Start with Aadhaar, because most other offices accept it as proof of your new address. Next update your bank and PAN-linked accounts, transfer the gas connection, close utilities at the old home and set up broadband at the new one. Then do voter ID, driving licence and vehicle RC. Your passport stays valid, so its address can wait until reissue.
- Sort out proof of the new address first, usually a registered rent agreement, sale deed or a utility bill in your name.
- Update Aadhaar early, since banks, gas distributors and most portals accept it for their own records.
- A vehicle kept in another state for more than 12 months has to be re-registered there.
- Your passport stays valid after a move; the address changes only when you apply for a reissue.
Which record should you update first?
Aadhaar comes first, and before that you need a document that proves the new address. Nearly every bank, insurer and government portal asks for address proof, and once Aadhaar shows the new one you can use it almost everywhere else. Try the bank or the gas agency before Aadhaar and you'll often be sent away to find another document.
So the real starting point is paperwork for the new home. Owners can use the registered sale deed. Tenants usually do best with a registered rent or leave and licence agreement, which many offices accept, and a recent electricity, water, gas or broadband bill in your own name helps too. An unregistered agreement, or a bill that's still in the landlord's name, gets turned down more often than people expect.
After that, a sensible order is:
- Aadhaar, as the base document
- Bank accounts, then PAN-linked investments and your income tax profile
- Gas, electricity, water and broadband, which run on billing cycles and deposits
- Voter ID, driving licence and vehicle RC
- School records, insurance, EPF, post and delivery apps
Don't expect to finish in a weekend. Some requests take a few weeks to process, and a couple can't start until another is done. Keep one folder, on paper or on your phone, with copies of the address proof, your ID and a passport-size photo, because you'll need them again and again. On our household moves we suggest setting that folder aside before packing starts, since a file of papers taped into a carton of books is very hard to find later.
The address change checklist at a glance
Use this table as a working list. Rules, forms and fees change, so treat the "what you usually need" column as a guide and confirm on the official portal before you apply.
| Document or account | Where to update | What you usually need | When to do it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aadhaar | myAadhaar portal (UIDAI) or an Aadhaar enrolment centre | Proof of address in your name; a linked mobile number for online requests | First, once you have address proof |
| Bank accounts, cards and loans | Net banking, the bank's app or any branch | Updated Aadhaar or another KYC document, or a self-declaration where the bank allows it | First two weeks |
| PAN-linked records | Income tax e-filing profile, your broker or depository participant, mutual fund KYC | Updated Aadhaar or address proof | Right after the bank |
| LPG connection | Current distributor, then a distributor of the same oil company near the new home | Consumer number, subscription voucher, termination or transfer papers | Before moving day |
| Electricity and water | Power distribution company and the municipal water department | Final meter reading and paid bill; sale deed for a name change | Last week at the old home, first weeks at the new one |
| Broadband and DTH | Provider's app or customer care | Account ID, new address, equipment to return if closing | 1–2 weeks before moving |
| Voter ID | Voters' services portal or the Voter Helpline app | EPIC number, address proof, recent photo | Once settled, well before any election |
| Passport | Passport Seva, at the time of reissue | Current passport and proof of the new address | When you next reissue |
| Driving licence | Sarathi services on the Parivahan portal | Licence and address proof | Soon after the move |
| Vehicle RC | Vahan services on Parivahan; the RTO in the new state for interstate moves | RC, insurance, PUC, address proof, NOC if changing state | Address within 30 days; new state registration within 12 months |
| School records | Old school, then the new school | Transfer certificate, report card, countersignature or migration certificate if asked | Before leaving the old city |
| Insurance | Insurer's app or customer care | Policy number and address proof | First month |
| EPF | EPFO member portal | UAN and current KYC details | When your job or bank details change |
| Post and deliveries | Old post office, shopping and food apps, subscriptions | Old and new address | The week you move |
Write the request or acknowledgement number next to each item as you go. If something hasn't updated in the promised time, that number is the first thing any helpdesk will ask you for.
Aadhaar, bank accounts and PAN-linked records
You can change the Aadhaar address online on UIDAI's myAadhaar portal if your mobile number is linked, or in person at an Aadhaar enrolment centre. Upload or show a valid proof of address, pay the service fee if one applies, and keep the request number to track it. UIDAI also allows an address update with the consent of the head of the family, using a document that proves your relationship, which helps people who don't have a proof in their own name. Its list of accepted documents and its fee rules get revised, so check the official site before applying.
Banks come next. Most let you change the address through net banking or the app, and any branch will accept a written request with a KYC document. Some accept a self-declaration of the new address and verify it later. Do it for each relationship you have with the bank, including joint accounts, credit cards and loans, because they don't always share one record.
The PAN card itself doesn't print an address, but plenty of records linked to your PAN do. Update the contact details in your profile on the income tax e-filing portal so notices reach the right place. For shares, the change goes through your broker or depository participant. Mutual fund KYC is held centrally, so updating it once through a fund house, registrar or KYC agency usually carries across your folios, though it's worth checking a statement afterwards.
Gas, electricity, water and broadband
Call your LPG distributor before the kitchen gets packed. If you're moving within the same town, the connection can usually be shifted to a distributor that serves the new area. For a move to another city, the normal process is to return the cylinders and regulator, collect a termination voucher, and hand it with your subscription papers to a distributor of the same oil company in the new city. The oil companies publish the current steps on their websites and apps. A filled cylinder should never travel in the moving truck with furniture and cartons, and a proper mover won't load one.
Piped gas is simpler. Ask the city gas company for a disconnection and final bill at the old flat, find out how the deposit is refunded, and apply for a connection at the new address if the building has a gas line.
For electricity and water, ask for a final meter reading on your last day, pay the last bill and keep the receipt. If the connection was in your name, you can usually claim the security deposit back from the power company. Tenants in the new home generally leave bills in the owner's name. Owners apply to the electricity distribution company and the municipal water department to change the name on the connection, typically with the sale deed and an ID.
Broadband and DTH providers often handle shifting through their app. Check first whether they actually cover the new building, because fibre availability can change from one society to the next. If they don't, close the account in writing, return the router or set-top box and get an acknowledgement, so you're not billed for equipment months later.
Voter ID, passport and driving licence
Voter ID is updated online through the Election Commission's voters' services portal or the Voter Helpline app. The form for shifting residence is currently Form 8, and it covers moves within the same constituency as well as to a different one. You'll need your EPIC number, proof of the new address and a recent photo, and a booth level officer may visit to confirm you live there. Apply well before any election in the new area, because changes to the roll stop being accepted some time before polling.
A passport doesn't lose its validity when you move. The printed address simply stays until you apply for a reissue through Passport Seva, when you give the new address and may have a police verification done there. If you have trips coming up, there's no need to reissue in a hurry. When someone needs current address proof in the meantime, the updated Aadhaar does the job.
The driving licence address is changed through the Sarathi services on the Parivahan portal, and the request goes to the licensing authority for your new address. You'll upload the licence and address proof, and some states ask you to visit the RTO so they can see the originals. The updated card is often sent by post, so type the new address in full, with the flat number, building name and PIN code.
Vehicle RC and interstate re-registration
Change the address on your vehicle's RC soon after you move. The Motor Vehicles Act expects owners to tell the registering authority about a new address within 30 days, and the request can be made online through the Vahan services on Parivahan. Within the same state it's mostly an online form, a fee and an address proof.
Crossing a state line takes more work. A vehicle registered in one state can generally be kept in another for up to 12 months; after that it has to be registered in the new state. The usual sequence is:
- Clear pending challans and get a No Objection Certificate from the RTO where the vehicle is registered. If there's a loan on it, you'll also need the lender's NOC.
- Take the NOC, RC, insurance, PUC certificate and address proof to the RTO in the new state.
- Pay road tax in the new state, present the vehicle for inspection if asked, and collect the new registration number.
- Apply to the old state for a refund of road tax for the unused period, where that state allows it.
- Get the insurance policy endorsed with the new registration number.
Road tax, refunds and inspection rules differ from state to state, so read both transport department websites before you start. People in certain jobs can apply for a Bharat series (BH) number, which is meant to avoid re-registration on every transfer, and Parivahan explains who qualifies. If your car is going ahead on a car carrier or your two-wheeler through bike transport, hand over copies of the papers and keep the originals of the RC and insurance with you.
School records, insurance, EPF and deliveries
School transfer certificate
Ask the old school for the transfer certificate, the latest report card and a character certificate as soon as the move date is fixed, since some schools take a week or more. If the move also changes the state or the board, the new school may want the TC countersigned by the local education office, or a migration certificate from the board for students who've passed class 10 or 12. Get the new school's document list in writing before you leave, because going back for one missing stamp is painful.
Insurance
Update the address on health, life, motor and home policies through each insurer's app or helpline. Health cover needs a closer look. Check which network hospitals are near the new home, and ask whether the premium changes with the city, since some plans are priced by zone.
EPF
Your EPF account follows your UAN, not your home address. After a move, what matters is that the KYC on the EPFO member portal is current, especially the bank account details if you've opened a new account, and that an older PF account is transferred if you changed employers along with the city.
Post and deliveries
Ask your old post office about redirecting mail to the new address for a while; India Post has a redirection facility, and the office can tell you the current terms. Change the saved address on shopping and food delivery apps, credit card statements and subscriptions, and give it to your employer's HR for official letters. Leave your number with the old building's watchman for a few weeks too, for the parcel that always turns up late.
A few records people forget
Most people remember Aadhaar and the bank. These are the ones that tend to surface months later:
- Ration card. Under One Nation One Ration Card, families covered by the National Food Security Act can usually draw their grain from a ration shop in another state. Moving the card itself is done through the food and civil supplies department of your new state.
- Tenant verification. Police in many cities expect landlords to register tenants, and several state police websites allow this online. Ask your landlord whether it's been done, since the form needs your details and ID.
- Society records. New societies usually want a move-in form, ID copies and vehicle details for parking stickers.
- Doctors and pharmacies. Ask for copies of prescriptions and reports so a new doctor has the history.
- Employer relocation claims. Keep the mover's GST invoice and lorry receipt, which employers commonly ask for when you claim relocation expenses.
If the move is still ahead of you, it helps to plan the paperwork alongside the packing. Our intercity moving and household shifting pages explain how a move is organised from survey to delivery, so you can see where each of these tasks fits.
Book a free pre-move survey and get your price in writing, or send us your moving details.
Frequently asked questions
Should I change my address in Aadhaar after moving?
Yes, update it soon after you move. Aadhaar is the address proof that banks, gas distributors, telecom companies and most government portals accept, so an old address on it slows down every other change. The update can be done online on the myAadhaar portal or at an enrolment centre.
Do I need a new passport if my address changes?
No, your passport stays valid after you move. You can keep travelling on it and change the address when you next apply for a reissue through Passport Seva. A reissue with a new address may involve police verification at that address.
How long can I use my car in another state without re-registering it?
Generally up to 12 months. After that the vehicle needs registration in the new state, which means an NOC from the original RTO, road tax in the new state and a new number. Check both state transport department websites for the current process.
How do I transfer my LPG gas connection to another city?
Return the cylinders and regulator to your current distributor and collect a termination voucher. Take it, with your subscription papers and new address proof, to a distributor of the same oil company in the new city. Within the same town, the connection can often be shifted to a nearer distributor instead.
Which form is used to change the address on a voter ID card?
Form 8 is currently used for shifting residence, whether you moved within your constituency or to another one. Submit it on the Election Commission's voters' services portal or through the Voter Helpline app, with your EPIC number and proof of the new address.
What can tenants use as proof of a new address?
A registered rent or leave and licence agreement is the document most offices accept from tenants. A recent utility bill in your own name, or an updated Aadhaar, also works for many purposes. Ask for the agreement to be registered at the start, because unregistered ones are often rejected.
