11 digits) | 12345678901 |
| **HDFC** | Customer ID (8-10 digits) | 12345678 |
| **ICICI** | DOB in DDMMYYYY | 15081990 |
| **Axis** | DOB in DDMMYYYY | 15081990 |
| **Kotak** | Customer Relationship Number | 1234567890 |
| **PNB** | Account number | 0123000400001234 |
| **Bank of Baroda** | Customer ID or DOB DDMMYYYY | 123456789 |
| **Yes Bank** | Customer ID + DOB DDMMYYYY | 12345615081990 |
The #1 mistake people make? HDFC uses your Customer ID, not your DOB. If you’re stuck, open the HDFC app and check your profile for the Customer ID.
## 10. EPFO UAN Passbook
**Password:** UAN Number
**Example:** 100234567890 → **100234567890**
Your EPFO passbook PDF uses your 12-digit UAN as the password. No tricks, no special format. Just enter the number.
## Bonus: TAN Letter
**Password:** 6-digit PIN code of your registered address
**Example:** PIN 276303 → **276303**
Your TAN letter from the Income Tax Department uses your address PIN code. Simple but easy to forget if you’ve moved.
## Quick Reference
| # | Document | Password Format | Example |
|—|———-|—————-|———|
| 1 | ITR V / Notice | PAN (lowercase) + DOB DDMMYYYY | abcde1234f15081990 |
| 2 | Aadhaar | First 4 name (CAPS) + YYYY | SURE1990 |
| 3 | PAN | DOB DDMMYYYY | 15081990 |
| 4 | Form 16 | First 5 PAN (CAPS) + DOB DDMMYYYY | ABCDE15081990 |
| 5 | Form 26AS | DOB DDMMYYYY | 15081990 |
| 6 | AIS / TIS | PAN (lowercase) + DOB DDMMYYYY | abcde1234f15081990 |
| 7 | NPS Statement | First 4 name (lower) + DDMM | hema1611 |
| 8 | GST Certificate | No PDF password (portal login needed) | — |
| 9 | Bank Statements | Varies by bank | varies |
| 10 | EPFO Passbook | UAN number | 100234567890 |
## A Few Things to Keep in Mind
– **Case matters.** “ABCD” is not “abcd”. Most government documents want lowercase PAN.
– **DDMMYYYY is not MMDDYYYY.** 15 August = 15081990, not 08151990.
– **No spaces, no symbols.** Unless the format says so (like Aadhaar dots).
– **Joint accounts?** Use the first holder’s details.
– **Check the email.** Banks usually print the password format in the email itself.
## Wrapping Up
Getting stuck on a PDF password is frustrating. But once you know the pattern, it clicks. Most government documents use PAN + DOB, name + year, or just DOB. Bookmark this, save it, and you’ll never waste time guessing passwords again.
Which PDF gave you the most trouble? Let me know in the comments.
*This is for educational purposes only. Consult a qualified financial advisor for personalized advice.*
