How to link Aadhaar to IRCTC account for booking train Tatkal tickets from July 1? A step-by-step guide

From July 1, train passengers will not be able to book their train tickets without getting aadhaar authentication. A railway circular dated June 10 said that tickets under the Tatkal scheme can be booked through the website of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) or its app only by Aadhaar authenticated users.

In other words, if you want to do the tatkal booking, you need to first get the aadhaar authentication.

From July 15 onwards, Aadhaar-based OTP authentication will also be made compulsory for Tatkal bookings. IRCTC is urging the users to link their Aadhaar details with their IRCTC accounts. This will streamline the process of booking train tickets. This verification is aimed to enhance security and convenience for travellers.

“Tatkal tickets shall be available for booking through computerised PRS (Passenger Reservation System) counters of Indian Railways/authorized agents only after authentication of a system-generated OTP, which shall be sent through the system on the mobile number furnished by the users at the time of booking. This shall also be implemented by 15/07/2025,” the ministry said in its notification.

This is how you can follow the process.

Authenticate your aadhaar: A step-by-step guide

1. Sign in to your IRCTC account.

2. Go to ‘My Account’ and select authenticate user.

3. Authenticate user page will appear where user’s profile details will be populated.

4. You can now submit an Aadhaar number or virtual ID and click on verify details and receive the OTP button.

5. Now you can submit OTP received on a mobile number linked with submitted Aadhaar.

6. Read and select the consent checkbox and then click on submit button to authenticate the details with Aadhaar.

7. On successful authentication, a confirmation message will be displayed.

8. If there is unsuccessful authentication, an alert message will be displayed. In those cases, train ticket users are supposed to check the details again and try again.

For all personal finance updates, visit here