UAN or Universal Account Number is a unique identification number allotted to each and every member of EPFO. It is issued by the Ministry of Labour and Employment. A member can have only one UAN during his service period where all EPF accounts are linked with his UAN.
When an employee changes his job, his EPF account number and member ID changes but UAN remains the same. In the event of allotment of two UANs, the member should inform his employer as well as EPFO instantly so that old UAN can be deactivated and the previous EPF corpus is transferred to the new PF account.
How to Generate UAN
When an employee joins the service sector for the first time, the employer has to get the UAN generated for him if the company has 20 or more employees. In case a UAN has been assigned to the employee in the previous organization, he has to furnish the details to the new employer. In order to get a new UAN generated for the employee, the employer has to follow these steps:
- Login to EPF Employer Portal using the Establishment ID and password
- Click on the “Register Individual” tab in the “Member” section
- Enter the employee’s details such as PAN, Aadhaar, bank details, etc.
- Approve all details in the “Approval” section.
- A new UAN is generated by EPFO and the employer can link the PF account with UAN of the employee.
How to Know Your UAN
Once the UAN is generated and EPF account is linked with it, the employer generally provides the UAN and PF details to the employee. However, you can easily find out your UAN in a few simple steps mentioned below:
- Visit EPF Member Portal to know your UAN.
- Select Member ID, Aadhaar or PAN
- Enter details such as name, date of birth, mobile number and e-mail id
- Click on the “Get Authorization Pin” option
- A Pin will be sent to your mobile number registered with EPFO
- Enter the Pin and your UAN will be sent to the mobile number
UAN Activation Process in Detail
Before you use the EPF member portal to avail any online service related to EPF, you have to register or activate your UAN. Without activation, you cannot avail any online facility provided by EPFO. You have to follow the steps mentioned below for UAN registration/activation:
- Visit EPF Member Portal and click on “Activate UAN”
- Select from any one of the following – UAN, Member ID, Aadhaar or PAN
- Fill additional details such as Name, Date of Birth, Mobile Number and Email ID and click on “Get Authorization PIN”
- An authorization PIN will be sent to the mobile number registered with EPFO
- Enter this PIN and click on “Validate OTP and Activate UAN”
- Your UAN will be activated and the password will be sent to your mobile number
- Now you can login to your EPF account using your UAN and password.
Linking Aadhaar with UAN
Once you login to your EPF account, you have to seed your details in UAN. Follow these steps to link your UAN with Aadhaar:
- Login to your EPF account at the EPF member portal
- Click on the “KYC” option in the “Manage” section
- Tick the square in front of Aadhaar and enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number and name
- Now click on the “Save” option
- Your request will be displayed in “KYC Pending for Approval”
- Once UIDAI confirms your details, your current employer’s name is mentioned in “Approved by Establishment” and “Verified by UIDAI” is mentioned against your Aadhaar.
Documents Required for UAN Activation
Following documents have to be provided at the time of UAN registration (this is usually taken from you by your employer when you join service):
- Aadhaar card
- PAN card
- Bank account details and IFSC
- Any other proof of identity or address, if required.
Importance of UAN
- UAN acts as an umbrella under which all PF accounts of a member are present. Earlier, it was difficult to track EPF accounts of the employee which has now become simpler after the introduction of UAN.
- The member can easily transfer his PF from old accounts to the new one online with the help of UAN
- The member can access all online services provided by EPFO by activating his UAN
Employee-Specific benefits of UAN
UAN has a number of benefits for employees. Some of them are mentioned below:
- You can easily keep a track of all your EPF accounts at a single place
- The employee can avail the facility of viewing EPF passbook online
- Partial withdrawal can be claimed online
- Transfer of EPF accounts can be done online
- Claim status can also be checked online through the EPF member portal
FAQs on UAN Activation
1) Can you activate UAN via offline modes?
UAN registration is done for availing online services provided by EPFO. So, UAN registration is done only online.
2) Can contractual employees register their UAN and avail online facilities?
An organisation with 20 or more employees has to generate UAN for its employees (with a salary of ₹ 15,000/- and above). Both contractual, as well as full-time employees, can avail UAN facilities online after activation.
3) I have not linked Aadhaar with UAN. Can I transfer funds online?
You cannot transfer funds or claim withdrawal if your Aadhaar is not linked with UAN. You have to mandatorily seed your Aadhaar with UAN.
4) I have changed my job. Should I activate my UAN again?
UAN has to be activated only once. You do not have to re-activate it every time you switch jobs.
5) Do I have to pay any fee for UAN registration?
No, UAN registration is free of cost and you do not have to pay any fee to activate it.
6) Can I activate UAN through SMS or mobile app?
There is no provision to activate UAN through SMS or any mobile app as of now. You have to do it online by visiting the EPF member portal only.