Citizen Services

PAN Card Status Check: Which Tracker to Use & What You Need

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There is no single PAN status page. Which one you use depends on how you applied. An Instant e-PAN application is tracked on the Income Tax e-Filing portal with your Aadhaar. An application made through Protean or UTIITSL is tracked on that agency’s site with an acknowledgement number. A separate tool checks whether an existing PAN is valid, and another checks whether it is linked to Aadhaar. This page tells you which is which.

Pick the right tracker

What you want to know Where to look What you need
Did my Instant e-PAN go through? e-Filing portal, Instant e-PAN > Check Status / Download e-PAN Aadhaar number and OTP
Where is my application made through Protean? Protean’s PAN status tracking page Acknowledgement number
Where is my application made through UTIITSL? UTIITSL’s own PAN site Acknowledgement number (see note below)
Is this PAN genuine, and do the details match? e-Filing portal, Verify Your PAN PAN, full name, date of birth, mobile number, OTP
Is my PAN linked with Aadhaar? e-Filing portal, Link Aadhaar Status PAN and Aadhaar number

Instant e-PAN

  1. On the e-Filing home page open Instant e-PAN in Quick Links.
  2. Choose Check Status / Download e-PAN.
  3. Enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number and the 6-digit OTP sent to your registered mobile.
  4. When the PAN is ready, the page shows View e-PAN and Download e-PAN.

If you have an e-Filing login, the same download is under Dashboard > Services > View / Download e-PAN. For the full application steps see apply for a new PAN online, and for downloading an existing one see download e-PAN.

Application made through Protean

The Income Tax Department’s page describes the tracker at tin.tin.proteantech.in. Pick PAN-New/Change Request in the Application Type menu, enter the acknowledgement number and submit., which is the option for new applications and change requests.

For UTIITSL, use the tracking option on the UTIITSL PAN website. The department’s page does not describe its labels, so follow what that site shows.

The acknowledgement number is issued when you submit the application, so keep the receipt. If you applied through an agent and never received it, ask the agent for it before doing anything else.

Verify Your PAN

This tool answers a different question: whether a PAN and its holder’s details check out. According to the department it needs four inputs, the PAN, full name, date of birth and mobile number, followed by an OTP and a Validate click. It is open to anyone before login, and it is useful when you have a PAN number from somebody else and want to confirm it, or when you want to confirm your own details before an important filing.

It does not show where a pending application is. Use it only when a PAN already exists.

If your concern is whether the PAN has been linked to Aadhaar, use the department’s Link Aadhaar Status page. The steps for linking and the Rs 1,000 fee for an inoperative PAN are in our Aadhaar-PAN link guide.

If the tracker shows nothing

  • Confirm you chose the tracker matching your route. Instant e-PAN is tracked on the e-Filing portal, and agency applications on the agency’s site.
  • For Protean, check that Application Type is PAN-New/Change Request, then retype the acknowledgement number slowly.
  • For Instant e-PAN, the OTP goes to the mobile linked to Aadhaar, so a changed or inactive number blocks you. The OTP is valid for 15 minutes with three attempts.
  • If the number is right and nothing appears, contact the agency you applied through and quote the acknowledgement number.

Status wording on the agency pages is theirs to define and can change, so read the whole message rather than one word. This page does not list status phrases because the department’s pages do not define them.

Do not pay for tracking

Checking status is free on the official pages above. Be careful with sites that ask for money to “find” or “speed up” your PAN, and never share your Aadhaar OTP with someone who offers to track an application for you.

Official sources

Details checked against the Income Tax Department’s pages on 5 October 2026. Back to the PAN services hub.

EasyApplications.in is an independent information site and is not affiliated with the Income Tax Department, Protean or UTIITSL. Confirm details on the official sites.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the status of a PAN application?

It depends on how you applied. For Instant e-PAN use Check Status / Download e-PAN on the e-Filing portal with your Aadhaar and OTP. For a Protean application use its status page, choose PAN-New/Change Request and enter your acknowledgement number.

Where do I find the acknowledgement number?

It is shown after you submit an application and, for Instant e-PAN, also sent by SMS to your Aadhaar-linked mobile. Keep that message or the receipt from the agency.

What does Verify Your PAN need?

The Income Tax Department's page says you enter the PAN, full name, date of birth and mobile number, then validate with an OTP. It is available before login.

How do I check whether my PAN is linked with Aadhaar?

Use the Link Aadhaar Status page on the e-Filing portal. It is separate from application tracking and works with your PAN and Aadhaar number.

My application shows nothing. What now?

Check that you picked the right tracker for how you applied and that the number is typed exactly. If it still shows nothing, contact the agency you applied through and quote the acknowledgement number.

Can I download my e-PAN from the status page?

For an Instant e-PAN application, yes. Once processed, the status page offers View e-PAN and Download e-PAN after Aadhaar OTP validation.

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