By the Sevetu team
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What e-Shram is, in plain words
e-Shram is a government register of people who work without a company payroll: construction workers, street vendors, farm labourers, and people who work in homes as maids, cooks, nannies, drivers and caretakers. The Ministry of Labour and Employment runs it. When you register, you get a card with a 12 digit number called the UAN, short for Universal Account Number. That number does not change, even if you change city, employer or phone.1
The government's own description of who belongs on it lists domestic workers by name, next to construction and gig workers.2 Its August 2026 report says "Domestic and Household Workers" is one of the biggest groups registered, and that more than half of everyone registered is a woman.2 If you clean, cook, look after children or old people, or drive for a family, this register was made with you in mind.
Who can register
Three things decide it.
- Your age. The portal's FAQ says anyone doing unorganised work and aged 16 to 59 can register.1 A government note from August 2026 says 16 and above.2 If you are 60 or older, call the helpdesk on 14434 before you go anywhere, and ask what applies to you today.
- You are not in EPFO or ESIC. If your salary slip shows a PF or ESI deduction, you are counted as an organised sector worker and this card is not for you.1 Most people working in homes have neither.
- You do not pay income tax. The government lists this as a condition alongside EPFO and ESIC.2
There is no income limit for registering, and you do not need any school certificate or proof of your date of birth or income.1 You do not need a letter from the family you work for either.
What to keep ready
Aadhaar number
Registration uses Aadhaar eKYC. Your photo on the card comes from Aadhaar, so if it is very old, update it at Aadhaar first.
Your mobile
Best if it is the number linked to your Aadhaar, because the OTP goes there. If it is not linked, you can still register at a CSC with your fingerprint.
Bank account and IFSC
The ministry's leaflet asks for a bank account with its IFSC. Keep your passbook handy; schemes pay into, and take small premiums from, this account.
Your work, in one line
You will choose an occupation. Pick the work that brings in most of your money, and add a second one if you also do other work.
All of this comes from the ministry's FAQ and its registration leaflet.13 If you go to a centre, you do not have to hand over any documents. Carry your Aadhaar number and your phone.1
How to register, step by step
There are two ways, and both end with the same card.
On your own phone
- Open register.eshram.gov.in in your phone's browser. The government also has an eShram app on the Play Store, and eShram is on the UMANG app.4
- Choose the self registration option and enter your Aadhaar linked mobile number. You will get an OTP.
- Enter your Aadhaar number and complete the Aadhaar check with the OTP. Your name, photo and date of birth are filled in from Aadhaar.
- Fill in the rest: current address, education, your occupation and skills, and your bank account with IFSC.13
- Check every detail, submit, and download your UAN card as a PDF. Save it on your phone and send a copy to a family member.
The portal is open all day and night, and there is no last date.1 If a page will not load, the FAQ's own advice is to refresh, try another browser, and then call 14434.1
At a Common Service Centre
If your mobile is not linked to Aadhaar, or you would rather someone helps, go to the nearest Common Service Centre (CSC) or State Seva Kendra. You can find one at findmycsc.nic.in.1 They will register you with your fingerprint and print the card for you, free.3 The government's figures show most people have registered this way.2
It is free. Say no to anyone who asks for money
The FAQ is plain about this: registration is "totally free" and "workers are not required to pay any charges to any registering entity".1 That covers the CSC, the shop that fills forms, and any person who says they will "get your labour card made". If someone asks for money, do not pay. Note the place and the person, and report it through the e-Shram grievance site, gms.eshram.gov.in, or call 14434.1
What the card gives you, and what it does not
Be clear about this, because many people are told the card itself pays money. It does not. The card is a number the government uses to find you and link you to schemes. You then join each scheme.
Since October 2024 the portal works as a "One Stop Solution": you log in with your UAN and see the schemes you may be eligible for, with an Apply button for ones you have not joined and a View button for ones you have.1 Among the schemes listed on the portal:14
- Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY): accident insurance. ₹2 lakh for accidental death or full disability, ₹1 lakh for partial disability. You need to be 18 to 70, with a savings account, and a small yearly premium is auto debited from it with your consent.42
- Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY): life cover of ₹2 lakh on death from any cause, for ages 18 to 50, with a yearly premium.4
- PM Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-SYM): a pension of ₹3,000 a month after 60. You join between 18 and 40, pay a small monthly amount, and the government pays an equal amount. It is for workers earning below ₹15,000 a month who are not in EPFO, ESIC or NPS.4
- One Nation One Ration Card, Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY, National Career Service and Skill India, among others, each with its own rules.1
Older leaflets said registering on e-Shram came with free accident cover. The current government pages describe PMSBY as a scheme you enrol in, so do not assume you are covered. Log in, look at your enrolled schemes, and join the ones that fit.23
Keep your details up to date. The portal now asks registered workers to update their profile and occupation "for continued benefits".4 You do that by logging in with your UAN and OTP, or at a CSC. The card never expires and does not need renewing.1
State welfare boards are a separate thing
e-Shram is national. Some states also run their own welfare boards for domestic workers, with their own registration, card and benefits. Registering on one does not register you on the other.
Maharashtra
The Maharashtra Domestic Workers Welfare Board was set up under a 2008 Act. Domestic workers aged 18 to 59 can enrol. The labour department lists a small registration fee, age proof, a residence proof, three photos, and either a certificate from your employer or your own affidavit that you do domestic work. Benefits listed include help after an accident, money for children's education, medical help, maternity benefit for up to two children, and funeral costs.5
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu has a Domestic Workers Welfare Board, one of the boards on the state's unorganised workers portal, tnuwwb.tn.gov.in. There is a separate board for cooking work. The portal says there is no fee for registration, renewal or claims. It asks for a work certificate (from a registered union's president or secretary, a labour inspector, or the village or revenue officer), an ID proof, your ration card, your bank passbook's first page, Aadhaar, and your nominee's details.67
If you live in another state, ask your district labour office whether there is a board for domestic workers. Rules change, so check the board's own website, not a WhatsApp forward.
Where Sevetu fits
e-Shram is about your rights as a worker. Finding a good family is a separate job. On Sevetu, workers make a profile for free, apply directly to families nearby, and keep the full pay they agree; there is no agent and no commission. Workers can carry a Verified badge after a one-time ID check, and the pay, hours and weekly off go into a work agreement that both sides accept. If you are looking for work, the guide to getting a house help job without an agent walks through the profile, the paid trial and the first month.
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Questions people ask
Yes. The Ministry of Labour and Employment says registration is totally free and that workers do not have to pay any charges to anyone registering them, including a CSC. If someone asks for money, do not pay, and report it on gms.eshram.gov.in or at 14434.
Yes. Domestic workers are named by the government as one of the groups the register is for. If you are 16 to 59, not in PF (EPFO) or ESI (ESIC), and do not pay income tax, you can register with your Aadhaar and mobile number.
Go to the nearest Common Service Centre or State Seva Kendra. They can register you with your fingerprint instead of an OTP. You can find the nearest one at findmycsc.nic.in.
Not from the card itself. The card gives you a UAN that links you to government schemes. You then join schemes such as PMSBY accident insurance or the PM-SYM pension through the portal, and each one has its own rules and a small premium or contribution.
Not for e-Shram. You do not have to show any proof of employment, income or date of birth. Some state welfare boards, such as Maharashtra's and Tamil Nadu's, do ask for a work certificate or a self declaration.
No. The card never expires. Log in with "Update profile using Aadhaar" on the portal to change your mobile number, or visit a CSC if your new number is not linked to Aadhaar.
No. Log in with your UAN and OTP to see your schemes. Do update your address, occupation and bank details if they have changed.
Sources
- Ministry of Labour and Employment, e-Shram, Frequently Asked Questions, read 8 October 2026. eShram is the National Database of Unorganised Workers and issues a 12 digit UAN (Q1, Q5); unorganised worker means one not a member of ESIC or EPFO (Q3); age 16 to 59 (Q30); Aadhaar number and Aadhaar linked mobile, or biometric registration at a CSC or SSK (Q31); registration is "totally free" (Q34); card never expires (Q35); no income criteria and no proof of date of birth or income (Q29, Q44); no documents needed at the CSC (Q46); find a CSC at findmycsc.nic.in (Q48); photo comes from Aadhaar (Q49); list of schemes on the One Stop Solution, Apply and View buttons (Q9, Q17); grievance portal and helpdesk 14434 (Q27, Q28). eshram.gov.in/faqs
- Press Information Bureau, 5 Years of e-Shram Portal, PIB backgrounder, 25 August 2026. Eligibility: aged 16 and above, not an income tax payer and not a member of EPFO or ESIC; domestic workers listed under coverage; registration completely free; Aadhaar for eKYC and a mobile, preferably Aadhaar linked; "Domestic and Household Workers" among the top occupations; women 54.28% of registrants; most registrations through CSCs; PMSBY and PMJJBY enrolment through the portal with ₹2 lakh and ₹1 lakh cover. pib.gov.in
- Ministry of Labour and Employment, e-Shram registration leaflet (English). Documents: Aadhaar number, mobile number (Aadhaar linked preferred), bank account with IFSC; self registration or at CSCs and State Seva Kendras; free, and the CSC prints the card; the leaflet's older line that registration gives ₹2 lakh PMSBY accident cover. eShram leaflet, PDF
- Ministry of Labour and Employment, e-Shram home page and Social Security Welfare Schemes page, read 8 October 2026. Helpdesk 14434 / 18008896811, 9 am to 6 pm daily including Sundays; eShram mobile app and UMANG; registrants advised to update profile and occupation "for continued benefits"; PMSBY ages 18 to 70, ₹2 lakh and ₹1 lakh cover, auto debit on consent; PMJJBY ages 18 to 50, ₹2 lakh on death from any cause; PM-SYM ages 18 to 40, income below ₹15,000 a month, not in EPFO, ESIC or NPS, ₹3,000 a month pension after 60 with matching government contribution. eshram.gov.in · schemes page
- Labour Department, Government of Maharashtra, Domestic Workers (घरेलू कामगार) page, read 8 October 2026. The Maharashtra Domestic Workers Welfare Board Act 2008; board notified 1 May 2011; eligibility from 18 until 60 years; registration fee ₹30; age proof, employer certificate or self affidavit, residence proof, three passport photos; benefits for accidents, children's education, medical costs, maternity for up to two children, and funeral costs. mahakamgar.maharashtra.gov.in
- Tamil Nadu Unorganised Workers Welfare Board portal, New Registration page, read 8 October 2026. No fee for registration, renewal, claims or other services; documents: work certificate from a registered union's president or general secretary, Assistant Inspector of Labour, Village Administrative Officer or, in Chennai, Revenue Inspector; identity proof; ration card; first page of the bank passbook; Aadhaar; nominee document. tnuwwb.tn.gov.in
- Tamil Nadu Unorganised Workers Welfare Board portal, Board and Nature of Work, read 8 October 2026. Lists the TN Domestic Workers Welfare Board (DOME, domestic work) and a separate TN Cooking and Catering Workers Welfare Board (COOK, cooking food). tnuwwb.tn.gov.in
Written by the Sevetu teamSevetu is a hiring marketplace for household work in India, operated by Fiel Private Limited. These guides come from the questions families and workers ask us. Nothing here is sponsored, and where a number has no defensible source we say so instead of inventing one. About Sevetu
