EPF Form 31 – What It Is, Eligibility, Filing Procedure, and Instructions

Updated on: May 28th, 2025

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5 min read


EPF Form 31, also known as EPF Advance, is an application form filed by employees to partially withdraw funds from their EPF account. The Employee Provident Fund Scheme allows its members to withdraw funds from the PF account before maturity under certain conditions, such as unemployment, medical illness, marriage, purchase or construction of a new house, etc. 

Conditions of Partial Withdrawal from EPF Account

The employee can withdraw the entire PF amount only under certain conditions:

  • Upon retirement at 58 years of age
  • Unemployed for more than 2 months
  • Death of an EPFO member
  • Employee with permanent and total disability to work
  • Migration abroad

Except for the following conditions, the EPF member cannot withdraw the entire EPF amount. However, there are certain conditions under which partial withdrawal from the EPF account is allowed to employees. These conditions are described below:

Purpose of Withdrawal

Withdrawal Limit

Minimum Service Required

Other Conditions

Education

50% of the employee's contribution to the EPF with interest

7 years

Expenses incurred for the education of children post-matriculation

Marriage

50% of the employee share with interest

7 years

Marriage of self/ son/ daughter/brother/sister

Land Purchase or Purchase/ construction of a new house

For land purchase, 24 times the monthly basic wages and dearness allowance, the total employee and employer share with interest, or total cost, whichever is least.

 

For the Purchase/ construction of a new house, 36 times the monthly basic wages and dearness allowance, or total cost whichever is lower

5 years

Land or house to be purchased should be under the name of the member, spouse, or owned jointly with the spouse

Home renovation

12 times of a member’s monthly wages with dearness allowance, or the employee’s share with interest, or cost, whichever is least

5 years

The home to be renovated should be registered under the member’s name, spouse’s name, or jointly held with the spouse. 

The facility can be availed twice:

  1. After 5 years of completion of the house

Loan repayment

36 times the monthly wages with dearness allowance, or the total employee and employer share with interest, or the total outstanding principal and the interest of the loan, whichever is least

10 years

  1. The loan must be taken from an agency
  2. The agency must provide a certificate indicating the outstanding principal and interest 

Before retirement

90% of the accumulated corpus with interest

After an individual reaches 54 year of age and within one year of retirement/ superannuation whichever is later

To cover their financial expenses

Special cases:

Closure of the establishment for over 15 days and employees are unemployed without compensation

The employee has not received a salary for more than 2 months continuously

100% employee share with interest

N/ A

The reason for not receiving compensation can be anything other than a strike.

Declaration in Form 31

Form 31 can be considered as proof that the reason for partial withdrawal is well within the specified criteria. The form must be signed by the employee before submission. There are a few fields to be filled in by the employer and the EPF Commissioner. You must make sure to fill in the latest and factual information in the form. Also, attach the required documents with the form while submitting.

Form 31 requires you to fill in the following information:

  • Member name, father/husband’s name
  • Factory/establishment name and address
  • PF account number
  • Basic wage and dearness allowance
  • Full postal address of the member
  • Mode of remittance –
    • Account payee cheque (mandatory for site/house flat purchase or construction through agency, or repayment of housing loan)
    • Electronic mode
    • Money order only in the case of a withdrawal amount less than Rs.2,000
  • Signature of the member and the employer
  • Advance stamped receipt (Re.1 stamp)
  • A section of the page to be filled in by the employer
  • A section for use in the PF Commissioner’s office

Documents Required to Submit Form 31

Purpose of Form 31 Submission

Documents Required

Medical reasons

  • Certificate by the employer
  • Certificate by the doctor

Purchasing a house

  • Declaration
  • Registration certificate of the property

Loan repayment

Certificate from the agency stating the outstanding principal and interest

Marriage

Declaration within Form 31

Grant advances in special cases

Certificate from the employer

Physically handicapped

Certificate from the doctor

Withdrawal before retirement

Declaration from the member

How to Download Form 31?

Form 31 is available on the EPFO’s official website. Or, you can download it from here.

How to Submit Form 31 Offline?

Step 1: Download Form 31 as specified above.

Step 2: Fill up the relevant details in the form.

Step 3: Upon filling, contact your employer and get a certification validating your employment with them. Ask them to fill in the designation, date, and signature fields in the form. Do not miss to get the enclosures attested.

Step 4: Submit the duly filled form to the respective jurisdictional EPFO office.

How to Submit Form 31 Online?

Step 1: Visit the official website of EPFO https://unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in/memberinterface/.

Step 2: Log in to your account by entering the UAN, password, and captcha, and clicking on ‘Sign in’.

Step 3: Select the option ‘Form-31, 19, 10C & 10D’ under the ‘Online Services’ menu item.

Step 4: An auto-filled form will be displayed. Enter the last four digits of your bank account number and verify it.

Step 5: Click on ‘Yes’ when the ‘Certificate of Undertaking’ pop-up window asks you to agree to the terms and conditions.

Step 6: Select the ‘Proceed for Online Claim’ option and choose the ‘PF Withdrawal’ option from the dropdown menu as shown in the image below.

Step 7: Choose the ‘PF Advance Form’ and enter the details such as the purpose of withdrawal, withdrawal amount, and other relevant details.

Step 8: Click ‘Submit’ to complete the online application process.

How does Form 31 Look?

Form 31 is a 4-page document that look like this:

What Should you Remember while Submitting Form 31?

  • You have to attach a cancelled cheque with the form as a mandatory step for verifying your bank account details.
  • In the case of offline application, certification from the last employer is mandatory.
  • Online application is possible only if the member has linked his bank account, Aadhaar, and PAN with UAN.
  • It takes about a couple of weeks’ time to process the application and transfer funds.

 

 

 

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Frequently Asked Questions

When is the certificate from the last employer mandatory?

Employer’s certification is mandatory for submitting the EPF Form 31 offline.
 

How long does it take to withdraw funds from an EPF account?

Offline Withdrawal takes up to 30 days, and online withdrawal takes up to 20 days.
 

How can I cancel the EPF application for withdrawal through Form 31?

You cannot cancel the EPF application for withdrawal through Form 31. In case of further queries, you can contact the EPFO regional office or register a grievance in the EPFO grievance portal.
 

How much of the EPF can be claimed through Form 31?

The withdrawal amount depends on the reason for withdrawal and the service period.
 

Can I withdraw the entire amount by filling out Form 31?

No, Form 31 is only for a partial withdrawal of the EPF amount. 
 

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