Verify your diploma or degree via NAD for background checks by employers or foreign universities.
Jurisdiction
All of India — National Academic Depository (NAD) managed by NSDL e-Governance Infrastructure Limited on behalf of the Government of India
Who applies
Students, graduates, or employees who want to verify their academic certificates digitally, or fetch digitally issued academic certificates from institutions registered with NAD / DigiLocker for use in employment, higher education admission, or loan applications
Typical time
DigiLocker document fetch: immediate (if already issued by institution); NAD certificate lodgment by institution: 7–30 days; NAD verification for an employer / institution: instant (online)
Fee
Free for individuals (students and graduates); institutions pay a nominal lodgment fee to NAD for uploading certificates
| # | Document | Type needed | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aadhaar Card | Original | Primary identity document for DigiLocker account creation and NAD verification; OTP-based Aadhaar eKYC links the account to the individual |
| 2 | Mobile number linked to Aadhaar | Original | Required to receive OTP for DigiLocker registration and to authenticate on NAD portal |
| 3 | Roll number / registration number / enrollment ID | Original | Used to fetch specific academic certificates from NAD or DigiLocker; must match records uploaded by the institution |
| 4 | Degree / marksheet copy (for discrepancy reporting)(optional)Required only when there is a discrepancy between the physical certificate and the NAD record | Self-attested Copy | If the digital certificate on NAD has an error, the physical certificate is submitted to the institution for correction; the institution then updates NAD |
Original documents: Carry originals only for in-person visits — do not hand them over permanently unless explicitly required.
Visit digilocker.gov.in or download the DigiLocker mobile app. Click 'Sign Up', enter your mobile number and Aadhaar number, and authenticate via OTP. Set a security PIN. Your DigiLocker account is now linked to your Aadhaar and ready to fetch issued documents from government and academic bodies.
In DigiLocker, go to 'Search Documents' or 'Get Documents from Issuers'. Search for your board or university by name (e.g., 'CBSE', 'Maharashtra State Board', 'University of Mumbai'). Select the institution and choose the document type (marksheet, passing certificate, migration certificate). Enter your roll number or enrollment ID as prompted.
DigiLocker pulls the digitally signed academic document from the institution's or NAD's repository in real time. The document is stored in your 'Issued Documents' folder in DigiLocker. These documents are legally equivalent to the original under the IT Act, 2000. Download the PDF for use or share the DigiLocker link directly with employers, universities, or lenders.
Employers, banks, and universities can verify a candidate's academic certificate on NAD without the candidate's physical presence. Visit nad.digilocker.gov.in, enter the certificate number and institution details (or scan the QR code on the digital certificate), and the system confirms authenticity. Verification is instant and free.
If your certificates are not yet available on DigiLocker or NAD, contact your institution's examination or academic office. Request them to lodge your certificates on NAD. Provide your enrollment number, year of passing, and programme details. The institution uploads the data to NAD, after which your DigiLocker account can fetch the document. This process is institution-dependent and may take 7–30 days.
DigiLocker allows consent-based document sharing. When a bank or employer requests document verification, they send a pull request to your DigiLocker account via their integrated system. You receive a notification and can approve or deny the share. Your documents are shared securely without physical submission. Some PSBs (public sector banks) use this for student loan disbursement verification.
NSDL e-Governance Infrastructure Ltd (on behalf of Ministry of Education)
Dispute resolution and institution registration on NAD
Manages institutional registrations on NAD, resolves disputes between institution-uploaded data and individual records, and handles escalations.
University / School Board
Uploading certificates to NAD and correcting errors
Responsible for lodging academic certificates on NAD, correcting errors reported by students, and ensuring digital records match physical certificates.
Fetching and storing digitally issued academic documents from boards, universities, and government bodies; consent-based sharing with employers and institutions
Verifying academic credentials online; institutional lodgment of academic certificates; employer/institution-side verification of candidate documents
Mobile access to DigiLocker for fetching, storing, and sharing academic and government documents on the go
As of 2025, thousands of colleges and universities have not yet lodged historical certificates on NAD. If your institution is not registered, your certificates will not be available digitally regardless of how old or recent they are. In this case, physical certificates remain the only option.
DigiLocker authenticates via Aadhaar. If your name spelling or date of birth in the academic record differs from Aadhaar, the document fetch will fail or match incorrectly. You must first get the institution to correct the academic record in NAD, then retry.
DigiLocker documents are legally equivalent to originals under the Information Technology Act, 2000 and are accepted by most Indian government departments and PSBs. However, some private employers, foreign universities, and embassies may still insist on physical original documents or apostilled copies.
NAD only covers certificates issued after the institution joined NAD. Graduates from before the institution's registration date will not find their certificates digitally. Institutions can back-load historical data but rarely do so in bulk.
When you share DigiLocker documents with an employer or institution via the consent mechanism, the shared access is typically valid for 24–72 hours. If the receiving party does not download within that window, you must reshare. Do not assume a one-time share covers all future verification requests.