JEE Main 2027 Without Aadhaar or APAAR: A Registration Guide for Gulf Schools

If you counsel Grade 12 students at an Indian-curriculum school in the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain or Saudi Arabia, the last three weeks have probably been confusing. The new registration flow pushed everyone towards DigiLocker sign-in. Most of your students have never needed Aadhaar, many do not have it, and your school was told it does not have to create APAAR IDs at all. This guide sets out what NTA has actually said, which route fits which student, and the mistakes worth catching before the deadline.

1. What changed this year, and why Gulf families got stuck

For JEE Main 2027, NTA moved registration onto MeriPehchaan, the Government of India's single sign-on service. The JEE Main 2027 Information Bulletin explains that MeriPehchaan connects DigiLocker, JanParichay and e-Pramaan, and that users verify themselves through eKYC using Aadhaar, PAN, a Driving Licence or APAAR.

NTA's public notice of 28 October 2026 then advised candidates to log in with their own DigiLocker, JanParichay or e-Pramaan credentials and to do a Re-KYC through DigiLocker before filling the form.

That works for a student in Pune or Lucknow. It does not work for a Grade 12 student in Sharjah who has an Indian passport, no Aadhaar, no PAN card and no driving licence. In early November, parents across the Gulf were asking NTA on X how their children could register at all. On 3 November NTA replied that candidates "can now use passport to complete the application process", and on 9 November it posted a clear update: NRI candidates with no Aadhaar who hold a valid Indian passport should use the "Apply through the NRI (Having No Aadhaar)" option on the registration page. From 10 November NTA began telling individual parents that the issue "has been resolved".

2. Why your school cannot create APAAR for students

APAAR is not something a student signs up for alone. According to the official APAAR FAQs, the school verifies the student's details, collects parental consent, and generates the ID through the APAAR module of the UDISE+ portal. Two conditions must be met first: the student needs a UDISE+ PEN, and the name in UDISE+ must match the name in Aadhaar. The mandatory fields include the Aadhaar number itself. Once created, the APAAR ID is pushed into the student's DigiLocker account.

So APAAR depends on Aadhaar and on India's school database. CBSE recognised that this cannot work abroad. Its List of Candidates circular of 27 August 2025 states that "schools situated abroad are exempted from APAAR because of various administrative reasons and laws in these countries", as Khaleej Times and Hindustan Times reported at the time.

The practical point for you: there is no DigiLocker workaround your school is missing. For JEE, APAAR is optional. When a parent asked NTA what to do if APAAR verification failed, NTA replied that the candidate may try APAAR by selecting "Yes" and, if it is unsuccessful, proceed by selecting "No".

3. Which route fits each student

Sort your Grade 12 list into these groups before anyone starts filling forms. It saves the most time in the last week.

4. Step by step: an Indian passport holder with no Aadhaar

This is the situation most Gulf families are in, so here is the sequence from start to finish. Screens can change slightly, so follow the on-screen labels if they differ.

1. Prepare the files first. Passport details, a Class 10 marksheet PDF, a recent photograph and a signature scan (sizes in the next section). Keep a webcam or a phone ready for the live photograph.
2. Use the student's or a parent's own mobile number and email. NTA's notice of 24 October says both must belong to the candidate or the parents or guardians, because every communication goes there. Do not use the school's or a tutor's details.
3. Open the official site. Go to jeemain.nta.nic.in and click the Session 1 online application link.
4. Choose "Apply through the NRI (Having No Aadhaar)". Pick this option on the registration page instead of the DigiLocker sign-in, and enter the passport details.
5. Type the name and date of birth exactly as on the Class 10 marksheet. NTA's 28 October notice makes this a requirement.
6. Write down the Application Number and the password. The same Application Number is used for Session 2, so it matters beyond January.
7. Log in and complete the form. Personal details, paper choice, up to four exam cities, educational details, the live photograph and the uploads.
8. Pay the fee online and download the Confirmation Page. Card, net banking or UPI. The Confirmation Page only appears after a successful payment, and the deadline for payment is the same as for the form.

5. Documents and file sizes

These come from section "Instructions for filling in an Online Application Form" of the Information Bulletin. Upload failures in the final days are usually about file size, so check these early.

On exam day, the Bulletin accepts any one original, valid photo ID from a list that includes a passport and a school identity card, alongside the printed admit card and two extra passport-size photographs.

6. Choosing exam cities from the Gulf

Appendix II of the Bulletin lists these exam cities in the GCC:

The Bulletin publishes shift timings in Indian Standard Time: 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon and 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM IST for a three-hour paper. Check the admit card for the exact reporting time at an overseas centre.

7. Common pitfalls we are seeing

• Name or date of birth that does not match the Class 10 marksheet. This is the most common snag. Fix it on the form, not after.
• Signing in through a parent's DigiLocker. NTA asks candidates to use their own credentials to avoid identity mismatches later.
• Panic about a half-finished form. NTA's notice of 30 October allows a fresh application for Session 1. Only the last form with a successful payment and a Confirmation Page counts, and an earlier fee is not refunded or adjusted. Sitting the exam on two Application Numbers is treated as unfair means.
• Choosing only Gulf cities. At least one Indian city is compulsory for candidates with an address outside India.
• Leaving payment to the last evening. The fee must go through by 22 November, 11:50 PM IST. That is 10:20 PM in the UAE and Oman, and 9:20 PM in Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
• Using the school's phone number or email. All NTA messages go to the registered contact details, so they must be the family's.
• Assuming Session 2 is automatic. Session 2 needs a separate login and fee payment during its own window.

8. Key dates for Session 1 and Session 2

Source: Information Bulletin, "Important Information and Dates at a Glance". NTA has said a separate notice will open the Session 2 window.

9. Fees for centres outside India

Fees are in Indian rupees, per session, and are higher for centres outside India. For Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech) alone, the Bulletin lists:

Processing charges and GST are extra. Combined papers (B.Arch or B.Planning with B.Tech) cost more; see the fee table in the Bulletin.

10. Frequently asked questions

Many of the same families are also weighing Indian private universities that admit on the Digital SAT or their own tests alongside JEE. If that conversation is starting at your school, our guide on how to apply to Indian universities from the UAE is a good next read.