Glossary
HFR and HPR meaning: ABDM's two registries The full forms, who verifies each, and why neither replaces your licence.
Two abbreviations that turn up on ABDM forms, government circulars and software brochures. Here is what each stands for, what the registration gets you, and what it does not change about your council registration or clinic licence.
Published · Last reviewed · 3 min read
- HFR is the Health Facility Registry, a repository of public and private health facilities. HPR is the Healthcare Professionals Registry, a repository of health professionals across systems of medicine.
- Both are voluntary in the ABDM FAQ. If a private facility joins, the doctors serving there are also required to register on HPR.
- HFR verifiers check only that the facility exists. Council registration remains the legal requirement to practise.
HFR (Health Facility Registry) and HPR (Healthcare Professionals Registry) are the two national registries of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM): HFR lists health facilities, HPR lists doctors and other health professionals. The ABDM FAQ calls HFR "a comprehensive repository of health facilities of the nation across different systems of medicine" and HPR "a comprehensive repository of healthcare professionals involved in delivery of healthcare services across all the systems of medicine, both modern and traditional". Both portals, hpr.abdm.gov.in and facility.abdm.gov.in, now open the National Healthcare Providers Registry site at nhpr.abdm.gov.in (checked 27 October 2026).
How do HFR and HPR differ?
HFR registers a place and HPR registers a person. The table puts the ABDM FAQ answers side by side.
| HFR | HPR | FAQ entry | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full form | Health Facility Registry | Healthcare Professionals Registry | 241, 107 |
| Who registers | Hospitals, clinics, labs, imaging centres, pharmacies, blood banks; government and private | Doctors of all systems, dentists; other professionals "expected to start at later stage" | 242, 108 |
| What you get | A Facility ID on submission | A Healthcare Professional ID | 243, 16 |
| Time to fill | 20 to 30 minutes | 20 to 25 minutes | 243, 109 |
| Who verifies | State/UT government officials, existence only | The council, e.g. the State Medical Council for a modern-medicine doctor | 243, 245, 109 |
| Mandatory? | Voluntary | Voluntary | 248, 121 |
The two are linked. FAQ 243 says the facility manager must first "authenticate and generate a Healthcare Professional ID" and then log in with it to fill the HFR form. FAQ 244 says the facility's verification "is usually completed within 15 working days", subject to the state.
Are HFR and HPR mandatory for a private clinic?
No. FAQ 248 says HFR enrolment "is voluntary" and the decision rests with the facility's management. FAQ 121 says HPR enrolment is voluntary, but "In case private healthcare facility joins the ABDM, then healthcare professionals in that facility will also be required to get registered". FAQ 124 is the one to remember: "Registration in concerned Medical Council is a mandatory legal requirement which must be done for practicing healthcare. Registration in the digital health through ABDM, however, is voluntary."
Does HFR registration replace a clinic licence?
No. FAQ 245 says verifiers "will only verify the existence of such facilities and will not go into other legalities such as availability of permissions". Registration under your state's clinical establishments law stays with that authority; see clinic registration in India. In the same way HPR does not replace state council registration, and for MBBS doctors the National Medical Register is a separate NMC register.
What does it mean for a small OPD?
For a single-doctor clinic the order is fixed by the portal: the doctor registers on HPR and waits for the council to verify, then uses that ID to register the clinic on HFR and waits for the state's officials to verify it. ABDM services such as Scan and Share work only at ABDM-enabled facilities, and the patient's details have to reach the clinic's own software. The full step-by-step, with documents, is in our post on ABDM for private clinics.
Questions
What is the full form of HFR and HPR?
HFR is the Health Facility Registry and HPR the Healthcare Professionals Registry. Both are registries under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, run by the National Health Authority.
Who verifies an HPR application?
The ABDM FAQ says the concerned council verifies it. For a doctor of modern medicine that is the State Medical Council, which checks the credentials and approves the application.
Does HFR check my clinic's licences?
No. The FAQ says HFR verifiers only verify that the facility exists. Compliance with other laws is decided by the licensing or regulatory authority.
Can I register my clinic on HFR without an HPR ID?
The FAQ says the facility manager first generates a Healthcare Professional ID and logs in with it to fill the HFR application, so the ID comes first.
Sources
- National Health Authority, ABDM Frequently Asked Questions, entries 16, 107, 108, 109, 121, 124, 241 to 246 and 248 (read through the site's FAQ data feed) (accessed 27 Oct 2026)
- National Healthcare Providers Registry portal (redirect target of hpr.abdm.gov.in and facility.abdm.gov.in) (accessed 27 Oct 2026)
This is operational guidance for clinics, not legal or tax advice. Confirm with your state authority, council or CA.
Drafted with AI assistance; every fact checked against the sources listed; reviewed by Shaurya Pratap Singh.