Aadhaar vs DigiLocker vs Offline KYC: Which to Use

Choose a verification route by starting with what your application needs to establish. Contact control, account authentication, document retrieval, and customer due diligence answer different questions.

A login can establish account control. Later in the journey, an approved document check can provide evidence for a particular decision. Keep those results separate in your application.

Compare the evidence routes

Route	What it can establish	What to confirm
Email or phone one-time code	Control of a contact channel during the check	Delivery, recovery, and abuse controls
Passkey	Control of an authentication credential	Account binding and recovery policy
DigiLocker requester workflow	Access to selected documents through the approved grant	Client approval, document permissions, and required verification checks
Aadhaar offline verification	Identity evidence in an applicable offline format	Current UIDAI rules, eligibility, consent, and signature validation
Aadhaar online authentication	Authentication under the applicable UIDAI route	Entitlement and responsibilities of the relevant participants
CKYC record retrieval	Registry evidence through an authorised workflow	Applicable regulatory access and use requirements

Choose the smallest evidence set that meets your purpose. For a receipt email, contact control may be sufficient. A licence-dependent task can require an issued document and dates. A regulated onboarding decision may require a defined combination of checks.

Separate offline Aadhaar from online authentication

UIDAI describes a digitally signed XML artifact for Paperless Offline e-KYC. The verifier follows the applicable rules for acquiring and validating the evidence. UIDAI Paperless Offline e-KYC.

Check the current Aadhaar Authentication and Offline Verification Regulations for the specific mode. They include registration provisions for the identified offline verification methods. UIDAI also publishes an Offline Verification Seeking Entity registration route. UIDAI regulations. UIDAI OVSE registration.

Online Aadhaar authentication follows a separate entitlement and integration model. Identify the approved participant and allowed purpose before designing the data flow. UIDAI legal framework.

Use DigiLocker for a specific document task

Choose a requester workflow where an issued document is the evidence you need. Define the requested type and purpose. Confirm your approved access before relying on availability.

A downloaded record can require checks for source, integrity, independent signature, and validity. Decide which checks the application needs and who resolves missing evidence. DigiLocker requester integration.

Build one decision record per task

In a synthetic rental flow, an email check completes account setup. Later, the selected driver supplies licence evidence. The operator checks the dates and policy at handover.

Store the email verification and the document result under their respective purposes. If the driver changes, create a new evidence request for that person. Keep the booking login and the driver decision independent.

For a fintech product, ask the regulated entity which identification route and evidence it accepts. Your retrieval result is one input in that process. DigiLocker in fintech KYC workflows.

Compare operation and privacy costs

List the application work, provider review, permission changes, user support, and evidence retention for each route. Include the approved fallback for users who cannot finish the primary path.

Check what data each party receives. Decide which fields are necessary before building the storage model. Review access and deletion for any retained records.

Follow the relevant Aadhaar mode

The Aadhaar application and verifiable-credential guide covers that mode's actors and checks. The SHA-256 migration guide concerns a separate authentication integration. Neither should be treated as instructions for the offline XML parser.

Choose a route with NamoID

NamoID engineers can help separate sign-in and verification decisions and review the boundaries of the controlled driving licence preview. Share your stack, required evidence, and a synthetic user journey in Slack. Message the NamoID team in Slack