What documents do I need to board an Indian reserved train?

The short answer

To board a reserved train you need two things at your seat: your ticket (on your phone or on paper) and one government photo ID from Indian Railways' accepted list, in original, shown by any one passenger booked on the ticket. If nobody on the ticket can show an accepted ID, railway instructions say the passengers can be treated as travelling without a ticket. Booked under a concession or quota? Carry the eligibility proof for that too.

The accepted ID list

IRCTC publishes the list of authorized photo IDs. Checked on 25 October 2026, it accepts any one of these:

• Passport
• Voter photo identity card issued by the Election Commission of India
• Driving Licence issued by the RTO
• PAN Card issued by the Income Tax Department
• Photo identity card with a serial number issued by Central/State Government
• Student Identity Card with photograph issued by a recognized school/college for its students
• Nationalized Bank Passbook with photograph
• Credit Card issued by a bank with laminated photograph
• Aadhaar - printed, or downloaded e-Aadhaar
• m-Aadhaar shown in the m-Aadhaar app after entering the password
• Photo identity card with a serial number issued by public sector undertakings of State/Central Government, district administrations, municipal bodies and panchayats
• Aadhaar or Driving Licence shown from the "Issued Documents" section of your DigiLocker account after logging in

For non-Indians, their country's passport is the sole authorized ID.

Showing ID on your phone

Three digital forms are explicitly accepted: downloaded e-Aadhaar, m-Aadhaar opened in its app with your password, and Aadhaar or Driving Licence in DigiLocker's "Issued Documents" section after login. Documents you uploaded yourself into DigiLocker's "Uploaded Documents" section do not count - that distinction comes from the Ministry of Railways decision of 6 July 2018, and IRCTC's list repeats it. A plain photo of your card is not on the accepted list, so carry the real card or set up one of the accepted digital forms before you leave.

Counter tickets in Sleeper and Second Sitting

For reserved tickets booked at computerized PRS counters in Sleeper (SL) and Second Sitting (2S), the 2018 ministry note lists two extra accepted proofs: an attested photocopy of a Ration Card with photograph, and a Nationalized Bank Passbook with photograph.

Concession or quota booking? Carry the proof

A Railway Board circular dated 16 November 2021 restates the ID rule and adds that anyone availing a fare concession or a quota earmarked for a specific category must produce valid proof of eligibility. Its examples: the concession certificate for Divyangjans, a registered doctor's certificate for pregnant women travelling under the senior citizen quota, and age proof for senior citizens who booked under their quota. It also notes that when a child travels free or on a concession fare, doubts about the child's age are hard to settle without a document - so carry an age proof for the child.

If you forget the ID

IRCTC's e-ticket FAQ says one passenger booked on a PNR must present an accepted ID in original during the journey, failing which the passenger will be treated as travelling without a ticket and dealt with under railway rules. The 2021 circular says all passengers on that ticket can be treated as travelling without a ticket. Either way, it is an expensive way to test a rule - keep one accepted card in your wallet, or set up DigiLocker before the trip. If your ticket status itself is unclear, our PNR and ticket-status guide shows how to read it.

Common questions

Do I need to enter ID details while booking?
No. IRCTC's FAQ says you do not enter any photo ID details while booking an e-ticket; you carry and show one accepted ID in original while travelling.

Is a photocopy or a photo of my ID on my phone enough?
For an e-ticket journey the requirement is the original. The accepted phone-based forms are downloaded e-Aadhaar, m-Aadhaar in its app, and Aadhaar or Driving Licence in DigiLocker's "Issued Documents" section; a plain photocopy or photo of your card is not on the accepted list. The one narrow exception: for PRS counter tickets in Sleeper and Second Sitting, the 2018 ministry note lists an attested ration-card photocopy and a bank passbook as accepted additional proofs.

Does every passenger need their own ID?
The rule asks for one accepted ID from any one passenger booked on the ticket. But anyone travelling on a concession or quota needs their own eligibility proof.

Which ID should I carry?
Any one from the list works - with one scope note: for non-Indians, their country's passport is the sole authorized ID. For most families Aadhaar is easiest - printed, e-Aadhaar, m-Aadhaar, or inside DigiLocker all count.

Sources checked on 25 October 2026: IRCTC list of government-authorized ID cards (official; the accepted documents, m-Aadhaar and DigiLocker entries, passport-only rule for non-Indians), IRCTC e-ticket FAQ (official; no ID needed at booking, one passenger per PNR shows ID in original, failing which treated as travelling without ticket), Ministry of Railways via PIB (6 July 2018; DigiLocker "Issued Documents" acceptance, extra proofs for PRS Sleeper/2S tickets), Railway Board commercial circular (16 November 2021; restates the in-original ID rule and adds concession/quota eligibility proofs).