Documents Required for a Credit Card in India: KYC, Income, FD (2026)
For most credit cards in India you need three things: your PAN (or Form 60), one officially valid document that proves who you are and where you live, and proof of income such as a payslip, bank statement or ITR. Online applications often replace paper with Aadhaar-based e-KYC and a Video KYC call, and FD-backed cards swap the income proof for a fixed deposit.
In short
Keep your PAN, one current address document and your latest income proof ready, and if you have no income papers, an FD-backed card is the route banks themselves offer.
Best for
- First-time applicants putting a file together
- Self-employed people checking which income papers each bank takes
- Anyone without income proof weighing an FD-backed card
Skip it if
- You want the age and income floors bank by bank; those are in our eligibility criteria guide
- You are applying for a business card; this guide covers personal cards
Highlights
- PAN or Form 60 is collected with KYC
- Six officially valid documents count for KYC, Aadhaar proof among them
- Video KYC is treated on par with face-to-face KYC
- BOBCARD wants 2 months of bank statements showing salary credit
- FD cards from Axis Bank, Kotak and AU replace income proof with a deposit
Who can apply for these cards
| Card | Fees | Age (salaried) | Published minimum income | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Axis Bank MY Zone Easy Credit Card Axis Bank | ₹500 + GST joining and annual | 18 years and above (FD page) | No income proof required; a fixed deposit with Axis Bank is needed | Aadhaar and PAN verification, Video KYC call for applicants who are not existing Axis Bank customers, Fixed deposit (lien marked) instead of income proof |
| Dream Different Credit Card Kotak Mahindra Bank (Kotak) | ₹424 + GST joining, Nil annual | 18 to 75 years (primary); add-on 18 years or above | No income proof required (card secured against a Kotak fixed deposit) | PAN (updated and operative), KYC for new customers, Kotak fixed deposit to be marked under lien |
| BOBCARD PRIME BOBCARD | Nil joining and annual | 18 to 85 years | No income proof needed (card issued against FD) | Recent passport-size photograph, PAN card, Permanent address proof (Aadhaar, Voter ID, Passport, Driving Licence, NREGA Job Card), Bank declaration of FD lien (branch, EC number, employee signature) with Finacle screenshot of the lien marking |
| FIRST EA₹N Credit Card IDFC FIRST Bank | ₹499 + GST joining and annual | 18 to 80 years | No income requirement published (FD-backed) | Aadhaar card, PAN Card |
| AU NOMO Credit Card AU Small Finance Bank (AU Bank) | ₹199 + GST joining, Nil annual | 18 to 99 years | No income proof needed (FD-backed) | No documents or income proof needed beyond the AU fixed deposit (card page FAQ) |
| IndiGo IDFC FIRST Credit Card IDFC FIRST Bank | ₹4,999 + GST joining and annual | 18 years or above | Not published; the joining-fee variant is offered on credit check | Aadhaar number, Physical PAN Card for video KYC, Fixed deposit for the ₹0 joining fee variant |
| ICICI Bank Instant Platinum Credit Card ICICI Bank | Nil joining and annual | Not stated for the FD card | No income criterion stated; secured by FD | ICICI Bank Fixed Deposit (lien marked); KYC as for the FD/savings account |
| IndusInd Bank Pinnacle Credit Card IndusInd Bank | Not published by the bank joining, Nil annual | 18 to 70 years (general Indus Easy Credit criteria; not on card page) | Rs.10 lakh per annum (income/ITR) | PAN card, Aadhaar card and photograph (mandatory KYC), Other address proof (voter ID, driving licence, passport) if communication address differs from Aadhaar, Salaried: last 3 months' bank statement and last 3 months' salary slips, or another bank's credit card details, Self-employed: latest ITR or another bank's credit card details, All documents self-attested |
The papers almost every bank asks for
A credit card file in India is built from three kind of papers. First, your PAN, or Form 60 if you have no PAN. Second, an identity and address document from the RBI's list of officially valid documents. Third, something that shows you earn, because the bank has to judge whether you can repay what you spend.
- PAN or Form 60: collected alongside KYC under the RBI's rules, and most banks names the PAN card outright; Kotak wants it updated and operative.
- One officially valid document (OVD): for example a passport, voter ID or driving licence. The full list of six is in the next tab.
- Income proof: usually a recent payslip, Form 16 or ITR, or bank statements showing your salary or business credits.
- A photograph: BOBCARD and Standard Chartered list one, and Axis asks for a colour photo on some of its cards.
Online, a lot of this happen without uploads. IndusInd's Indus Easy Credit journey takes your Aadhaar number and PAN, ends in Video KYC, and needs no physical documents for the online process. Existing customers often have it easier still, since HDFC Bank says they may not need to submit the documents again.
The big exception is a card against a fixed deposit. There the FD stands in for income proof; AU, for one, says NOMO needs nothing beyond the AU fixed deposit. If you're still deciding where to apply, our guide on applying online walks through each bank's process step by step.
What the RBI rules actually require
Two different sets of rules are at work, and mixing them up is where most confusion start. The KYC rules decide how a bank confirms who you are. The credit card rules decide how it judges whether you can repay. Neither one gives a fixed list of income papers.
KYC: six documents that count
The RBI's Know Your Customer Directions, 2025 (updated as on 1 October 2026) define the officially valid documents. They are your passport, your driving licence, proof that you possess an Aadhaar number, the voter ID card issued by the Election Commission, a NREGA job card signed by a State Government officer, and the National Population Register letter carrying your name and address. On top of one of these, the bank collects your PAN, its e-version or Form 60.
One detail surprises people. The Directions say the Aadhaar number itself is not mandatory for KYC, unless you are seeking a government benefit. Plenty of online journeys is built around Aadhaar, but a passport or voter ID is just as valid an OVD, and some banks, RBL among them, also offer offline KYC.
Why apps want a video call
The same Directions allow a Video based Customer Identification Process (V-CIP): a live, consent-based video call in which an authorised bank official identifies you with facial recognition. Banks must treat it on par with face-to-face KYC. Card apps insist on it for a reason. An account opened only through non-face-to-face Aadhaar OTP e-KYC can carry term loans alone, capped at ₹60,000 a year, and a revolving card do not fit that box.
Income: the bank's own call
The RBI's 2025 card Directions make the bank assess your independent financial means and count your other limits, using your declaration or bureau data. They don't say which paper proves income, so every bank writes its own list. That is why one bank is happy with a single payslip while another want two months of bank statements.
If you don't have income papers
Students, homemakers, freelancers between contracts and people new to a city often can't show a payslip or ITR. The RBI has no specific rule for cards without income proof, only the independent-means test, and a few banks has built products around that gap.
Cards against a fixed deposit
Here the deposit does the job that income papers normally do, and the list of what to bring are short:
- Axis Bank MY Zone Easy: Aadhaar and PAN verification, a Video KYC call if you are not an Axis customer yet, and the lien-marked FD in place of income proof.
- Kotak Dream Different: a PAN that is updated and operative, KYC for new customers, and a Kotak FD marked under lien.
- BOBCARD PRIME: a recent photograph, PAN, a permanent address proof and a bank declaration of the FD lien, signed by the branch official, with a screenshot of the lien marking.
- IDFC FIRST EA₹N: Aadhaar card and PAN card, with an FD of at least ₹5,000.
- AU NOMO: no documents or income proof beyond the AU fixed deposit, according to its card page.
An FD card still need KYC, so keep your PAN and one OVD handy even when nobody asks for income proof. The FD variant of the IndiGo IDFC FIRST card, for instance, wants your Aadhaar number and the physical PAN card for its video call.
Other routes
ICICI Bank's FAQ says it may ask for a fixed deposit as collateral when an applicant has no salary. IndusInd's Pinnacle card accept details of another bank's credit card instead of salary slips or an ITR, which helps only people who already hold a card. And an add-on card works on the primary holder's account: the RBI lets banks issue add-ons only to people the primary cardholder names, and the primary cardholder alone carry the liability for the dues.
What each bank asks for
The table comes from the bank and card pages in our research, read on 5 November 2026. Where a bank only give a general line such as "proof of identity", we have kept it general instead of guessing.
| Bank | Identity and address | Income proof |
|---|---|---|
| SBI Card | PAN; Aadhaar copy with the first 8 digits masked, or any valid government address proof (digital KYC) | Salary slip or ITR may be asked, depending on the card and SBI Card policy |
| HDFC Bank | Identity and address proof (general guidance) | Income proof; existing customers may not need to resubmit |
| ICICI Bank | Proof of identity and address | Income proof, uploaded with KYC online |
| Axis Bank | PAN copy or Form 60; residence proof such as a driving licence, electricity bill or landline bill (varies by card) | Latest payslip, Form 16 or IT return |
| Kotak Mahindra Bank | Identity, age and address proof, PAN; online: PAN and Aadhaar, then Video KYC | Income proof or employment details |
| IDFC FIRST Bank | Identity proof; Video KYC online | Income proof |
| IndusInd Bank | Aadhaar number and PAN with Video KYC; residence proof if your address differs from Aadhaar | Not listed for the digital journey; Pinnacle: salaried, 3 months of bank statements and salary slips; self-employed, the latest ITR (or another bank's card details for either) |
| BOBCARD | Photograph, PAN, permanent address proof (Aadhaar both sides, voter ID, passport, driving licence, NREGA job card or NPR letter) | Salaried: 2 months of bank statements showing salary credit; self-employed: 3 months of statements as a PDF |
| Standard Chartered | Identity proof, PAN, address proof, 1 photograph | Salaried: latest salary slip; self-employed: latest ITR with computation of income or certified financials, and business continuity proof |
| HSBC India | Identity proof, proof of residence, PAN | Latest salary slip (salaried) |
| RBL Bank | PAN; Aadhaar e-KYC, Video KYC, biometric or offline KYC, or a CKYC record | Net monthly income declared on the form |
| AU Small Finance Bank | Valid proof of identity and address | Valid proof of income |
Two patterns stand out. Banks running a fully digital journey, like IndusInd, RBL and Kotak online, leans on PAN, Aadhaar and Video KYC, and RBL simply asks you to declare your net monthly income. Banks with a branch-style list, such as Standard Chartered and BOBCARD, spell out exactly which slip or statement they want.
Self-employed applicants
The paper trail is heavier when you run a business. Standard Chartered wants business continuity proof with the ITR, and BOBCARD want three months of business transactions in a PDF bank statement. Our guide for the self-employed covers the income side in detail.
Small things that stop an application
Most document trouble is not missing paper but paper that doesn't match. These checks are worth a few minutes before you hits submit.
- Match your addresses. IndusInd asks for a separate proof of residence when your current address differ from the one on Aadhaar, and BOBCARD wants a permanent address proof. Keep one document that shows where you live today.
- Mask your Aadhaar. SBI Card accepts an Aadhaar copy with the first 8 digits masked for digital KYC, so you needn't hand over the full number on a photocopy.
- Keep the PAN in order. Kotak asks for a PAN that is updated and operative for Dream Different. If your PAN name does not match your other papers, sort it before you apply.
- Have the physical PAN at hand. IDFC FIRST asks for the physical PAN card during the video KYC on its IndiGo card, so do the call with the card itself near you.
- Send the statement with the slip. BOBCARD takes salary slips only along with a bank statement that show the salary credit; a slip on its own isn't enough there.
- Use the latest documents. Axis, HSBC and Standard Chartered all ask for the latest payslip, not an old one from a previous employer.
- Self-attest when asked. IndusInd wants every document self-attested for Pinnacle, so sign each copy before you upload it.
Before the video call
The V-CIP call is live, with facial recognition by an authorised official. Sit somewhere with good light and a steady connection, and keep the original PAN and your OVD on the table, not in other room. If the call drops, ask the bank how to resume it rather than starting a fresh application.
Your rights around documents and data
- Any of the six OVDs counts. The RBI's KYC Directions list six valid documents and say the Aadhaar number is not mandatory for KYC unless you take a government benefit. If a branch insist on Aadhaar only, ask which other OVD it will accept.
- Costs before you sign. The bank must give a one-page Key Fact Statement with the application, setting out the interest rate and charges, so read it while your papers is being checked.
- Explicit consent. No card can be issued on implied consent; the RBI requires your explicit written or digital (multi-factor) consent.
- Reasons for a refusal. If the application is rejected, the bank must tell you the specific reasons in writing, so a document problem can be fixed and tried again.
- Agents can't decide. A DSA or DMA who collects your papers can only solicit and service; the decision to issue stays with the bank. Where you can, give documents through the bank's own website, app or branch.
- Somewhere to complain. Each issuer must name a grievance officer on its statements, and if there's no reply within 30 days, the RBI Ombudsman is the next step.
Helplines for the larger banks are on our pages for SBI and HDFC Bank customer care, useful when a branch and the website tells you different things.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Six officially valid documents count for KYC, so Aadhaar is not your only option
- Video KYC counts the same as a face-to-face check under RBI rules
- FD-backed cards from Axis Bank, Kotak and AU replace income proof with a deposit
- SBI Card accepts an Aadhaar copy with the first 8 digits masked
- HDFC Bank says existing customers may not need to resubmit documents
Cons
- Each bank writes its own income list, so one set of papers rarely fits every bank
- BOBCARD accepts salary slips only together with a bank statement
- Standard Chartered also asks self-employed applicants for business continuity proof
- Aadhaar OTP e-KYC on its own is not enough for a revolving credit card
Frequently asked questions
What documents are required for a credit card in India?
Is Aadhaar mandatory for a credit card application?
Can I get a credit card without income proof?
Why do banks ask for Video KYC on a credit card application?
What income documents do self-employed applicants need?
Do existing bank customers need to submit documents again?
Related
- How to Apply for a Credit Card Online: Steps, Video KYC, Checks (2026)
- Credit Cards for the Self-Employed: ITR Floors, Proofs, FD Route (2026)
- Secured Credit Cards Explained: FD-Backed Limits, Costs and Catches
- Credit Card Eligibility Criteria in India: Age, Income, Score (2026)
- Axis Bank MY Zone Easy Credit Card Review: ₹15,000 FD, ₹500 a Year
Sources
- Axis Bank: Key Fact Sheet (schedule of charges), last updated 8 October 2026; Most Important Terms and Conditions (MITC), PDF dated 8 October 2026
- Business Today: New rules for Axis Bank credit cards valid from December 20
- Kotak Mahindra Bank: Key Fact Statement - Dream Different Credit Card (version KFSDD04062026); Most Important Terms & Conditions and Cardholder Agreement, Retail Cards (English)
- BOBCARD Limited: BOBCARD Product Features - Important Terms & Conditions (file dated 02-11-2026)
- IDFC FIRST Bank: Most Important Terms & Conditions - Credit Cards (MITC and Schedule of Charges)
- AU Small Finance Bank: Most Important Terms and Conditions (MITC) with Schedule of Charges, Version 2.23
- ICICI Bank Limited: Most Important Terms and Conditions (MITC), credit cards
- IndusInd Bank: IndusInd Bank Credit Card Most Important Terms & Conditions (MITC_Premium.pdf, PDF created 13 Oct 2026)
Last verified: 5 November 2026
Written by Anjali Bhargawa, reviewed by BankCreds Financial Experts
BankCreds does not sell cards or take applications. Fees and rewards change; the bank's own terms on the day you apply are what count, and approval is the bank's decision.