> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://afrodost.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Getting a PAN Card as a Foreigner in India: What Changed in 2026
- URL: https://afrodost.com/pan-card-foreigner-india-2026/
- Published: 2026-08-07T01:57:49.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-08T07:16:45.000Z
- Description: PAN 2.0 launched in April 2026 with a dedicated form for foreign citizens — here's what it actually asks for.
- Author: ~Lifted
- Tags: business-operations, pan-card, business-operations, banking, company-registration, foreign-founders, current-account, kyc, fdi, foreign-founders, documentation

If you've followed our earlier guides on registering a company or opening a bank account in India, you've probably already run into this question: what's a PAN card, and do you actually need one? Short answer: almost certainly yes. Longer answer, and some good news about a recent update — let's walk through it together. · · · 

#### What a PAN is, and why you'll need one

PAN stands for Permanent Account Number — it's basically India's tax ID system, issued by the Income Tax Department. And here's the part people don't always realize: **it's not just for Indian citizens.** Foreign nationals, NRIs, OCI holders, even foreign companies can get one, and often need to.

You'll bump into the PAN requirement in a lot of everyday business moments: opening that bank account we talked about, buying property, making certain high-value purchases, or just handling routine tax matters if your business has income in India. It's one of those quiet, unglamorous documents that turns out to matter a lot more than it sounds like it would.

#### The big change: PAN 2.0, and a form made just for you

Here's the timely part. As of **April 1, 2026**, India rolled out something called PAN Card 2.0 — a genuine overhaul of the system. The most relevant change for you: **there's now a dedicated form for foreign citizens, Form 95**, replacing the old Form 49AA that used to cover everyone who wasn't an Indian citizen or company.

A few things this new form asks for that are worth knowing about ahead of time:

- Your **Taxpayer Identification Number** (or your home country's equivalent — a National Insurance Number in the UK, an SSN in the US, and so on)
- **Both parents' names**, which wasn't required before
- A clear selection of your category — Foreigner, Person of Indian Origin, or OCI cardholder, since each is treated slightly differently

None of this is complicated, just new — worth having ready before you sit down to apply, rather than discovering mid-form.

#### Do you need Aadhaar? No — and that's actually good news

If you've heard Aadhaar mentioned alongside PAN and wondered if you need one too: **you don't.** Aadhaar isn't required for a foreign citizen's PAN application. It's a separate system, mostly built around Indian residents.

#### What documents you'll actually need

- Your **passport**
- Documents **apostilled or attested by a consulate** — unless you're an OCI cardholder, in which case this step is skipped
- **Proof of address from your home country** — a bank statement works well, as long as it's no older than about three months

#### How long it takes, and what it costs

Once your application is in, the physical card typically arrives in around **21 working days**. Where it gets sent matters for the fee: dispatch to a foreign address runs a bit over ₹1,000, while sending it to an Indian address (say, a family member's home) is much cheaper, closer to ₹100\. Worth factoring into your plan if speed matters more than cost, or the other way around.

*Note: PAN 2.0 is genuinely new as of April 2026.*