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Your Employee Provident Fund (EPF) account is one of the most valuable financial assets a salaried employee has — yet millions of Indians have dormant accounts they cannot access because they don't know their UAN, haven't linked Aadhaar, or don't know how to file a claim. This guide explains everything about managing your EPF account in 2026.
UAN (Universal Account Number) is a 12-digit number assigned by EPFO to every PF member. It stays the same throughout your career regardless of how many employers you have. Your employer provides your UAN when you join — check your salary slip, offer letter, or ask HR. To activate UAN: visit unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in → Activate UAN → enter UAN, Aadhaar, mobile number linked to Aadhaar → verify OTP → set password. Once activated, you can access your passbook, check balance, raise claims, and transfer PF accounts from this portal.
Online: Login to epfindia.gov.in with UAN and password → Services → Member Passbook. The passbook shows all contributions — employee (12% of basic), employer (3.67% to EPF, 8.33% to EPS), and interest credited annually. Via missed call: Give a missed call from your Aadhaar-registered mobile number to 9966044425 — you'll receive an SMS with your balance. Via SMS: Send EPFOHO UAN ENG to 7738299899 from your registered mobile number. Via UMANG app: Login with UAN → EPFO section → Passbook.
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To withdraw entire PF balance (on leaving employment): Login to member portal → Online Services → Claim (Form-31, 19, 10C, 10D) → Verify bank account → Select 'PF Full Settlement' → Enter reason (left service) → Upload cancelled cheque (if bank not pre-verified) → Submit. Processing time: 3–7 working days. Money is directly credited to your bank account. Pre-condition: your UAN must be Aadhaar-seeded and your bank account must be linked and verified (shown as 'KYC Approved' in your UAN profile). If KYC is pending, contact your employer to approve it.
EPFO allows partial withdrawal for specific purposes before retirement: Medical emergency (self, spouse, children, parents): Up to 6 months' basic wages + DA or total employee share, whichever is less. No service requirement. Marriage (self, son/daughter, brother/sister): 50% of employee share. Minimum 7 years of service required. Education: 50% of employee share. Minimum 7 years, for education of children after Class 10. Housing (purchase, construction, or repayment of loan): Up to 36 months' basic wages + DA. Minimum 5 years of service. All partial withdrawals are done through Form 31 on the EPFO member portal.
When you join a new employer, your UAN remains the same — but your PF account number changes. To transfer your old PF balance to the new account: Login to member portal → One Member One EPF Account (Transfer Request) → Select your previous employer → The transfer request is sent to either your previous employer or current employer (based on whose DSC/eSign is available) for approval. Processing time: 10–20 working days. Do this within 3 months of joining a new job — dormant PF accounts (no contribution for 3 years) stop earning interest.
Name mismatch (UAN name vs Aadhaar name): Submit correction request through employer. Employer must approve the change in their establishment login. Date of Birth mismatch: Similar correction through employer. Both Aadhaar and employer records must match for any claim to be processed. Bank account not verified (KYC pending): Ask your employer to approve your KYC in their employer portal — this cannot be done by you directly. Claim rejected: Check the rejection reason in your member portal inbox. Common reasons: incorrect IFSC, bank account inactive, name mismatch, exit date not marked by employer.
About this article: Written and reviewed by the Sarkaari Saathi Editorial Team. Information verified against official government sources. Last updated: 15 July 2026.
Always verify from the official government portal before taking action.
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