If you work in a company registered under the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), a part of your salary and an equal contribution from your employer is deposited every month into your EPF account. This guide explains how to check your PF balance, when you can withdraw it, and the exact online process to file a claim in 2026 — without visiting an EPFO office.
What is EPF and Who Can Withdraw
The Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) is a retirement savings scheme managed by EPFO. Every member gets a Universal Account Number (UAN) that stays the same across jobs. You can withdraw the full amount, part of it as an advance, or the pension component (EPS), depending on your situation.
- ●Full (final) withdrawal — after retirement, or after 2 continuous months of unemployment
- ●Partial withdrawal (advance) — for medical treatment, marriage, education, home purchase/construction, or during a lockdown/pandemic
- ●Pension withdrawal (Form 10C) — if you have less than 10 years of service and are not yet drawing pension
- ●Monthly pension (Form 10D) — after completing 10 years of service and reaching 58 years of age
Documents and Details You Need
- ●UAN (Universal Account Number) — printed on your salary slip or given by your employer
- ●Aadhaar-linked mobile number (for OTP verification)
- ●Bank account number and IFSC code — must be linked and seeded with your UAN
- ●Aadhaar number linked to UAN
- ●PAN card (mandatory if withdrawal amount is above ₹50,000 and service is under 5 years, to avoid higher TDS)
- ●Scanned cancelled cheque or first page of passbook (only if the portal asks you to upload one)
Your UAN must be activated and KYC-verified (Aadhaar, PAN, and bank account linked and 'digitally approved' by your employer) before you can file any online claim.
Step-by-Step: How to Activate Your UAN
- 1Go to the EPFO Unified Member Portal at https://unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in/memberinterface/
- 2Click 'Activate UAN' in the 'Important Links' section on the left
- 3Enter your UAN, Aadhaar-linked mobile number, and captcha code, then click 'Get Authorization Pin'
- 4Enter the OTP received on your mobile and click 'Validate OTP and Activate UAN'
- 5Your login password will be sent by SMS to the same mobile number within a few minutes
Step-by-Step: How to Check Your PF Balance
- 1Login at https://unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in/memberinterface/ using your UAN and password
- 2Click 'View' in the top menu, then select 'Passbook'
- 3Enter your UAN and password again on the passbook page and click 'Login'
- 4Select your Member ID from the dropdown to view employee share, employer share, and pension contributions
- 5Alternatively, give a missed call to 011-22901406 from your UAN-registered mobile for an instant SMS with your balance
- 6Or send an SMS 'EPFOHO UAN ENG' (replace ENG with your preferred language code) to 7738299899
Step-by-Step: How to File an Online PF Withdrawal Claim
- 1Login at https://unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in/memberinterface/ with your UAN and password
- 2Go to 'Online Services' in the top menu and click 'Claim (Form-31, 19, 10C & 10D)'
- 3Verify the last 4 digits of your bank account linked with UAN and click 'Verify'
- 4Click 'Yes' on the 'Certificate of Undertaking' pop-up to proceed
- 5Click 'Proceed for Online Claim'
- 6Select the claim type from the 'I Want To Apply For' dropdown — choose 'PF Advance (Form 31)' for partial withdrawal or 'Final PF Settlement' for full withdrawal
- 7For an advance, select the exact purpose (e.g. 'Illness', 'Marriage', 'Purchase of dwelling house/site') and fill in the amount required
- 8Enter your full address, tick the disclaimer checkbox, and click 'Get Aadhaar OTP'
- 9Enter the OTP sent to your Aadhaar-linked mobile number and click 'Validate OTP and Submit Claim Form'
- 10Note the Claim ID / Tracking ID shown on screen to track your claim status later
How to Track Your Claim Status
- 1Login to the member portal and click 'Track Claim Status' under 'Online Services'
- 2Or open the UMANG app, search for 'EPFO', select 'Track Claim' and enter your UAN
| Claim Form | Purpose |
| Form 19 | Final settlement of EPF (employee + employer share) on leaving job/retirement |
| Form 10C | Withdrawal or scheme certificate for the pension (EPS) portion, if service is under 10 years |
| Form 31 | Partial withdrawal / advance for medical, marriage, education, housing, etc. |
| Form 10D | Monthly pension after 58 years with 10+ years of service |
| Withdrawal Situation | Waiting Period / Condition |
| Full withdrawal after resignation | Must wait 2 months from the last day of employment |
| Full withdrawal on retirement | Allowed immediately after retirement at 55+ years |
| Medical advance | No minimum service required; can be claimed anytime |
| Marriage advance | Requires 7 years of EPF membership |
| Housing advance | Requires 5 years of EPF membership |
PF withdrawn before completing 5 years of continuous service is taxable. TDS is deducted at 10% if PAN is linked, or 20% if PAN is not linked, on withdrawals above ₹50,000. After 5 years of continuous service (including service with a previous employer if the PF was transferred), the withdrawal is completely tax-free.
Most online claims with correct KYC and Aadhaar-verified UAN are auto-processed and credited to your bank account within 3 to 7 working days; other claims are settled within 15-20 days as per EPFO norms.
Common Problems and Fixes
- ●'Claim rejected — KYC not verified': Ask your employer to digitally approve your Aadhaar, PAN, and bank details on the employer portal
- ●'UAN not activated': Repeat the UAN activation steps above using your Aadhaar-linked mobile number
- ●OTP not received: Confirm your mobile number is linked to Aadhaar and EPFO records; update it via the 'Manage' > 'Contact Details' tab after logging in
- ●Bank account verification failing: Check that your bank account number and IFSC on the portal exactly match your passbook, with no extra spaces
- ●Claim stuck in 'pending at field office': Raise a grievance on the EPFiGMS portal at https://epfigms.gov.in with your Claim ID
Helpline and Support
For any issue with UAN activation, KYC, or claim status, contact the EPFO toll-free helpline at 1800-118-005 (available in multiple Indian languages), or email employeefeedback@epfindia.gov.in. You can also file a formal grievance at https://epfigms.gov.in, which is tracked until resolution. There is no fee for any EPF withdrawal claim — never pay anyone claiming to speed up your PF processing.