Documents Required for Public Provident Fund (PPF) Account Opening

Updated: 06-04-2023 12:30:02 PM

For decades Public Provident Fund (PPF) has been the go-to tax saving investment scheme for millions of Indians. A key reason for PPF’s continued popularity has been not just the tax-free and reasonably high fixed rate of returns but also the assurance of low risk as a result of government backing. Though the popularity of this investment route has waned in recent years, one can still opt for it to diversify one’s portfolio. The following are key details regarding documents for PPF account for new subscribers.

Documents Required for PPF Account

• Completely filled-out application form with the signature of the applicant. The PPF Account opening Form A can be downloaded from the website of authorized banks as well as the India Post Office. Alternately, you could approach the nearby bank branch or post office to get the paper PPF account opening form
• Recent photographs of the applicant
• Self-attested photocopy of Identity Proof Document(s) – PAN, Aadhaar, Driving Licence, etc.
• Self-attested photocopy of Address Proof Document(s) – Aadhaar, Driving Licence, Voter ID, etc.
• Self-attested photocopy of Signature Proof Document(s) – PAN, Driving License, Voter ID, etc.
• In case of minor PPF account, KYC documents and a photograph of parent/guardian is required along with age proof document of the minor (Birth Certificate/School Leaving Certificate).
• You should carry the original documents when you visit the bank branch/post office for completing the account opening process.

The following is a shortlist of KYC documents for PPF and the specific purposes they can be used for at the time of PPF account opening* –

Document	Identity Verification	Address Verification	Signature Verification
Aadhaar	Yes	Yes	No
PAN	Yes	No	Yes
Driver’s License	Yes	Yes	Yes
Passport	Yes	Yes	Yes
Voter ID	Yes	Yes	No
Government Department/ Police ID/Defence ID Card	Yes	No	Yes
Credit/Debit card with photograph	Yes	No	Yes
Employer’s Letter certifying current mailing address	No	Yes	No
Recent postpaid phone/electricity/water bill, etc.	No	Yes	No
Recent stamped and registered home lease agreement	No	Yes	No
Bank Passbook/Credit Card Statement	No	Yes	No
Ration Card	No	Yes	No

*Source: IDBI Bank. This is a generic list of common documents that you can use to open a new PPF account. Specific documentation requirements may vary from one PPF account institution to another.

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Aadhaar and PAN Now Mandatory for PPF Account

• As per the recent notification issued by the Finance Ministry, it is now mandatory to provide your Aadhaar number and PAN to open a new PPF account. In case you have not been assigned an Aadhaar number yet, you need to provide proof of application of enrollment for Aadhaar card or enrollment ID at the time of account opening and furnish the Aadhaar number to the Accounts Office within 6 months from the date of opening the account.
• If you already have an existing PPF account and have not submitted your Aadhaar number, you need to do so within a period of 6 months with effect from 1st April 2023. Moreover, if you have not submitted your PAN at the time of account opening, you need to submit the same within a period of 2 months from the date of happening of any of the following events, whichever is earliest, namely:

– The balance at any point of time in the account is more than Rs. 50,000

–  The aggregate of all credits in the PPF account in any financial year is more than Rs. 1 lakh

–  The aggregate of all withdrawals and transfers in a month from the account is more than Rs. 10,000

• Your PPF account can become inoperational in case you fail to submit Aadhaar within the specified period of 6 months and PAN within the specified period of 2 months till the time Aadhaar number and/or PAN is submitted to the accounts office

Note: We have taken this information from The Gazette of India. To read more, click on https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2023/244822.pdf

FAQs

Q. What documents are required for opening a PPF account if I apply through net banking?

The documents remain more or less the same whether you want to open a PPF account online or by visiting a Post Office/bank branch. You are usually required to submit a passport-size photograph, KYC documents (PAN card, Aadhaar card, voter ID, driving license, etc.) and a duly filled and signed PPF account form. 

Q. What are the necessary documents for opening a children’s PPF account?

To open a PPF account for a minor the following details and documents are required:

• Details of the minor and guardian in the account opening form
• Account opening KYC documents of the guardian and the photograph
• Age proof (Aadhaar card/Birth certificate) of the minor child
• A cheque of Rs. 500 or above for initial contribution to the PPF account 

Read more about: PPF account for minors

Q. What are the documents required for opening a PPF account with SBI?

As per the SBI website, the following documents are required to open a PPF account with SBI:

• PPF account opening form (Form A )
• Nomination form
• Passport size photograph
• Copy of PAN card/Form 60-61
• Residence proof and ID proof as per Bank’s KYC norm