E-Shram Card (NDUW)

The E-Shram Card is a government registration for workers in India's unorganised sector — daily wage workers, domestic help, street vendors, migrant labourers, farm workers, gig and platform workers, and similar occupations. It's run by the Ministry of Labour & Employment through the National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW), and it's completely free to register.

What You Actually Get

• A lifelong Universal Account Number (UAN) that never expires
• ₹2 lakh accidental death cover (₹1 lakh for partial disability), automatically included
• A single registration that acts as a gateway to a dozen-plus linked central welfare schemes over time, portable if you move to another state for work

Who Is (and Isn't) Eligible

You need to be between 16 and 59 years old, working in the unorganised sector, and — this is the part people miss — not a member of EPFO or ESIC, and not an income-tax payee. There's no income cut-off beyond that; a farm worker, a domestic worker, and a gig-economy delivery worker can all register the same way.

Two Common Mix-Ups Worth Clearing Up

An E-Shram card is not the same as a state Labour/BOCW (construction workers') card — that's a separate state-level registration for construction workers specifically, and having one doesn't replace the other; many construction workers benefit from holding both. It's also not the same as an Ayushman Bharat card — E-Shram is an identity/database registration, while Ayushman Bharat is a health insurance card; E-Shram can help you access certain linked schemes, but registering for it doesn't automatically issue you a health card.

Gig and Platform Workers Are Now Formally Covered

Delivery riders, cab drivers, and other gig or platform workers are now formally recognised as a worker category under India's labour code framework, extending them the same kind of protection — accident cover, and future access to health and old-age benefits — that other unorganised sector workers get through E-Shram. If you work through an app-based platform and assumed E-Shram was only for traditional daily-wage labour, it isn't — you're very much included.

Registration only takes a few minutes with your Aadhaar and mobile number, but if you'd rather have someone do it correctly on your behalf — especially if your Aadhaar-linked mobile isn't handy — we can complete it for you at any nearby CSC.

1. Check Your Eligibility — Confirm you're not an EPFO/ESIC member and not an income-tax payee.
2. Register on eshram.gov.in — Enter your Aadhaar-linked mobile number and complete OTP verification.
3. Fill Your Occupation Details — Provide your work category, address, and bank account details.
4. Get Your UAN — A lifelong Universal Account Number is generated instantly on successful registration.
5. Download Your Card — Your E-Shram card is available to download immediately after registration.

• Age 16 to 59
• Working in the unorganised sector (construction, domestic work, street vending, agriculture, gig/platform work, and similar)
• Not currently a member of EPFO or ESIC
• Not an income-tax payee