UAN - Universal Account Number _{Last Updated : 21 Sep 2019}

The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) allots every employee and employer who contributes towards the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) scheme with a distinctive 12-digit number known as the Universal Account Number (UAN).

• All EPF Member IDs under one UAN
• Easy transfer of EPF
• Simple EPF withdrawal process
• Easy access to EPF statement

Why is UAN important?

Employee Provident Fund operations have now been digitised and all EPF-related services are carried out online. Therefore, in order to avail of EPF information and services, it is important to have a UAN. Using the UAN, employees can carry out many EPF-related services online with little time and effort, services such as EPF withdrawal, EPF transfer from one account to another, check EPF account statement, access EPF account passbook, and apply for loan against EPF.

For more information, Check out related articles UAN Registration, UAN Login, EPF Claim Status & EPF Passbook

Features of UAN

The UAN for an employee remains the same even if he/she changes jobs. However, employees will be given a new Member ID every time they change or switch their jobs. These Member IDs will be linked under one UAN. When employees take up a new job, they can submit their UAN to new employers and request for a new Member ID.

Mentioned below are the main features of the UAN:

• The introduction of the UAN helps in keeping track of the number of times an employee has changed jobs.
• The EPFO was allowed to have access to bank and Know Your Customer (KYC) details of an employee only after UAN was introduced.
• The introduction of the UAN has helped reduce the number of early withdrawals from the EPF scheme.
• The introduction of the UAN helps in reducing the trouble that companies and organisations go through in the verification of employees.

Documents required for UAN

The documents required for obtaining a UAN are mentioned below:

• Bank details such as branch name, IFSC code, and account number must be submitted.
• Proof of identity such as Aadhaar Card, Voter ID, Passport, Driving License, etc., must be submitted.
• Any address proof with the member’s current address mentioned on it must be submitted.
• Permanent Account Number (PAN) Card.
• Aadhaar Card must be submitted. The submission of Aadhaar Card is mandatory as it is linked to the member’s mobile number and bank account.
• Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Card.

Benefits of UAN

Given below are the advantages of the UAN:

• It is very easy for members to download the EPF statement. They can either use the EPFO portal or send an SMS to avail this facility.
• Employers will not be able to withhold the EPF money of the employees due to the presence of the UAN. Employees can check on a regular basis whether the employer has contributed its share of the money towards EPF.
• All Member IDs of the employee come under one UAN. Therefore, it is easy to access all the Member IDs.
• Transfer EPF amount from the old Member ID to the current one can be easily done online with the help of the UAN.

How to get the UAN

The two methods that employees can use to find their UAN are mentioned below:

• Through the employer: Employees can find out their UAN by asking their employers. The UAN can also be found on the salary slip of the employees as well.
• By using the Member ID on the UAN portal: In case employees are unable to get the UAN from the employer, they can use the UAN portal to get their UAN. The below-mentioned steps must be followed for employees to get the UAN on the portal:
• The first step would be to visit the UAN portal (https://unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in/memberinterface/).
• Next, the member must click on ‘Know Your UAN Status’. This can be found on the right-hand side of the page.

• On the next page, the employee must enter all the details required such as the state and EPFO office, name, date of birth, and captcha.
• After entering all the above details, the member must click on ‘Get Authorization Pin’.

• The member will receive the PIN on the registered mobile number. The next step would be to click on ‘Validate OTP and get UAN’ after entering the PIN.
• The member will receive the UAN on his/her registered mobile number.

UAN Activation

In order for members to avail of all the benefits of the EPFO portal, they must first activate their UAN. The activation of the UAN is a simple process and it is mentioned below:

• Initially, the individual must visit the EPFO portal (https://www.epfindia.gov.in/site_en/).

• Next, the individual must click on ‘For Employees’ which can be found under the ‘Our Services’ tab.

• On the next page, the employee must click on ‘Member UAN/Online Services (OCS/OTCP)’ which can be found under the ‘Services’ section.

• On the next page, the employee must click on ‘Activate UAN’.

• On the next page, individuals must enter their UAN, name, date of birth, mobile number, email ID, and captcha details. Next, individuals must click on ‘Get Authorization Pin’.

• Individuals will receive an OTP on their mobile numbers.
• Next, the individual must click on ‘Validate OTP and Activate UAN’ after entering the OTP and checking the disclaimer box.

• Individuals will receive their UAN and password on their registered mobile numbers. They will need to use these details to log in to the EPFO portal.

UAN Login

After activating the UAN, employees can log in to the EPFO portal using their UAN as username and the new password that they had created. After logging in, the following EPF-related activities can be taken care of:

• Download the UAN card and passbook
• View PF linking status and list all member IDs
• View PF transfer claim status, file transfer claim and system generated transfer claim status
• Edit personal details including mobile number and email ID
• Update KYC information and upload KYC documents
• View helpdesk contacts

Important points to keep in mind regarding UAN 

• UAN is a lifelong account number. 
• UAN facilitates the linking of a member's multiple EPF accounts. 
• PAN, Aadhaar, and Bank account details of a member are the KYC documents that should be submitted for UAN linking. 
• Previous EPF accounts can be clubbed through digitally authenticated KYC. 

• EPF services can be accessed directly through Aadhaar enabled UAN. 
• UAN is allotted by the EPFO for those members who have made at least one contribution during January 2014 or later. 
• Those EPF members who have don’t have UAN and have not made any contribution during January 2014 or later can request the EPFO to allot UAN. 
• For UAN activation, a member has to register his or her mobile number with the EPFO. He or she has the option to alter the mobile number linked with UAN at a later stage. 
• Any Indian citizen can request for UAN regardless of whether he or she is an EPF member or not. 

• Those members who have Aadhaar enabled UAN can submit their EPF claims directly to the EPFO. Members need not approach their employers for claims attestation. 
• Online applications for all UAN enabled member services are allowed. 
• UAN enabled member services are useful for EPF members who tend to change their jobs and locations often. 
• EPF members can download their UAN card from their online account after logging on to the Unified Portal. 
• Members who already have UAN should provide their KYC and UAN to the new company when changing jobs. This will facilitate the auto-transfer of the member's previous EPF account. 

FAQs

1. What happens to an employee’s UAN in case of job change?

If UAN is already allotted to the employee and if he or she shifts to another organisation, all he or she has to do is just provide the UAN upon joining and the new employer will link a new member ID to the employee’s UAN. UAN remains the same throughout a person’s career.

2. What is a UAN card and what information does it contain?

The UAN card has an employee’s UAN number. The front side of the card displays photo and KYC (in case the KYC documents are verified by the employer). The backside of the card has the latest five-member IDs along with contact details of EPF helpdesk.

3. How to transfer the balance from old EPF accounts and link it with the UAN?

After an employee’s new EPF account is linked to his or her UAN, the balance can be transferred from the previous/old EPF accounts. The transfer can be done online. The status of the transfer can also be checked online.

4. What to do if an employee has been allotted two UANs? How to get a UAN validated?

In some cases, employees might be allotted two UANs due to various reasons while submitting the UAN to previous and current employers. If that happens, the employee has to contact the EPF helpdesk immediately and mention both the UANs and after due verification, previous UAN will be blocked and the current UAN will be activated.

5. What to do if an employee’s date of birth has not been mentioned correctly in the EPF card?

In case an employee has to change his or her date of birth, father’s name, or their own name, he or she can apply for the same with supporting documents through their organisation. Contact the EPF helpdesk for more information regarding change of personal details in the UAN card.

6. What facilities are EPFO members entitled to?

Presently, members are entitled to the following facilities:

• UAN Card can be download
• Passbook can be downloaded
• Previous Member IDs can be viewed
• KYC details can be entered
• Personal details can be edited
• Eligibility for online transfer claim can be checked
7. What is the login password to the UAN portal?

The member will have to create a password during his/her activation of UAN. The password must be 8-25 characters long, have a special character, and must be alphanumeric.

8. What are considered as KYC documents?

Documents that can be used for KYC are:

• Driving Licence
• Bank Account Number
• Ration Card
• Permanent Account Number
• Aadhaar Card
• Election Card
• National Population Register (NPR)
• Passport
9. How to include photograph on the UAN Card?

Photographs on the UAN Card are not available now. The facility will be available on successful seeding of KYC of Aadhaar. Currently, the process is ongoing.

10. Can a scanned KYC document be uploaded?

A scanned document with a maximum size of 300 KB can be uploaded. Up to 8 scanned documents can be uploaded.

11. Who can employees contact for any queries regarding the UAN portal?

For any queries regarding the UAN portal, call the toll-free helpdesk number - 18001-18005.

12. Why is member activation required for completion of auto-transfer process?

Ensuring members are updated on the status of their transactions via his or her registered mobile number is the main idea for linking activation and EPFO services.

13. How long will EPF take to make changes in personal particulars?

Once the employer sends the complete information to the respective field office, it will take 1 month for the changes to be uploaded. Changes will be as per EPF norms.

14. What are the benefits of updating KYC details?

On updating KYC details, members get the following benefits:

• Easy withdrawal of PF amount
• Transfer of PF amount is easy
• Members will get a SMS intimation on a monthly basis regarding their PF
15. Why is it necessary to link Aadhaar Card with UAN?

Several measures have been introduced by the EPFO for EPF claims to be settled quickly. For a quick settlement of claims, the Aadhaar Card will have to be linked with the UAN. Linking Aadhaar Card with the UAN can help in submitting claims without the need of an attestation from the employer as well as not needing to provide any documentary evidence to the EPFO for partial withdrawals for medical, education, or marriage needs.

16. How to link Aadhaar with UAN online?

Subscribers can now link their Aadhaar number with their UAN via the EPFO website “epfindia.gov.in”. This facility, which has been made available since Diwali eve 2017, has been introduced with the aim of boosting volume of online claims, and eventually going paperless. The steps to link Aadhaar with UAN are as follows:

• Users can avail of this facility by going to the "eKYC Portal" on the EPFO website, under “Online Services” tab.
• From there, users need to click on 'Link UAN Aadhaar' to move forward in the process.
• Subscribers then have to enter their UAN to proceed further. This will trigger an OTP being sent to their mobile number registered with UAN.
• After OTP is verified, members will have to enter their Aadhaar Number. This will trigger another OTP to be sent to their mobile/email, but this time to the one linked with their Aadhaar.
• Once this OTP is also verified, and the UAN details match with their Aadhaar details, their UAN and Aadhaar get linked.