Universal Account Number (UAN) has become mandatory for all employees and employers all throughout the working career or even after retirement. UAN number is a must for transferring provident fund (PF) while changing the job or withdrawing PF after retirement. This is even required to know the status/balance of the provident fund. Today, we will discuss on UAN activation process, how to check UAN claim status and all other major details. UAN registration is simple and takes no more than 10 minutes online.
What is UAN Number?
UAN is a 12 digit number issued to all individual employee which is linked to the PAN and Aadhar number of the employee. This number will remain constant throughout the career. The UAN number will initially be generated by the employer at the time of joining the company. On changing the job, the employee needs to share it with the new employer so that the existing provident fund balance can be transferred or carry forward to the new employer.
With the new employer, a new provident fund number or member ID is created but the UAN number will remain the same. This will help the employee and employer both for the better management of the provident fund account.
For the first time, an employee has to obtain the UAN number from his/her employer. Go to your HR department or Accounts department and ask for the UAN number details. In some cases, the employer is mentioning the UAN number on the salary slip which is given to the employee.
Knowing the UAN number is not enough. You need to activate the same on the EPFO portal to carry out PF transfer or withdrawals using UAN number. Unless the UAN is activated, the PF transfer and withdrawal process cannot be initiated. Below is the step-by-step guide on UAN activation process.
UAN Activation Process
For the UAN activation process, there are some prerequisite things which you need to keep handy. They are:
UAN number: As I mentioned above, you need to have a UAN number ready with you. If you don’t know your UAN number, aks your employer to provide the same to you. It is a 12 digit unique number which is generated by your first employer.
Member ID: This is your provident fund number. If you don’t know your member ID ask your employer to provide it. Usually, your salary slip carries the member ID. This is required to activate the UAN number of the EPFO portal.
Decoding Member ID
On the EPFO portal, you need to enter your UAN number along with the member ID. There are certain specific fields which need to be filled. To enter the member ID, first, you need to select the state where your PF office is located. This is usually your employment city. There are chances that your state or city may have more than one office, you need to select the one applicable to you.
After that, you need to enter the region office, establishment, and the PF member ID.
The member ID is alphanumeric number comprises of the state, regional office, establishment and PF number of the employee. Let’s decode the same with an example.
Sample PF number: GJ AHM 0062428 000 0000147
- GJ represents the state, i.e. Gujarat
- AHM represents the regional office, i.e. Ahmedabad
- The next 7 numbers, i.e. 0062428 represents the establishment ID
- The next 3 numbers, i.e. 000 represents the establishment extension ID. It can be 000 if no extension is provided.
- The last 7 numbers, i.e. 0000147 represents the member ID (PF number of the employee)
Follow these steps for UAN activation
Go to the EPFO portal. Go to the Activate UAN link. Click the link and it will open the new page.
Fill all the field in the next screen as I have mentioned above in decoding the member ID.
Click on the “Get Authorization” pin. You will get the OTP on the registered mobile number.
On the successful UAN activation, you will get the above message on the screen. Your EPFO password will be sent to your registered mobile number. Once your UAN activation process complete, wait for at least 6 hours to get the access of your EPFO passbook.
UAN Activation Process via Mobile
EPFO is offering SMS based UAN activation for those people who do not have easy access to the internet. This process is blessing fo the people who are not very tech-savvy or are not familiar with the computer or smartphones.
In this process, you just have to send one SMS with the pre-defined format.
For SMS based UAN activation the member has to send below SMS text.
EPFOHO ACT, <<12 digit UAN number>>, << 22 digit member ID>>
Send this text message to 7738299899
SMS Based UAN activation is the easiest way to activate your Universal Account Number or UAN. It enables UAN activation for members just by sending a simple text message.
Benefits of UAN Registration
- Transfer your existing provident fund balance to the new employer
- Withdraw your EPF amount
- Check your EPF balance online
- Download your EPF/UAN passbook
- Download UAN Card
- Update KYC details
- Check eligibility for online claim
- Edit/update personal details
What is UAN Passbook
UAN passbook is the statement of the provident fund deducted by the employer and deposited into your provident fund account. This passbook typically shows the month-wise provident fund deposition of employer and employee both contribution. It also shows the entry of any withdrawal you have made in your provident fund account.
After successful activation of UAN number of the EPFO portal, you need to wait for at least 6 hours to get your passbook. This is like your bank account statement wherein you can check your debit/credit transactions.
This facility is only available for the registered members on the EPFO portal. So to get the access to the EPF passbook you need to first register yourself with the UAN activation process.
Points to Remember for UAN Passbook
- If you made any changes in your EPFO account credential
- The accesses to the UAN passbook will take at least 6 hours.
- This passbook will show the entries which are recorded at the PF office.
- Passbook facility is not available for the Exempted Establishments Members / Settled Members / InOperative Members.
FAQs of UAN Passbook
- Is it possible to view/download my UAN passbook?
Yes, you can view and download the UAN/EPF passbook by getting yourself registered on the EPFO portal and activating UAN number through the process mentioned above.
- Is it possible to view the EPF passbook online without the Universal Account Number (UAN)?
No, you cannot view or download the EPF passbook without UAN number being activated on the EPFO portal.
- In what format will I get the UAN Passbook?
The UAN passbook will come in the PDF format as a download file.
- Does a password required to open the UAN passbook?
No, there is no need for any password to open the UAN passbook.
- Are the entries shown in the UAN passbook is accurate?
Yes, the entries are checked by the field office before they are being uploaded on the EPFO portal.
- How long does it take for any updates made online to reflect on the EPF passbook?
It takes at least 6 hours to update the passbook.
Conclusion:
It is good to have your UAN activation done on the EPFO portal for hassle-free transfer of your PF balance in case you change your employer. The process will not take more than 10 minutes if you are ready with all the prerequisite things mentioned in this article.
If you find any difficulty in UAN Activation process, please comment below I will help you to get through your registration.