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How to Know PAN Card Status: Easy Online Steps (2026)

Want to know your PAN card status? You can check it online in a few minutes, but the right method depends on how you applied. This guide shows how to know PAN card status with or without an acknowledgement number, how to check an Instant e-PAN, and how to check whether your PAN is linked with Aadhaar.

To know your PAN card status, open the portal where you applied: Protean (earlier NSDL) or UTIITSL. Enter your 15-digit acknowledgement number or coupon number and submit. To check PAN-Aadhaar link status, use “Link Aadhaar Status” on the Income Tax e-filing portal.

How to know PAN card status online on the Protean portal

Which PAN Card Status Do You Want to Check?

“PAN status” can mean four different things. Pick yours first.

Your situationWhere to checkWhat you need
I applied for a new PAN or a correctionProtean or UTIITSL status pageAcknowledgement or coupon number
I got an Instant e-PAN using AadhaarIncome Tax e-filing portalAadhaar OTP
I want to check PAN–Aadhaar link statusIncome Tax e-filing portalPAN and Aadhaar number
My card was dispatched but hasn’t arrivedIndia Post trackingConsignment number

How to Know PAN Card Status With Acknowledgement Number

The acknowledgement number is the 15-digit number on the receipt you got after applying. Check your receipt first: it says whether you applied through Protean or UTIITSL.

Protean (earlier NSDL)

  1. Open the Protean PAN status page at tin.tin.proteantech.in/pantan/StatusTrack.html.
  2. Under “Application Type”, select PAN – New / Change Request.
  3. Enter your 15-digit acknowledgement number.
  4. Enter the captcha and click Verify Status of Application.

[ADD: screenshot of the Protean status page, personal details blurred]

UTIITSL

  1. Open the UTIITSL tracker at trackpan.utiitsl.com.
  2. Enter your coupon number from the application receipt.
  3. If you already have a PAN, you can choose the option to track with your PAN and date of birth.
  4. Enter the captcha and submit.

Each portal only tracks its own applications. A Protean number will not work on UTIITSL, and the other way round.

How to Know My PAN Card Status Without Acknowledgement Number

Lost your acknowledgement number? Try these in order:

  1. Look for it. Check the receipt you downloaded after applying, and search your email and SMS for messages from the PAN agency.
  2. Use PAN and date of birth. On UTIITSL, this works if you already have a PAN, for example when tracking a correction or reprint.
  3. Call the helpline. Keep your full name and date of birth, exactly as on the application, ready. Protean’s call centre is 020-27218080.

The Protean status form does not search by mobile number. It asks only for the application type and the acknowledgement number.

How to Know PAN Card Status by SMS, Phone or WhatsApp

If you applied through Protean, you can also check without opening a website:

  • SMS: type NSDLPAN followed by your 15-digit acknowledgement number and send it to 57575.
  • Phone (IVR): call 08069708080 and follow the voice prompts.
  • WhatsApp: save 8096078080, send “Hi”, and follow the chatbot.

How to Check Instant e-PAN Status

If you applied for an Instant e-PAN using your Aadhaar:

  1. Go to the Income Tax e-filing portal at eportal.incometax.gov.in.
  2. Click Instant e-PAN, then Check Status / Download PAN.
  3. Enter your Aadhaar number and verify with the OTP sent to your Aadhaar-linked mobile number.

You can download your e-PAN from the same place once it is ready.

How to Know Status of PAN Card Link With Aadhaar

This check tells you whether your PAN is linked with your Aadhaar. You do not need to log in.

Check PAN Aadhaar link status online

  1. Go to incometax.gov.in and find Quick Links.
  2. Click Link Aadhaar Status.
  3. Enter your PAN and Aadhaar number, then click View Link Aadhaar Status.

Check Aadhaar card PAN card link status by SMS

Send UID PAN <12-digit Aadhaar> <10-digit PAN> to 567678 or 56161.

What if your PAN is not linked with Aadhaar?

The Income Tax Department’s help page gives the background:

  • The original linking deadline was 30 June 2023.
  • It was extended to 31 May 2024, with a ₹1,000 fee for delayed linking.
  • People whose PAN was allotted on an Aadhaar enrolment ID had until 31 December 2025. If they missed it, the PAN became inoperative from 1 January 2026.

An inoperative PAN can hold up tax refunds and affect TDS and TCS.

How to Track Your PAN Card Delivery Status

When your card is dispatched, you receive a consignment number by email or SMS. Enter it on the India Post tracking page to see where your card is. If you can’t find the number, check your spam folder before calling the helpline.

What Changed in 2026 for PAN Card Services

  • New application forms. From 1 April 2026, Forms 93, 94, 95 and 96 replace the old Forms 49A and 49AA under the Income-tax Act, 2025. Form 93 is for individuals who are Indian citizens, and Form 94 is for Indian companies and other entities. Forms 95 and 96 cover foreign individuals and foreign entities.
  • New correction forms. Corrections now use PAN CR-01 (individuals) and PAN CR-02 (non-individuals).
  • Your old PAN is still valid. You do not need to apply again.
  • PAN 2.0 is still rolling out. As of August 2026, the unified portal had not fully gone live, and Protean and UTIITSL still handle applications. Most newly issued cards now carry a QR code.

PAN Card Status Not Showing? Try This

  • Wrong portal. Check whether your receipt says Protean or UTIITSL.
  • Typing mistake. Re-enter the 15-digit number carefully, without spaces.
  • Too soon. Wait a day or two after applying, then try again.
  • Still stuck after two to three weeks. Contact the helpline of the agency where you applied.

FAQs,

Q. How to know PAN card status?

Open the Protean or UTIITSL status page, depending on where you applied, and enter your 15-digit acknowledgement number or coupon number. For an Instant e-PAN, use the Income Tax e-filing portal.

Look for the number on your receipt, email or SMS first. If you already have a PAN, UTIITSL lets you track with your PAN and date of birth. Otherwise, call the helpline with your name and date of birth.

The Protean status form does not search by mobile number. It needs the acknowledgement number. For Instant e-PAN, the OTP goes to your Aadhaar-linked mobile.

Use “Link Aadhaar Status” under Quick Links on incometax.gov.in, or send an SMS in the format UID PAN <Aadhaar> <PAN> to 567678 or 56161.

Pay the ₹1,000 fee through e-Pay Tax on the e-filing portal, then submit the Link Aadhaar request. The PAN usually becomes operative within about 30 days.

No. Your existing PAN and card remain valid.

Need Help With PAN, Tax or Compliance?

PAN is the base for most tax and business registrations. Cotaxo’s experts can help you with:

Sources: Protean PAN/TAN status page; Protean’s PAN status guide; Income Tax Department “Link Aadhaar” help page; Income-tax Rules, 2026 PAN forms. Always check the official portals for the latest information.

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