This article is reviewed regularly (on a monthly basis) by Wego’s editorial team to ensure that the content is up to date & accurate. 

Updated 7 July 2021

Since starting the world’s largest vaccination drive, India has successfully doled out over 35.1 crore doses, fully vaccinating 6.45 crore Indians till 7 July. With the Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech churning out vials at full power, millions of Indians are queuing up at nearby vaccination centres. To streamline the vaccination program, the Government of India has launched the CoWIN website along with the Aarogya Setu and UMANG apps for registrations.

Have you taken the jab yet? If not, read ahead and book your slot today.

Is registration mandatory?

Not anymore.

From 21 June, CoWIN registration is no longer a prerequisite for getting the COVID-19 vaccine jabs. All government and private vaccination centres will now have onsite registration facilities.

However, all vaccination will be documented on the Co-Win portal. Hence, beneficiaries must ensure that they are registered on the site before vaccination, either on their own or by the centre.

 

Who can register?

Now that Phase 4 of the drive is underway, any adult over the age of 18, irrespective of whether they have any comorbidity or not, is eligible to register on the portals through his mobile number.

Every user on the portal can register 4 beneficiaries. In simple words, four different individuals can be registered on the portal and book appointments through one mobile number.

 

Where and how to register for vaccination?

There are three portals where Indians can register for vaccination.

Irrespective of which portal you use to take the appointment, remember to carry your identity proof on the day of your vaccination.

The following steps are for scheduling the first dose only. To know how to schedule your second dose, read ahead.

CoWIN Website

Step 1: Open the CoWIN online portal.

  • Scroll down your mobile screen to find the yellow “Register / Sign In Yourself” button and click on it. (For laptop users, this button will be located in the top right corner of your screen.)

Step 2: You’ll first have to verify your mobile number.

  • Enter your mobile number in the given space and then click on the blue “Get OTP” button.
  • You’ll receive an SMS that will contain a numerical one-time password (OTP). Enter this six-digit number within 3 minutes to avoid running out of time and click on “Verify & Proceed”.

Note that you’ll have to verify your mobile number every time you sign into the portal.

Step 3: Now comes the registration part.

  • Click on “Photo ID Proof” to open the dropdown menu and select one from the options – Aadhar Card, Driving License, PAN Card, Passport, Pension Passbook, NPR Smart Card, and Voter ID.
  • Enter the ID number of the document you select in the “Photo ID Number” space.
  • Fill in your name (as printed in the ID proof), gender, and year of birth.
  • Check whether all the details are entered correctly and then hit the “Register” button below.

This step qualifies as the registration of one beneficiary. You can repeat the same process for three more persons using the “+ Add Member” option on the next page.

Step 4: You are all set to book an appointment.

  • Click on the “Schedule” option for each of the beneficiaries you want to book an appointment for.
  • A yellow “Schedule Now” tab will now be visible on the bottom of your screen. Click on it.

Step 5: Here, you can select your vaccination centre, either by your pin code or your district.

  • Click on the “Search By PIN” tab. Here you’ll be able to enter your area’s pin code. Click on “Search” to see the list of vaccination appointments available there.
  • Alternatively, click on the “Search By District” tab. In this option, you’ll have to select your state and district from the given dropdowns, and click on “Search”. You’ll then be shown the vaccination appointments available at centres not only in your particular area but the entire district.
  • Once the list of centres appears on your screen, scroll down to find the centre closest to you.

Whether the centre is paid or free will be specified against the centre’s name.

Step 6: It’s time to book your vaccination time slot.

  • You’ll be able to see the number of appointments available specified under the different dates.
  • Use the little arrows given beside the dates row to check for later or sooner dates.
  • Once you find the date suitable for you, click on the number listed below it against your preferred vaccination centre.
  • You’ll be given the choice of four different time slots to choose from. Click on the one which is convenient for you.

Those in the 18-45 age group will not be able to book at a centre marked ’45+’.

Step 7: Review the appointment details and if everything is correct, hit the “Confirm” button. Your jab is now secured!

 

Aarogya Setu App

Step 1: Download the Aarogya Setu app on Google Play or iOS App Store. Click on the “Vaccination” tab at the top of your screen.

Step 2: You’ll first have to verify your mobile number.

  • Enter your mobile number in the given space and then click on the blue “Get OTP” button.
  • You’ll receive an SMS that will contain a numerical one-time password (OTP). Enter this six-digit number within 3 minutes to avoid running out of time and click on “Verify & Proceed”.

Note that you’ll have to verify your mobile number every time you sign into the portal.

Step 3: Now comes the registration part.

  • Click on “Photo ID Proof” to open the dropdown menu and select one from the options – Aadhar Card, Driving License, PAN Card, Passport, Pension Passbook, NPR Smart Card, and Voter ID.
  • Enter the ID number of the document you select in the “Photo ID Number” space.
  • Fill in your name (as printed in the ID proof), gender, and year of birth.
  • Check whether all the details are entered correctly and then hit the “Register” button below.

This step qualifies as the registration of one beneficiary. You can repeat the same process for three more persons using the “Click here to add beneficiary” option on the next page.

Step 4: You are all set to book an appointment.

  • Tick the box in front of each of the beneficiaries’ names you want to book an appointment for.
  • A blue “Schedule Vaccination” tab will now become clickable on the bottom of your screen. Click on it.

Step 5: Here, you can select your date, type and vaccination centre, either by your pin code or your district.

  • Enter the pin code of your locale. Select the date convenient for you by maneuvering through the calendar and click on “Set”. You can also choose whether you want a paid centre or a free one.
  • Alternatively, select on the blue “Click here” to find a centre with State, District and Block. In this option, you’ll have to select your state and district from the given dropdowns. Select the date and type of vaccination centre, i.e free or paid.
  • Hit the “Find Vaccination Centre” button once you have made your choices. Open the dropdown saying “Select Vaccination Centre” to choose the suitable one. Click on “Check Availability”.

If you can only see “Select Vaccination Centre” inside the dropdown, it means no appointment is available as per your choice. In that case, try changing the pin code, date or type of vaccination centre.

Step 6: It’s time to book your vaccination time slot.

  • Scrolling down, you’ll be able to see the number of appointments available specified in green below each date.
  • Find the date convenient for you and click on your preferred time slot next to it.
  • Scroll further down to the bottom of the page and click on the blue “Proceed” button.

Step 7: Review the appointment details and if everything is correct, hit the “Confirm Appointment” button. Your jab is now secured!

 

UMANG App

Step 1: Download the UMANG app on Google Play or iOS App Store. Select your preferred language, tick the terms and conditions box and click on “Next” to open the app.

Step 2: You’ll first have to register yourself on the app.

  • Click on the “Register” button at the top of the page.
  • Enter your mobile number in the given space, tick the terms and conditions box, and then click on the blue “Register” button.
  • You’ll receive an SMS that will contain a numerical one-time password (OTP). Enter this six-digit number and click on “Verify”.

Note that although you can log in to the app using OTP, you’ll have to set up your MPIN.

Step 3: Now comes the registration part.

  • Scroll down to click on “Health” listed under the different categories, denoted with a pink heart and plus sign.
  • Select the “Co-WIN” option at the top and then on the little arrow next to “Register of Login for Vaccination”.
  • Here, you’ll again have to enter and verify your mobile number with an OTP.
  • Click on “Photo ID Proof” to open the dropdown menu and select one from the options – Aadhar Card, Driving License, PAN Card, Passport, Pension Passbook, NPR Smart Card, and Voter ID.
  • Enter the ID number of the document you select in the “Photo ID Number” space.
  • Fill in your name (as printed in the ID proof), gender, and year of birth.
  • Check whether all the details are entered correctly and then hit the “Submit” button below.

This step qualifies as the registration of one beneficiary. You can repeat the same process for three more persons using the “Add more” option on the next page.

Step 4: You are all set to book an appointment.

  • If you want to schedule for only one beneficiary, simply hit the dark blue “Schedule Appointment” button given under his name.
  • If you’re scheduling for more than one, tick the boxes in front of each of the beneficiaries’ names. A light blue “Schedule Appointment” tab will now become clickable on the bottom of your screen. Click on it.

Step 5: Here, you can select your vaccination centre, either by your pin code or your district.

  • Click on the “Search by PIN” tab. Here you’ll be able to enter your area’s pin code and date of vaccination. Click on “Search” to see the list of vaccination appointments available there.
  • Alternatively, click on the “Search by District” tab. In this option, you’ll have to select your state and district from the given dropdowns, choose the date, and click on “Search”. You’ll then be shown the vaccination appointments available at centres not only in your particular area but the entire district.
  • Once the list of centres appears on your screen, scroll down to find the centre closest to you.

If the centre is paid, it will be specified below the centre’s name.

Step 6: It’s time to book your vaccination time slot.

  • Once you locate your centre in the list, you’ll be able to see the eligibility criteria at that centre and the slots available on your preferred date.
  • Click on “View Slots”.
  • You can now choose the time slot convenient to you from the four given options by simply clicking on it.

If no slot is available on the date you’ve chosen, the app will show you vacant slots on close-by dates.

Step 7: Review the appointment details and if everything is correct, hit the “Confirm” button. Your jab is now secured!

 

How will I know if my appointment has been confirmed?

Once you complete your appointment booking through the above steps, you’ll receive a confirmation SMS showing the centre, date, time slot of your appointment and your Reference ID.

You’ll also be able to view and download the appointment slip under your name on CoWIN and Aarogya Setu, reiterating these details.

In Aarogya Setu app, you can also click on the beneficiary’s name appearing in blue and scroll down to see the appointment status.

 

I can’t register online. What should I do?

Now that vaccination centres provide registration services, you can simply walk into one and take their help.

If you’re keen on registering by yourself but are facing any trouble online, contact your local government health workers for help in on-the-spot registration, appointment, and verification. Keep in mind that you need to carry your mobile phone and a photo identification document.

Ask your nearest government health care worker to guide you about the nearest government CVC where and when the COVID vaccine will be available.

The government has set up a national helpline at 1075 for queries regarding COVID vaccination and the CoWIN website.

 

How can I reschedule my appointment?

If you need to change the centre, date or time of your appointment after you confirm, you can use the “Reschedule” option given under your name on CoWIN, or the small calendar sign showing next to your name under the Action column on Aarogya Setu.

If you miss your appointment for any reason, then your booking will automatically be disregarded and you’ll have to reschedule.

After you click on “Reschedule”, follow steps 5, 6 and 7 again.

 

How to schedule the second dose?

If you’re done with the one jab, you needn’t and shouldn’t register yourself again, as that would take you back to the first dose again.

After you complete the first dose of the vaccine regimen, your account on the portals will be automatically updated to reflect ‘Partially Vaccinated’. It will also show the minimum number of days left after which you can take the second dose.

Now, below the details of your first dose, you’ll see dose 2, its due date and the “Schedule” option. By clicking on this you’ll be able to directly schedule your second and final dose of the same vaccine.

The steps after this remain the same as the first time. You can also refer to steps 4, 5, 6 and 7 given above.