PAN Card PDF Password — Exact Format, Examples & How to Remove It
📅 June 2026⏱ 5 min read✍️ Fast Private PDF Team
Every PAN card PDF downloaded from NSDL or UTI is password protected. Unlike Aadhaar which uses your name, the PAN PDF password is simply your date of birth. This guide gives you the exact format, examples for every scenario, and how to remove the password permanently.
What is the PAN card PDF password?
The password for PAN card PDFs downloaded from NSDL (now Protean) or UTI Infrastructure Technology is:
Password format: Date of birth in DDMMYYYY format (8 digits, no spaces, no dashes)
Example: DOB = 15 March 1990 → Password = 15031990
The rules
Always 8 digits total — DD + MM + YYYY
Single-digit days and months get a leading zero — 5th January = 05, not 5
Use the 4-digit year — 1990 not 90
No spaces, no dashes, no slashes
For company PAN — use the date of incorporation in the same format
Examples for every scenario
Date of Birth
Password
Common mistake
1 January 1985
01011985
1011985 (missing leading zero)
15 March 1990
15031990
15/03/1990 (dashes not allowed)
9 September 2000
09092000
9092000 (missing leading zero)
31 December 1978
31121978
31-12-78 (wrong year format)
5 May 1995
05051995
5051995 (missing leading zero)
Step by step — how to open your PAN card PDF
Download your PAN PDF from onlineservices.nsdl.com or utiitsl.com
Open the PDF — you will see a password prompt
Enter your date of birth in DDMMYYYY format (8 digits)
Click OK — your PAN card opens
Quick test: Type your DOB slowly — DD then MM then YYYY. Count the digits as you type. You should end up with exactly 8 numbers. If you have 7 or 9, you are missing a leading zero or using a 2-digit year.
NSDL vs UTI — is the password different?
Both NSDL (Protean) and UTI use the same password format — date of birth in DDMMYYYY. However there are some differences depending on when and where you downloaded:
Source
Password format
Notes
NSDL / Protean (current)
DDMMYYYY
Standard format for all new downloads
UTI Infrastructure
DDMMYYYY
Same format, occasionally PAN number used instead
Older NSDL downloads (pre-2019)
DDMMYYYY
Same format, may need to try with and without leading zeros
Company / firm PAN
Date of incorporation DDMMYYYY
Not director DOB — use company registration date
PAN card PDF password not working — troubleshooting
If the standard DDMMYYYY format is not working, try these in order:
Check leading zeros — 5th May must be 05, not 5. Month 3 (March) must be 03, not 3
Verify your DOB — confirm the date on your PAN application acknowledgement, not your Aadhaar (which may have a corrected date)
Try your PAN number — some older UTI downloads use the 10-character PAN number as password
Try uppercase PAN — ABCDE1234F format if using PAN as password
Re-download — download a fresh copy from the NSDL or UTI portal. Old downloads sometimes have corrupted password metadata
How to remove the PAN card PDF password
If you regularly need to open your PAN PDF and find the password prompt inconvenient, you can remove it and save an unlocked copy for personal use.
The PAN card PDF password is your date of birth in DDMMYYYY format — 8 digits with leading zeros. Example: 15 March 1990 = 15031990. For company PAN cards, use the date of incorporation in the same format.
Open the PDF and enter your date of birth in DDMMYYYY format when prompted. The format is strictly 8 digits — two for day, two for month, four for year, no spaces or dashes. Example: 05 July 1985 = 05071985.
UTI PAN PDF uses the same password as NSDL — your date of birth in DDMMYYYY format. Some older UTI downloads may use the PAN number itself as the password. Try your DOB first, then your 10-character PAN number if that fails.
Check you are using leading zeros — 5th January is 05, not 5. Verify the date of birth against your original PAN application, not Aadhaar which may have a different date. For company PAN use date of incorporation. Try re-downloading a fresh copy from the NSDL portal.
Safe for personal use on your own devices. Store the unlocked copy securely and only share it with entities that genuinely require your PAN — banks, employers, income tax filing. Never share your PAN carelessly regardless of password protection.