Hotels, landlords, gyms and SIM shops all ask for "an Aadhaar copy". Give them one that shows XXXX XXXX 1234, not your full number, stamped with why and when you gave it. Works with the e-Aadhaar PDF or a photo of the card.
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Choose fileYour Aadhaar stays on this device
A photocopy of your Aadhaar with the full 12-digit number ends up in a hotel register, a broker's WhatsApp, a SIM retailer's drawer. UIDAI itself advises using a masked Aadhaar where the full number isn't required. For most everyday checks, the last 4 digits, your photo and your name are what the other side actually needs.
More detail: masked vs regular Aadhaar and is it safe to give your Aadhaar copy to a hotel?
| Situation | Masked copy? |
|---|---|
| Hotel or guest-house check-in, gym, society visitor records | Usually enough |
| Rental agreement or broker paperwork | Usually enough; ask first |
| Bank KYC, new SIM, income tax, government schemes | Often the full number is required, since it is used for e-KYC or linking |
It removes the digits, not hides them. The output is rebuilt as an image with the mask drawn into the pixels. A black rectangle placed on top of a PDF can often be lifted off, or the number copied from the text underneath. That can't happen here.
It finds every copy of the number. The e-Aadhaar PDF prints your number more than once: on the letter section, the card front and the card back. On a PDF, the tool locates each one and masks the first 8 digits automatically. On a photo, you draw the masks yourself.
It records why you shared it. A watermark like "For Hotel Sea View check-in only · 25 Oct 2026" across the copy makes it much harder to reuse for something else.
Need the official version instead? On the UIDAI website, choose the masked Aadhaar option while downloading e-Aadhaar. To remove the password from an e-Aadhaar without masking it, see the Aadhaar PDF password guide. To black out other details in any document, use Redact PDF. Sharing a PAN, passport or driving licence instead? Watermark ID Copy stamps the purpose and date on any ID, and Hide PAN removes your PAN from Form 16, salary slips and statements.