NSDL Protean PAN eKYC & eSign — Error Codes, Causes and Resolutions

How to use this Knowledge Base

1. Look up the error code returned by the system (or read the short description shown to the user).

2. Find the matching section below (eKYC / eSign / Form / File upload / System / Status / Login).

3. Follow the Cause → Resolution steps in order.

4. If the final step says to escalate, raise a support ticket and include the screenshot + Transaction ID.

1) eKYC (EKYC_) — Authentication, OTP, biometric, address issues

EKYC008 — Biometric authentication failed at UIDAI end

• Cause: Fingerprint/biometric not captured/poor capture or UIDAI mismatch.

• Resolution: Ask applicant to re-capture fingerprint with clean finger, correct placement; use supported biometric device (Morpho/Mantra/Precision); retry. If repeated, switch to physical mode with scanned documents.

EKYC009 / EKYC010 / EKYC011 / EKYC040 / OTPMSG2 — OTP issues (not received / invalid / expired / attempts left)

• Cause: Wrong mobile/email on Aadhaar, OTP expiry (10 min), attempts exceeded.

• Resolution: Verify OTP destination on Aadhaar; ask user to click Resend OTP; ensure correct OTP within 10 minutes; if attempts exhausted, advise fresh PAN application.

EKYC013 — Mobile/email not registered with UIDAI (cannot proceed with KYC mode)

• Cause: Aadhaar doesn't have mobile/email registered.

• Resolution: Ask applicant to use physical PAN application (upload docs) or update Aadhaar mobile/email at UIDAI then reapply.

EKYC027 — Aadhaar address length exceeds PAN form limit

• Cause: Aadhaar address longer than PAN form accepts (eKYC address truncation).

• Resolution: Process application via scanned documents + eSign (physical mode) — initiate a fresh transaction ID and upload required POA/POI.

EKYC028 — Invalid / non-ASCII characters in address

• Cause: Non-ASCII characters in Aadhaar address (special or Unicode chars).

• Resolution: Use physical mode with scanned documents or correct/address mapping; reinitiate with new TXN.

EKYC039 / EKYC002 / EKYC003 / EKYC001 — UIDAI / connection / parsing / timeout errors

• Cause: UIDAI or network timeouts / connection errors.

• Resolution: Retry after short wait; if persistent, collect screenshot & TXN and escalate to Protean Support.

2) eSign (ESP_) — eSign / e-PAN / eSign OTP & name mismatch

ESP035 — eSign name does not match Aadhaar / application name

• Cause: Applicant name on eSign response != name in application/Aadhaar.

• Resolution: Confirm name spelling/case/title on Aadhaar and application. If different, re-initiate with exact Aadhaar name or use physical PAN application (upload documents). Advise fresh application.

ESP009 / ESP010 / ESP046 / ESP042 / ESP043 — eSign OTP / PDF / image / generation issues

• Cause: OTP exhausted / invalid / PDF generation failure / image compression failure.

• Resolution: Regenerate OTP if attempts left; re-upload photo/sign with correct specs; re-initiate application if PDF generation fails. If persists, escalate with error screenshot.

ESP015 / ESP019 / ESP020 — Session or duplicate processing

• Cause: Session expired or application already processed.

• Resolution: Re-login, check Transaction status, and follow status instructions (or start fresh application if expired).

3) Form & Validation (FRM_, PAN) — missing/invalid fields

FRM012 / FRM032 / FRM031 — DOB / Gender / Invalid

• Cause: Missing/invalid date format or impossible date.

• Resolution: Ensure DOB in correct format (DD-MM-YYYY), valid date, and age rules (minor cannot use eKYC). If minor, use physical mode.

PAN0001 / PAN0002 — PAN field mandatory / invalid PAN

• Cause: PAN missing or incorrect format.

• Resolution: Ask user to enter correct PAN (format: 5 letters + 4 digits + 1 letter) or leave blank if not applicable per request type. For PAN CR, mandatory PAN must be valid.

FRM056 — On verification PAN already issued against provided Aadhaar

• Cause: Aadhaar already seeded with another PAN or PAN already issued.

• Resolution: Verify PAN–Aadhaar linkage; if user claims otherwise, advise waiting 48–72 hours for recent allotment or contact tininfo@nsdl.co.in with proof. For duplicate seeds, follow ITD instructions.

FRM083 / FRM084 / FRM085 — Aadhaar / parent name rules

• Cause: Missing required parent name fields or Aadhaar linked conflicts.

• Resolution: Complete mandatory parent fields as per form rules; if Aadhaar already seed issues appear, escalate to Protean/ITD.

FRM007 / FRM011 — eKYC/eSign not available for minors / certain categories

• Cause: Some categories cannot use eKYC (e.g., minors).

• Resolution: Use physical PAN application with documents.

4) File upload / photo / signature (FUS_) — size/format problems

FUS001 / FUS002 / FUS004 / FUS005 / FUS006 / FUS008 / FUS009 / FUS012 / FUS014

• Cause: Missing file, size too large (>50 KB for photo/sign spec listed), wrong file type, resolution too small (<130x160 for photo, <180x80 for signature), password-protected PDF, >300 KB/page.

• Resolution steps:

  1. Re-scan/resize image to match specs (format: jpg/jpeg/png/gif for photo/sign; pdf for docs).

  2. Photo min resolution ≥130x160; signature ≥180x80.

  3. File size per page ≤300 KB.

  4. Remove PDF password protection.

  5. Re-upload and re-submit.

5) System / Server / API (EX_, APP_, JWT_, IX_, I-*) — backend exceptions

EX00xx / EX0055 / EX0023 etc. — generic system errors

• Cause: System exceptions (DB, FTP, OTP generation, UIDAI, PDF gen).

• Resolution: Retry once after short wait. If persists, collect screenshot, Transaction ID, timestamp, and escalate to Protean Support with the error text.

APP014 / APP015 / JWT003 / JWT006 — Session / token expired or missing headers

• Cause: Invalid/expired token or missing request header values.

• Resolution: Ask user to re-login; ensure client sends required headers (clientID, apiKey, mobileOs, appVersion). For API clients, check header formation and token refresh logic.

6) Status / Processing (SP_, PENDING, IX001, I-FRM###)

SP001 — Application rejected by IT Department

• Cause: ITD rejected application (discrepancy or missing docs).

• Resolution: Review rejection reason from status pull; request applicant to provide required proof or correct data and reapply.

SP002 / SP023 / SP027 — Duplicate / on hold / pending with Protean

• Cause: Duplicate application detected or hold due to special characters or verification.

• Resolution: If duplicate, do not re-submit; follow Protean hold process. For special characters, correct fields and re-submit.

I-FRM056 / I-FRM004 / I-FRM084 / I-FRM085 — incomplete flows with Aadhaar / PAN mismatch or seeding conflicts

• Cause: Aadhaar authentication failed; Aadhaar already seeded or PAN already seeded.

• Resolution: Ask user to verify Aadhaar/Aadhaar details; if PAN already linked, advise contacting ITD/NSDL or follow the instructions given in rejection message.

7) Biometric / Device & Geo errors

EKYC043 / EKYC041 — unsupported biometric device or outdated RD service

• Cause: User not using supported device or RD service outdated.

• Resolution: Use a supported device (Morpho/Mantra/Precision) and ensure latest biometric RD drivers/service installed.

GLA002 — Geolocation denied

• Cause: Browser/device geolocation permission denied.

• Resolution: Instruct user to enable geolocation for the browser/app and retry.

8) Branch / Agent / Billing (BCD_, BMO_, APP059, ESP051, ESP052)

BCD/BCF/BMO / Account balance / Billing errors

• Cause: Branch/agent not registered, OTP attempts exhausted for branch registration, or billing balance insufficient.

• Resolution: For branch code issues, contact PSA HO to obtain branch code. For billing/low balance, top up entity balance; ensure entity present in billing table.

Quick reference — Most common codes & one-line fixes

• EKYC040 / EKYC017 / EKYC018 — OTP invalid / attempts exhausted → resend OTP / reinitiate application.

• ESP035 — eSign name mismatch → confirm Aadhaar name, reapply or use physical docs.

• FUS004 / FUS005 / FUS006 — image size/format → re-scan to required size/format.

• FRM056 — PAN already issued against Aadhaar → wait 48–72 hrs or contact tininfo@nsdl.co.in.

• EX00xx / EX003x — system exception → retry then escalate with TXN & screenshot.

• PAN0002 — invalid PAN → correct PAN format in application.

• GLA002 — geolocation denied → enable geolocation.

When to escalate to Protean Support (include these items)

• Persistent system errors (EX00xx) after 2 retries.

• UIDAI errors that persist (UIDAI unreachable, continuous UIDAI parsing errors).

• eSign PDF generation failures repeated (ESP042/ESP043).

• Biometric device incompatibility even after switching devices.
  Always include: Transaction ID, Acknowledgement number (if any), timestamp, exact error text, and a screenshot of the error screen.

Example agent response templates (short)

• OTP invalid: “The OTP is valid for 10 minutes. Please click Resend OTP and enter it within 10 minutes. If you’ve exhausted attempts, you’ll need to start a fresh application.”

• Photo/Signature error: “Please re-scan your photo at minimum 130x160 px and signature at minimum 180x80 px; use JPG/JPEG/PNG and keep file sizes small (<300 KB/page). Then re-upload and submit.”

• eSign name mismatch: “Your application name does not match Aadhaar. Please re-enter the exact name as on Aadhaar or apply via physical mode with supporting documents.”

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