UDID Card & Disability Certificate 2026: Apply Online, 40% Rule, Documents & Status

Portal

swavlambancard.gov.in (free)

Disabilities covered

21 types under RPwD Act, 2016

Benchmark disability

At least 40% — needed for most reservation

Issued by

District medical authority / CMO-notified board

Earlier, each state issued paper disability certificates in different formats, and people had to carry many papers for every office. The UDID project replaced this with one national database. Your certificate and card carry a unique number that any department can verify online, so you do not need to prove your disability again and again. The certificate mentions the type of disability, its percentage and whether it is permanent or temporary. If it is temporary, it shows a re-assessment date. The 21 recognised conditions include locomotor disability, blindness, low vision, hearing impairment, speech and language disability, intellectual disability, autism, mental illness, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, dwarfism, acid attack victims, thalassemia, haemophilia, sickle cell disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, leprosy cured persons, specific learning disabilities, chronic neurological conditions and multiple disabilities.

With benchmark disability (40% or more) you can claim 4% reservation in government jobs and at least 5% reservation in government and aided higher-education seats under the RPwD Act. Many states pay a monthly disability pension, and the central government offers pre-matric, post-matric and top-class scholarships for students with disabilities through the National Scholarship Portal. Other common benefits include age relaxation and fee concession in recruitment exams, concessions in railway travel for eligible categories, assistive devices under the ADIP scheme and income tax deductions. Each scheme has its own rules, so read its notice, but almost all of them start by asking for the certificate or UDID number.

• ✓Any Indian resident with one of the 21 disabilities listed in the RPwD Act, 2016
• ✓There is no age limit — a parent or guardian can apply for a child
• ✓You apply to the medical authority of the district where you live (per your address proof)
• ✓For most reservations and pensions, the assessed disability must be 40% or more
• ✓If you already have an old paper certificate, you can still apply on the portal to get it linked to a UDID card

• ✓Recent passport-size photograph and signature or thumb impression (scanned)
• ✓Address proof such as Aadhaar card, voter ID or ration card
• ✓Identity proof — Aadhaar is the most commonly used
• ✓Existing disability certificate, if any
• ✓Old medical reports or prescriptions that help the board (carry originals to the assessment)

1. Open swavlambancard.gov.in and click 'Apply for Disability Certificate & UDID Card'
2. Fill personal details exactly as in Aadhaar, including name, date of birth and address
3. Choose the type of disability and select the hospital or medical authority in your district
4. Upload photo, signature and address proof, then submit to get an enrolment number
5. Wait for the SMS or call with your assessment date, and attend with original documents and reports
6. Track progress with 'Track Your Application' using the enrolment number
7. After approval, download the e-disability certificate and e-UDID card; the printed card is posted to you

There is no last date — you can apply at any time of the year. The RPwD rules expect the medical authority to decide applications in about a month, but the actual time depends on the district's camp schedule. If you need the certificate for a job form or scholarship, apply well before the closing date and keep the enrolment slip as interim proof where the notice allows it.

• ✓Name or date of birth not matching Aadhaar, which delays verification
• ✓Choosing a hospital outside the district of your address proof
• ✓Missing the assessment date — the application can be closed and you may need to apply again
• ✓Not checking the expiry date on a temporary certificate before applying for a scheme
• ✓Paying agents: the UDID application is free on the official portal