e-Shram Registration

How e-Shram works

The e-Shram portal (eshram.gov.in) is the Ministry of Labour's national database of unorganised workers. Anyone aged 16–59 not covered by EPFO, ESIC or NPS, and not an income-tax payer, can self-register with Aadhaar (Aadhaar-linked mobile required for OTP). A 12-digit Universal Account Number (UAN) is generated immediately. The UAN is portable across states — you keep the same number even if you migrate from UP to Mumbai for construction work.

Worked example

A domestic helper in Delhi earning ₹15,000/month has no EPF and is below the ITR threshold. She registers on e-Shram with Aadhaar, gets a UAN, and is auto-enrolled in PMSBY — ₹2 lakh accidental death cover and ₹1 lakh partial disability cover, premium paid by the government. If she later moves to Bengaluru to work in a garment unit (still unorganised), her UAN stays the same. Once a worker enrols in EPFO (formal job) the UAN flag changes and government schemes stop, but the UAN itself is retained for records.

When to use this

• Domestic helpers, drivers, cooks, security guards working off-the-books
• Farm labourers, MGNREGS workers, small-tenant farmers (under 2 hectares)
• Construction workers, brick-kiln workers, head-loaders
• Gig and platform workers — Swiggy/Zomato/Dunzo delivery, Ola/Uber drivers (if not paying tax)
• Street vendors covered under PM SVANidhi, ASHA workers, anganwadi helpers

See also: PM Vishwakarma eligibility for traditional artisans and Ayushman Bharat eligibility for PM-JAY ₹5 lakh health cover.