Imagine this — you are in a new city, your health suddenly worsens, and the doctor needs your old reports, your medicine history and details of your previous treatment. But your files are lying at home, your reports are scattered across different hospitals, and the doctor has no record of your medical past. Treatment gets delayed, and sometimes the wrong medicine is even prescribed. The answer to this problem is the ABHA Card — the Government of India’s digital health ID that brings all your health information together in one place.
In this article, we give you complete and up-to-date information about the ABHA Card in 2026 — what it is, how it differs from the Ayushman Card, what its benefits are, how to create it online with Aadhaar OTP, how to download it, how to change your mobile number, and what to do if the OTP does not arrive or you forget your ABHA number. We also explain in detail the biggest update of 2026 — the shutdown of the ABHA app and the arrival of Aarogya Setu 2.0. Read the article till the end, because at the end we have also answered the questions people ask most often.
ABHA Card 2026 — Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Card name | ABHA Card (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) |
| ABHA number | A unique 14-digit digital health ID |
| Mission | Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) |
| Launched nationally | 27 September 2021 |
| Run by | National Health Authority (NHA), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare |
| Cost | Completely free — creation, download and use |
| Is it insurance? | No — it is only a health records ID, not health insurance |
| Ways to create | Aadhaar OTP, driving licence, mobile number, app, or offline centres |
| ABHA Address | A PHR address like name@abdm — used to share records |
| Total ABHA accounts | 90 crore+ (as of 30 May 2026) |
| Records linked | 119.95 crore (as of 17 September 2026) |
| Verified facilities | 5.78 lakh |
| Healthcare professionals | 11 lakh |
| Official portal | abha.abdm.gov.in |
| App (2026) | Aarogya Setu 2.0 (the standalone ABHA app closed on 31 October 2026) |
What Is the ABHA Card?
ABHA stands for Ayushman Bharat Health Account. It is a unique 14-digit digital health ID that lets you link all your health records — doctor’s prescriptions, lab reports, hospital discharge summaries and medicine details — in one place, and share them with a doctor or hospital with your consent whenever needed. It is part of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), which was launched nationally on 27 September 2021 and is run by the National Health Authority (NHA).
The ABHA Card is completely voluntary — creating one is your own choice — and it costs nothing. Creation, download and use are all completely free. Any Indian citizen or resident can create one. There is no condition of income, caste or insurance, and no age limit — for children, a parent or guardian can create an ABHA.
One thing must be understood very clearly — the ABHA Card is not health insurance. It does not give you free treatment or any money cover. Its only job is to bring your health information together digitally in one place, so that whenever you visit a doctor, your complete medical history is available to them at once. Covering the cost of treatment is the job of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), that is, the Ayushman scheme, which is different from ABHA.
ABHA Card vs Ayushman Card — What Is the Difference?
Many people confuse the ABHA Card with the Ayushman Card, but the two are completely different things. Understanding this difference is very important, because many people create an ABHA expecting free treatment, which is not correct.
ABHA Card — Only a Health Records ID
The ABHA Card is only a digital number for your identity, to which your health records are linked. It does not pay for your treatment. It only gives you the facility of keeping your records together in one place and sharing them with a doctor of your choice.
Ayushman Card (PM-JAY / Golden Card) — Free Treatment up to ₹5 Lakh
The Ayushman Card is issued under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY). It gives eligible families free hospitalisation treatment of up to ₹5 lakh per family per year. It is an insurance-like cover, while ABHA is only an ID. If you want an Ayushman Card, you need an ABHA number — in other words, ABHA is one step towards getting an Ayushman Card, but it is not the Ayushman Card itself. To read the full process of making an Ayushman Card, see our guide: How to Make an Ayushman Card — Complete Guide.
Ayushman Vay Vandana for Citizens Aged 70 and Above
All citizens aged 70 years or above — whatever their income — get free treatment of up to ₹5 lakh per year under PM-JAY. This facility is known as Ayushman Vay Vandana. This is not a 2026 launch — the Union Cabinet approved it on 11 September 2024, and cards started being issued from 29 October 2024. Senior citizens also need an ABHA number to download their Ayushman Card, so for people above 70, creating an ABHA becomes even more important.
Where Do Your Records Stay? There Is No Central Database
The biggest question people have about ABHA is whether the government will hold all their health information in one place. The answer is — no. Under ABDM, no central database is created in which your records are stored. Your health records stay with the hospital, lab or clinic where they were created. ABDM only builds a secure path through which you can send your records from one place to another with your consent.
Sharing a record needs your explicit consent. This consent is given through a Consent Manager, and you can withdraw it at any time. Consent is time-bound — you decide which doctor can see which records and for how long. Without your consent, nobody can see your records.
Benefits of the ABHA Card
1. All Records in One Place
Reports from different hospitals and labs are linked in one place. There is no need to carry a new file or old reports every time. The doctor gets your complete medical history in one click.
2. Faster Hospital Registration — Scan & Share
With ABDM’s Scan & Share facility, you do not have to stand in a long queue for OPD registration at a hospital. Scanning the QR code displayed at the hospital completes your registration at once. This facility started on 6 October 2022. Earlier, OPD registration took on average about 1 hour; now the same work is done in 2 to 5 minutes. By 18 June 2026, 23.21 crore ABHA-linked tokens had been created through this facility.
3. Your History Travels With You When You Change Doctors
If you move to another city or choose a new doctor, your old medicines, allergies and illness history still reach the new doctor at once. This reduces the risk of wrong medicine being prescribed and treatment starts faster.
4. Digital Prescriptions and Smart Reports
The Aarogya Setu 2.0 app offers ABHA-linked facilities — digital prescriptions, smart reports, finding hospitals, booking appointments and teleconsultation. In addition, the Unified Health Interface (UHI) is connecting services such as appointments, blood bank search, PM-JAY hospital search, Jan Aushadhi centres and ambulance services in one place.
5. Needed for the Ayushman Card
As explained above, an ABHA number is needed to create and download an Ayushman Card under PM-JAY. So if you or anyone in your family wants to take the benefit of the Ayushman scheme, it is wise to create an ABHA first.
ABHA Card 2026 Statistics — How Many People Have Made One?
ABHA has been adopted across the country on a massive scale. According to official figures, more than 90 crore ABHA accounts had been created by 30 May 2026. This growth has been very fast — 14.7 crore in 2021, 30.4 crore in 2022, 50.6 crore in 2023, 72.2 crore in 2024, 84.5 crore in 2025, and the 90-crore mark crossed in 2026. By 17 September 2026, the number of ABHA IDs had reached 97.61 crore and the health records linked to them had reached 119.95 crore.
| Year | ABHA Accounts (in crore) |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 14.7 |
| 2022 | 30.4 |
| 2023 | 50.6 |
| 2024 | 72.2 |
| 2025 | 84.5 |
| 2026 (till 30 May) | 90+ |
Among states, Uttar Pradesh leads with 15.3 crore ABHA accounts. Rajasthan and Maharashtra follow with 7.1 crore each, Bihar with 6.3 crore and West Bengal with 5.9 crore. Women hold 49.75% of ABHA accounts — nearly half of all ABHAs belong to women. By 17 September 2026, 5.78 lakh verified health facilities and 11 lakh healthcare professionals had joined ABDM. These figures show that ABHA is no longer just a scheme — it has become the foundation of the country’s digital health system.
The Biggest Update of 2026: ABHA App Closed, Aarogya Setu 2.0 Arrived
If you used the ABHA app earlier, this information is the most important for you. The standalone ABHA app was discontinued from 31 October 2026. This does not mean that your ABHA number or your records are gone — your ABHA number and its linked records are completely safe and unaffected. Only the app has changed.
Now all ABHA-related facilities are available in the Aarogya Setu 2.0 app. Aarogya Setu 2.0 was launched on 29 June 2026 by Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda. It is a unified PHR (Personal Health Records) app, offering ABHA creation and management, Scan & Register, smart reports, the PM-JAY wallet, teleconsultation and in-person appointment booking, facility discovery and e-RaktKosh blood availability. If your phone still has the old ABHA app, remove it, download Aarogya Setu 2.0, and log in with the same ABHA number.
In addition, the Unified Health Interface (UHI) was also launched in June 2026, through which services such as appointment booking, blood bank search, PM-JAY hospital search, Jan Aushadhi centre information, ambulance and doctor consultation have started coming together in one place.
How to Create an ABHA Card Online — Step-by-Step Guide
There are several ways to create an ABHA. The fastest and easiest is the Aadhaar OTP method. The steps for every method are given below — choose whichever suits you.
Method 1 — With Aadhaar OTP (Fastest, KYC-Verified)
This is the best method, because your ABHA is created KYC-verified at once and you get the 14-digit ABHA number immediately.
- Open the official portal abha.abdm.gov.in on your mobile or computer.
- Click on “Create ABHA Number”.
- Enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number and proceed.
- An OTP will come to the mobile number linked with your Aadhaar — enter it.
- Now enter your communication mobile number (the number on which you want to receive information).
- Create your ABHA Address — for example, yourname@abdm.
- As soon as you submit, your 14-digit ABHA number will be created and shown on the screen. Note it down and keep it safe.
Remember — the OTP goes to the mobile number linked with your Aadhaar, not to the number you are currently using. If the Aadhaar-linked number is old or switched off, first get it updated through UIDAI.
Method 2 — With a Driving Licence
If you do not have an Aadhaar, or the Aadhaar OTP is not coming, you can also create an ABHA with a driving licence (DL).
- On the portal, in Create ABHA Number, choose the Driving Licence option.
- Enter your mobile number and verify it with OTP.
- Fill in your details — name, date of birth, gender, address and so on.
- Enter your driving licence number. You will get an enrolment number.
- After this, you must visit a participating health facility with your original driving licence for in-person verification.
- Once verification is complete, your ABHA number will be created.
Method 3 — With Mobile Number Only (Understand This Important Difference)
You can also create an ABHA Address with only a mobile number, but there is a very important point here that many websites get wrong. The mobile-number route creates only an ABHA Address (like name@abdm) — it does not give you a 14-digit ABHA number, and it is not KYC-verified. In other words, through the mobile-only route you get an ABHA Address, but to get the full 14-digit ABHA number you must later verify with Aadhaar OTP or a driving licence. So if any website claims that a 14-digit ABHA number can be created with only a mobile number, that is wrong.
In this method, you only need to give your mobile number and basic details — name, date of birth, gender and PIN code. It is useful for people who do not yet have an Aadhaar or a DL but want to start linking their records with an ABHA Address.
Method 4 — Through an App (Aarogya Setu 2.0, UMANG, PHR Apps)
You can also create an ABHA through the Aarogya Setu 2.0 app, the UMANG app, or any ABDM-enabled PHR app. In the app, choose the ABHA creation option, verify with Aadhaar OTP or mobile, and complete the steps given above. Remember — the old ABHA app is now closed, so do not download the ABHA app; use Aarogya Setu 2.0 instead.
Method 5 — Offline (Hospital, CSC, Aadhaar Seva Kendra)
If you cannot create an ABHA online, it can also be made offline. You can get an ABHA made with Aadhaar OTP at a government hospital registration counter, an Ayushman Arogya Mandir (Health & Wellness Centre), a CSC (Common Service Centre) or an Aadhaar Seva Kendra. The staff there will help you. Do carry your Aadhaar card and your Aadhaar-linked mobile with you.
How to Download the ABHA Card (PDF)
After your ABHA number is created, you can download your ABHA Card as a PDF. This card is proof of your digital health ID — it carries your name, your 14-digit ABHA number, your ABHA Address and a QR code.
- Open the official portal abha.abdm.gov.in.
- Log in with your mobile number, Aadhaar number or ABHA number and enter the OTP.
- After logging in, open your profile.
- Click on “Download ABHA Card” — your card will download as a PDF.
- Take a printout and keep it safe, and also save a copy on your phone.
The QR code printed on the card is used for Scan & Share at hospitals, so keeping a printout or a saved copy on your phone is useful.
What Is an ABHA Address (PHR Address)?
An ABHA Address is also called a PHR Address. It is an address like your name — for example, yourname@abdm. It works like a UPI ID: just as money is sent through a UPI ID, health records are sent and received through an ABHA Address. When you give your ABHA Address at a hospital or lab, or scan your QR code, your records get linked to that address.
You can also change your ABHA Address by going to Profile Settings on the portal or app. But remember — changing the ABHA Address does not change your 14-digit ABHA number. The number always stays the same; only the address changes.
How to Link Records at a Hospital Using ABHA
ABHA gives its real benefit when you connect it with hospitals and labs. The method is very simple. When you visit an ABDM-enabled hospital or lab, tell them your ABHA number or ABHA Address, or get your ABHA Card’s QR code scanned. After that, the hospital will link your records to your ABHA with your consent.
Before linking records, your consent will be asked through the Consent Manager — you decide which records, to whom, and for how long they are shown. You can withdraw this consent at any time. Without your consent, no hospital or doctor can see your records.
Changing Your Mobile Number, Forgetting Your ABHA Number, Deactivation and Deletion
How to Change Your Mobile Number
If your mobile number has changed, log in to the portal, go to Profile and update your mobile number. An OTP will come to the new number — enter it and the number will change. If your old number is lost or switched off, do not worry — you can log in with your ABHA ID or Aadhaar number and then add the new number.
Forgot Your ABHA Number?
If you have forgotten your 14-digit ABHA number, use the “Forgot ABHA Number” option on the portal. Enter your mobile number, Aadhaar number or driving licence, verify with OTP, and your ABHA number will be sent to you by SMS.
Deactivate vs Delete — Understand the Difference
There are two ways to close an ABHA, and the difference between them is very big. Deactivation means a temporary pause — your ABHA is stopped for some time, but later you can start (reactivate) it again. It is reversible, meaning it can be brought back.
Deletion means permanent removal — it is irreversible, meaning once deleted, it cannot be brought back. After deletion, your ABHA is unlinked from your records within about 7 days. But remember — the records already held by hospitals are not erased. Those records stay with the hospital. So take the decision to delete only after thinking carefully.
Eligibility and Documents Required
Eligibility for ABHA is very simple — any Indian citizen or resident can create one. There is no condition of income, caste or insurance, and no age limit. For children, their parent or guardian can create an ABHA (this information is based on secondary sources, so when creating an ABHA for a child, do check the latest conditions given on the portal).
For documents, the Aadhaar OTP method needs only an Aadhaar card and the Aadhaar-linked mobile number. The driving licence method needs a DL and a mobile number. The mobile-only method needs only a mobile number and basic details — name, date of birth, gender and PIN code. An ABHA cannot be made with a PAN card, voter ID or passport — only Aadhaar or a driving licence is valid identity proof.
Common Problems and Solutions (Troubleshooting)
OTP Is Not Arriving
The most common problem is that the OTP does not arrive. The biggest reason is that the OTP goes to the mobile number linked with your Aadhaar, not to the number you are currently using. If the Aadhaar-linked number is old or switched off, the OTP will never arrive. The solution is — first update your mobile number through the UIDAI website myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in or by visiting the nearest Aadhaar enrolment centre. Only after the mobile is updated will the OTP arrive.
Mobile Number Is Not Linked With Aadhaar at All
If no mobile number is linked with your Aadhaar at all, the Aadhaar OTP method will not work. In that case, you can use the driving licence method or the mobile-only method. Or first get your mobile number linked with Aadhaar through UIDAI and then create an ABHA.
“ABHA Already Exists” / Duplicate Message
If the portal says your ABHA already exists, do not create a second one at all. One person should have only one ABHA. Instead, find your old ABHA number through the “Forgot ABHA Number” option on the portal — after OTP verification with your mobile, Aadhaar or DL, the number will be sent by SMS.
Name Mismatch / Wrong Name
If your name in ABHA is wrong or does not match Aadhaar, the problem is not in ABHA but in Aadhaar. The name in ABHA comes from Aadhaar itself. So first get your name corrected in Aadhaar through UIDAI; only after that will the correct name show in ABHA.
Forgot Your ABHA Number
As explained above, use the “Forgot ABHA Number” option on the portal — after OTP verification with your mobile, Aadhaar or DL, you can get your number by SMS.
Official Links
- ABHA official portal: abha.abdm.gov.in
- Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission: abdm.gov.in
- Aadhaar mobile update (UIDAI): myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in
- Ayushman Card guide (GramSuvidha): How to Make an Ayushman Card
- Rajasthan Chiranjeevi scheme (GramSuvidha): Mukhyamantri Chiranjeevi Yojana 2026
ABHA Card 2026 — Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. What is the ABHA Card and what is it used for?
The ABHA Card is a 14-digit digital health ID that links all your health records — reports, prescriptions and discharge summaries — in one place. You can share them with any doctor or hospital with your consent. It is part of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).
2. Does the ABHA Card give free treatment of ₹5 lakh?
No. The ABHA Card is not health insurance and it does not pay for treatment. Free treatment of up to ₹5 lakh comes from the Ayushman Card under PM-JAY. ABHA is only a health records ID, although an ABHA number is needed to get an Ayushman Card.
3. How do I create an ABHA Card online?
Go to the official portal abha.abdm.gov.in, choose “Create ABHA Number”, enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number, verify with the OTP sent to your Aadhaar-linked mobile, enter your communication mobile and create an ABHA Address (name@abdm) — your 14-digit ABHA number is created instantly.
4. Can a 14-digit ABHA number be created with only a mobile number?
No. With only a mobile number, only an ABHA Address (name@abdm) is created — you do not get a 14-digit ABHA number and it is not KYC-verified. Aadhaar OTP or driving licence verification is needed to get the full 14-digit ABHA number.
5. The ABHA app has closed — what should I do now?
The standalone ABHA app was discontinued from 31 October 2026. Now use the Aarogya Setu 2.0 app — it offers ABHA creation and management, Scan & Register, smart reports and the PM-JAY wallet. Your ABHA number and records are completely safe; they are not affected.
6. How do I download my ABHA Card?
Log in at abha.abdm.gov.in with your mobile, Aadhaar or ABHA number, enter the OTP, open your profile and click “Download ABHA Card” — the card downloads as a PDF. It carries your name, 14-digit number, ABHA Address and QR code.
7. The OTP is not arriving — what should I do?
The OTP goes to the number linked with your Aadhaar, not to your current number. If the Aadhaar-linked number is old or switched off, first update your mobile number at myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in or at an Aadhaar enrolment centre. Only after that will the OTP arrive.
8. Is creating an ABHA Card compulsory, and is it free?
Creating an ABHA is completely voluntary, but it is fully free — creation, download and use cost nothing. It is also needed for the Ayushman Card, so creating one is useful.
Disclaimer: This article is for information only. GramSuvidha is a private information portal, not a government website. For the latest and correct information about ABHA, always check the official portals abha.abdm.gov.in or abdm.gov.in.
