You can create your ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) number online, free of cost, on the official portal of the National Health Authority — abha.abdm.gov.in — by clicking “Create ABHA Number” and choosing either Aadhaar or Driving Licence as your identity document. ABHA is a 14-digit number that uniquely identifies you as a participant in India’s digital healthcare ecosystem and is accepted by healthcare providers across the country. Everything in this guide is verified from the official ABHA portal (National Health Authority, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare).
Create your ABHA here (official): abha.abdm.gov.in — Create ABHA Number
Key facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| What | ABHA — Ayushman Bharat Health Account, a 14-digit unique health ID |
| Run by | National Health Authority (NHA), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India |
| Mission | Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) |
| Portal | abha.abdm.gov.in |
| Creation options | Aadhaar or Driving Licence |
| Related service | ABHA Address (PHR) via phr.abdm.gov.in |
| Fee | Free — no fee mentioned on the official portal |
| Helpline | 1800-11-4477 (toll-free); email abdm[at]nha[dot]gov[dot]in |
Current status
The ABHA portal is live and creating accounts (checked 15 July 2026). The portal offers ABHA creation, ABHA login, “Find ABHA using mobile number”, a Facility Login for hospitals, and links to the ABHA mobile app.
Department and objective
ABHA is issued under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) by the National Health Authority. Its objective, as the portal puts it, is to be the “key to your digital healthcare journey” — one trusted identity that works across hospitals, labs and health programmes, so your health records can follow you digitally with your consent.
Benefits of an ABHA number (as listed on the official portal)
- Unique and trustable identity — one identity accepted across different healthcare providers in the ecosystem.
- Unified benefits — link healthcare benefits, from public health programmes to insurance schemes, to your ABHA number.
- Hassle-free access — avoid long registration queues at healthcare facilities across the country.
- Easy PHR sign-up — seamless registration for Personal Health Records (PHR) applications such as the ABDM ABHA application, for consent-based health data sharing.
Eligibility
Any individual who wants to participate in India’s digital health ecosystem can create an ABHA. You need either an Aadhaar (with its linked mobile for OTP) or a driving licence. Participation is voluntary — the portal’s FAQ section even covers voluntary opt-out, meaning you can also choose to deactivate later.
Exclusions
There are no excluded categories stated on the portal. ABHA is not a payment or subsidy card by itself — it is a health identity; benefits like insurance schemes are linked to it separately.
Documents required
- Aadhaar route: your Aadhaar number; OTP verification is part of the flow, so access to the Aadhaar-linked mobile number is needed.
- Driving Licence route: your driving licence details.
- A mobile number for communication and login.
No physical documents need to be uploaded or submitted anywhere for the standard online creation.
Fees
Creating an ABHA number on the official portal is free; no fee is mentioned anywhere on abha.abdm.gov.in. Do not pay third-party sites for “ABHA card registration”.
Deadlines
There is no deadline — ABHA creation is an ongoing, voluntary facility. No official deadline has been announced.
How to create your ABHA number online (step by step)
- Open the official portal: https://abha.abdm.gov.in/abha/v3/.
- Click the “Create ABHA Number” button.
- The portal asks you to choose one option to start creation:
- “Create your ABHA number using Aadhaar”, or
- “Create your ABHA number using Driving Licence”.
- Aadhaar route: enter your Aadhaar number, complete the OTP verification on your Aadhaar-linked mobile, and follow the on-screen consent and profile steps.
- Driving licence route: enter your driving licence details and follow the on-screen verification steps.
- Once created, note your 14-digit ABHA number and set up your login. You can then download/print your ABHA card from your account and also use the ABHA App (linked on the portal).
- Optionally, create an ABHA Address (like a health email ID for records) — the portal’s “ABHA Address” menu takes you to the official PHR portal at phr.abdm.gov.in.
Already have an ABHA?
Do not create a duplicate. Use “ABHA Login” on the portal, or the “Find ABHA using mobile number” option if you have forgotten your number.
Offline route
ABHA is designed as a self-service digital account. Many hospitals and health facilities that participate in ABDM can also help create your ABHA at their registration desks (the portal provides a separate Facility Login for providers). If you cannot complete it online yourself, ask at an ABDM-participating health facility.
Checking status and corrections
There is no “application status” to wait for — ABHA creation is instant on successful verification. To view or manage your account, log in at abha.abdm.gov.in. For profile issues, use your ABHA login; for complaints, the NHA runs an official Grievance Portal at grievance.abdm.gov.in. If your Aadhaar OTP fails because your mobile number is not linked to Aadhaar, that must be fixed with UIDAI first — it is an Aadhaar-side issue, not an ABHA-side one.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using unofficial “ABHA card download” websites or apps — only abha.abdm.gov.in and the official ABHA App are genuine.
- Attempting the Aadhaar route without access to the Aadhaar-linked mobile number (OTP will fail).
- Creating multiple ABHA numbers with different documents — one identity is the whole point; use Find ABHA/login instead.
- Confusing ABHA with the Ayushman (PMJAY) treatment entitlement card — ABHA is a health identity account; scheme entitlements are separate.
- Sharing your ABHA OTP with anyone — health records are consent-driven.
Helpline / contact (official)
- Toll-free number: 1800-11-4477
- Email: abdm[at]nha[dot]gov[dot]in
- Address: National Health Authority, 9th Floor, Tower-1, Jeevan Bharati Building, Connaught Place, New Delhi – 110 001
- Grievances: grievance.abdm.gov.in
What if the portal is down?
Try again after some time, or use the official ABHA App listed on the portal. Since there is no deadline for creating an ABHA, an outage costs you nothing except waiting. For persistent problems, call the toll-free helpline 1800-11-4477.
Information last verified: 15 July 2026
Sources
- https://abha.abdm.gov.in/abha/v3/
- https://abha.abdm.gov.in/abha/v3/register
- https://abdm.gov.in/
- https://phr.abdm.gov.in/
- https://grievance.abdm.gov.in/