ABHA Card 2026: How to Create, Download and Use Your Ayushman Bharat Health Account

Quick take: An Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) is a digital health identity under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM). You can create an ABHA through the official ABHA service, verify your identity using the authentication options offered there, and download your ABHA card.

This guide is specifically about creating and downloading ABHA. It is not a PM-JAY hospital-search guide and not a UDID disability-certification guide.

ABHA — Official Portal

What Is an ABHA?

ABHA stands for Ayushman Bharat Health Account.

It provides a digital health identity that can be used within the ABDM ecosystem to support digital health services and, where supported, the linking and sharing of health records with your consent.

The important distinction is:

ABHA is a digital health identity. It is not health insurance.

Having an ABHA does not by itself mean that your hospital treatment is covered under PM-JAY or another insurance policy.

Create ABHA: Step-by-Step

The exact screen layout can change, but the typical process is straightforward.

Step 1 — Open the official ABHA service

Start with:

ABHA Official Portal

Avoid websites offering to create an ABHA for a fee.

Step 2 — Start ABHA creation

Choose the option to create/register an ABHA.

Step 3 — Select the available authentication method

The portal can offer supported identity-verification options, including Aadhaar-based authentication.

If you choose Aadhaar authentication, follow the OTP process shown by the official portal.

Step 4 — Verify your details

Check the personal information displayed during registration.

Pay particular attention to:

  • Name
  • Date of birth
  • Gender
  • Mobile number

Step 5 — Create/confirm your ABHA details

Follow the portal's instructions to complete registration.

Step 6 — Save your ABHA details

Once created, securely note your ABHA number and any other account identifier the service provides.

Already Have ABHA? Download Your Card

If your ABHA already exists, you don't need to create another one.

Sign in through the official ABHA service and look for the option to view/download the ABHA card.

Download the PDF and keep it somewhere secure.

You can also print a copy for family members who prefer paper records.

ABHA Number vs ABHA Address

You may encounter two different identifiers.

ABHA Number

This is the numeric health-account identifier associated with your ABHA.

ABHA Address

An ABHA Address is an additional, easier-to-use identifier in the ABDM ecosystem and can resemble an email-style handle.

Don't confuse the two.

If the portal provides both, save both securely.

What Can You Do With ABHA?

ABHA is designed to support digital health services within the ABDM ecosystem.

Where a participating facility or service supports the relevant ABDM functionality, it can help with:

  • Digital health identity
  • Linking health records
  • Accessing records through participating systems
  • Consent-based sharing of health information
  • Digital health-service interactions

The key phrase is:

Consent-based.

Creating an ABHA does not mean that every hospital you've ever visited automatically gets access to your complete medical history.

ABHA Is Not a PM-JAY Card

This distinction deserves its own section.

ABHAPM-JAYDigital health identityGovernment health-coverage schemeSupports digital health ecosystemProvides eligible beneficiaries with health coverageCan support health-record linkageCovers eligible healthcare packages under scheme rulesNot insurance itselfScheme-based healthcare coverage

You can have an ABHA and separately have PM-JAY eligibility.

They perform different functions.

ABHA Is Also Not UDID

Similarly:

ABHA

→ Digital health identity

UDID

→ Disability certificate/identity system

They are separate government systems with different purposes.

Don't create duplicate accounts simply because two systems ask for identity information.

Privacy: The Important Part

ABHA is connected to a digital health ecosystem, so treat it as sensitive information.

Good habits:

  • Don't post your ABHA card publicly
  • Don't post its QR code on social media
  • Don't send health records to unknown numbers
  • Don't share OTPs
  • Check what you're consenting to before authorising record sharing
  • Use official ABDM/ABHA services

The ABDM framework uses consent mechanisms for applicable health-information sharing.

What About the QR Code?

Your ABHA card can contain a QR code that helps participating facilities access/identify the relevant health account through supported ABDM workflows.

Treat the QR code as sensitive.

Don't put a photograph of your ABHA card on Instagram, Facebook or a public WhatsApp group.

For an ordinary family document, a printed copy can be useful.

But don't treat the printed card as something that should be publicly displayed.

What If the OTP Doesn't Arrive?

Try the basics first:

Check your mobile network

Make sure your registered phone can receive SMS.

Wait before requesting multiple OTPs

Repeated requests can create confusion or temporary restrictions.

Check the number

Make sure you're using the mobile number associated with the authentication process.

Try again later

Temporary service/network issues can occur.

If the problem persists, use the official ABDM/ABHA support route rather than a third-party "ABHA agent."

What If Your Personal Details Are Wrong?

Don't create a second ABHA simply because you notice a spelling mistake.

First determine which underlying identity information is incorrect and what correction mechanism the current ABHA service provides.

Creating multiple identities can create a bigger problem than the original spelling mistake.

Linking Health Records Later

You don't necessarily have to link every health record immediately.

A practical approach is:

Create ABHA

↓

Download/save the card

↓

Understand the consent options

↓

Link records when a participating facility/service actually requires or offers it

When a hospital asks you to link records, read the consent screen carefully.

Understand:

  • What records are being shared
  • With whom
  • For what purpose
  • For how long, where specified
Children and Dependents

Don't create an adult account for a child simply because you want to get the process finished quickly.

Follow the current portal's rules for children/guardians.

For a child, keep the account and health records associated with the correct person and the applicable guardian process.

The same principle applies to elderly parents:

Create the account in the person's name and keep their credentials/documentation organised.
A Family ABHA Evening

You can make this a simple household exercise.

For each adult:

  • ☐ Create/locate ABHA
  • ☐ Verify personal details
  • ☐ Download card
  • ☐ Save ABHA number
  • ☐ Note ABHA Address if applicable
  • ☐ Print a copy if useful
  • ☐ Store the digital copy securely

For parents or grandparents, explain what ABHA is actually for.

Don't tell them:

"This is your insurance card."

Instead:

"This is your digital health identity."
What If a Hospital Doesn't Use ABHA?

Not every healthcare facility necessarily participates in every ABDM capability.

If the hospital doesn't support ABHA workflows, follow the hospital's normal registration process.

For a planned visit, you can ask:

"Is this facility ABDM/ABHA enabled, and can you use my ABHA?"

For emergency treatment, don't delay medical care because a facility doesn't recognise or use ABHA.

ABHA is a digital health layer — not a prerequisite for receiving emergency medical attention.

Lost Your Phone?

Your ABHA isn't tied to the physical phone itself.

If you lose your phone:

  1. Secure the lost device/SIM.
  2. Recover access to your relevant accounts through official channels.
  3. Avoid giving your OTP to someone claiming to "recover" your ABHA.
  4. Download the card again when you regain authorised access.

Your phone is a tool for accessing the account, not the account itself.

Your ABHA Card Checklist

Create

  • ☐ Use official ABHA service
  • ☐ Complete supported authentication
  • ☐ Check personal details
  • ☐ Finish registration

Save

  • ☐ ABHA number
  • ☐ ABHA Address, if created
  • ☐ Card PDF
  • ☐ Secure backup

Use

  • ☐ Show it at participating facilities where relevant
  • ☐ Understand consent before linking records
  • ☐ Keep health information private

Protect

  • ☐ Don't share OTP
  • ☐ Don't post the QR publicly
  • ☐ Don't use unofficial ABHA websites
  • ☐ Don't create duplicate accounts unnecessarily
ABHA vs PM-JAY vs Health Insurance

Before visiting a hospital, know which document solves which problem.

ABHA

"Who am I in the digital health ecosystem?"

PM-JAY

"Am I eligible for government health coverage under this scheme?"

Private health insurance

"What does my insurance policy cover?"

One doesn't automatically replace the other.

Carry whichever documents apply to your situation.

What to Say at the Hospital Desk

If you're unsure whether a facility supports ABHA:

"Do you support ABHA/ABDM? If yes, can you use my ABHA for the digital health service?"

If the answer is no, follow the facility's normal registration procedure.

You don't need to argue about the technology.

How NetaSampark Helps

ABHA is a national digital-health system, but the questions citizens face at a hospital are often very local:

Does this facility support it?

What do I need to carry?

Is this ABHA, PM-JAY or insurance?

Who handles the problem if the digital process fails?

NetaSampark's citizen-service guides can help you navigate those distinctions without confusing one government service for another.

Be Informed. Be Heard.

Official resources

ABHA screens, authentication methods and supported services can change. Use the current instructions displayed on the official ABHA/ABDM services when creating or accessing an account. ABHA is a digital health identity and does not by itself establish eligibility for PM-JAY or private insurance coverage.