Universal Account Number (UAN) is important for EPF account holders as the entire process related to the Employee Provident Fund (EPF) services are now operated online. Thanks to UAN, accessing your PF account services like withdrawal, checking EPF balance without the help of an employer, and PF loan application is easy. This article covers everything about your Universal Account Number.
The Universal Account Number or UAN is a 12-digit unique number assigned to every employee contributing to the EPF. It is generated and allotted by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) and authenticated by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India. The UAN of an employee remains the same throughout his life irrespective of the number of jobs they change.
Every time an employee switches his/her job, EPFO allots a new member identification number or EPF Account (ID) linked to the UAN. As an employee, one can request a new member ID by submitting the UAN to the new employer. Once the member ID is created, it gets linked to the UAN of the employee. Hence, the UAN will act as an umbrella for the multiple member IDs allotted to the employee by different employers.
The UAN remains the same and portable throughout the life of an employee. The employee shall have a different member ID when switching between jobs. All such member IDs are linked to the employee’s UAN to ease the process of EPF transfers and withdrawals.
Generally, you are allotted a Universal Account Number by your employer as per the EPFO. Some employers print the UAN number in the salary slips too.
If you are unable to get your Universal Account Number from the employer, you can obtain it through the UAN portal also. Simply, follow the steps below:
Step 1: Visit the UAN portal which looks like this:
Step 2: Click on the tab ‘Know your UAN’. The following page will appear.
Step 3: Enter your registered mobile number and captcha for verification. Click on the button ‘Request OTP’. Enter the OTP and captcha code and click on the ‘Validate OTP’ button.
Step 4: It will redirect you to enter your name, DOB, PAN/Aadhaar/member ID, and captcha for verification. After entering all the details, click on the button ‘Show my UAN’.
Step 5: Your UAN number will be displayed on the screen.
To activate UAN, you must have your Universal Account Number and PF member ID with you.
Given below are the steps to activate UAN on the EPFO portal:
Step 1: Go to the UAN portal and click on ‘Activate UAN’ under the ‘Important Links’ tab on the dashboard.
Step 2: Enter the UAN, Aadhaar number, name, date of birth, mobile number, captcha code and click on the ‘Get Authorisation Pin’ button.
Step 3: A new screen will appear on your desktop, where you will be provided with your given details. Make sure that all the information is correct.
Step 4: Now, you will have to click on the ‘I Agree’ checkbox. Enter the four-digit OTP and click on ‘Validate OTP and Activate UAN’.
Step 5: Once the OTP is verified, the UAN will be activated.
Upon UAN activation, you will receive a password on your registered mobile number to access your account.
If you have just joined your first registered company for a job, you need the following documents to get your Universal Account Number.
Step 1: Navigate to the UAN portal.
Step 2: Choose the ‘Forgot Password’ option.
Step 3: Enter your UAN and the displayed captcha details and click on the ‘Submit’ button.
Step 4: Enter your name, gender, and date of birth and click on the ‘Verify’ button.
Step 5: Enter your Aadhaar number, captcha code, and click on the ‘Verify’ option.
Step 6: Once the details you have entered get validated, key in the mobile number in the box provided and click on ‘Get OTP’.
Step 7: An OTP will be sent to the mobile number you have entered. Key in your OTP and click on ‘Verify’.
Step 8: You will now get an option to change your password. The password has to be entered twice in the boxes as provided. Once you enter the new password details, click on ‘Submit’.
On clicking the ‘Submit’ option, the password will be updated on the EPFO portal.
With a valid EPF number you can easily download your UAN card by following the steps mentioned below:
Make sure you have an active UAN with a valid password for logging into the EPFO portal.
An employer must register on EPFO if there are 20 or more employees. If the old employer has already assigned the UAN, the employee should provide such details to the new employer. However, for employees joining the service for the first time, the employer needs to generate the UAN for the employee. To generate a new UAN for the employee, the employer has to follow the below steps:
The employee should follow the below steps to link UAN with Aadhaar:
Step 1: Log in to the EPFO portal and click on ‘UAN Member e-Sewa’ under ‘For Employees’.
Step 2: Enter UAN, password, and Captcha to Sign in to the portal.
Step 3: Under the ‘Manage’ tab on the top panel, click on ‘KYC’
Step 4: Tick the check box in front of Aadhaar, enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number and name, and save the details.
Step 5: After submitting, your details will reflect under the ‘Pending KYC’ tab. Once the employer approves, it will reflect under the ‘Approved KYC’ tab (It will generally take 15 days for approval).
Linking your Aadhaar to the EPF account will help in faster processing of the withdrawal and transfer process. The present employer should approve and verify the KYC, including the employee’s Aadhaar details.
An employee can change or update his/her personal details, such as name, date of birth, mobile number and e-mail ID by logging into the UAN portal. However, the details to be updated should match the details on the Aadhaar card, else it will not be updated on the UAN portal. The employer must give their approval for updating the name and date of birth.
Below are the steps to update the name and date of birth on the UAN portal:
Step 1: Visit the UAN Portal.
Step 2: Enter your UAN number, password, captcha code and click on the ‘Sign In’ button.
Step 3: Click on the ‘Manage’ tab and click on the ‘Basic Details’ option.
Step 4: Enter the name/date of birth you want to update in the UAN portal under the ‘Changes Requested’ heading and click on the ‘Update’ button.
Step 5: A message will be displayed as ‘Pending approval by Employer.
Step 6: Contact your employer and ask them to approve your changes.
Step 7: Once the employer approves the changes, the EPFO office will approve the changes and update your name/date of birth on the UAN portal.
Below are the steps to update the mobile number and e-mail ID on the UAN portal:
Step 1: Visit the UAN Portal.
Step 2: Enter your UAN number, password, captcha code and click on the ‘Sign In’ button.
Step 3: Click on the ‘Manage’ tab and click on the ‘Contact Details’ option.
Step 4: You will now see an option to change your mobile number or email ID. Select the ‘Change Mobile Number’ or ‘Change E-mail ID’ option.
Step 5: Once you select the ‘Change Mobile Number’ or ‘Change E-mail ID’ option, additional boxes will be displayed. You will be prompted to input your new mobile number or e-mail ID twice. Next, click on the ‘Get Mobile OTP’ or ‘Get Authorization Pin’ button.
Step 6: Once you receive the OTP on your new mobile number, input it and click on ‘Submit’. On clicking submit, your new mobile number or e-mail ID will be updated on the EPFO portal.
Step 1: Visit the UAN Portal.
Step 2: Click on the ‘Forgot Password’ option.
Step 3: Enter your UAN and the displayed captcha details and click on the ‘Submit’ button.
Step 4: Enter your name, gender, and date of birth and click on the ‘Verify’ button.
Step 5: Enter your Aadhaar number, captcha code, and click on the ‘Verify’ button.
Step 6: Once the details you have entered get validated, key in the new mobile number linked with your Aadhaar in the box provided and click on ‘Get OTP’ button.
Step 7: An OTP will be sent to the new mobile number you have entered. Key in your OTP and click on ‘Verify’.
Step 8: You will now get an option to change your password. The password has to be entered twice in the boxes as provided. Once you enter the new password details, click on ‘Submit’. On clicking the ‘Submit’ option, the mobile number and the password will be updated on the EPFO portal.
UAN Helpdesk Number: 1800-118-005
UAN Helpdesk Email Id : employeefeedback@epfindia.gov.in
Timing - 9:15 AM to 5:45 PM
The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) allocates UAN when an employee subscribes to the EPF.
No, an employee can have only one UAN which is transferable across all eligible employers.
Yes, without UAN, you cannot submit online claims.
Yes, the UAN is linked with the PAN.
No, this cannot be done as the balance in EPF accounts is linked with the UAN which is transferable across all eligible employers.
UAN stands for Universal Account Number, which comprises information concerning all Member Ids of an employee. UAN is eligible throughout an employee’s lifetime and will remain a permanent number. The 12-digit UAN will remain the same if an employee switches jobs.
A PF number comprises all PF information and details concerning the PF transaction of an employee with the issuing organisation. This number is mandatory for EPF withdrawals.
You can change your personal details, such as name, date of birth, e-mail ID and mobile number by logging into the UAN portal. However, please note that these details will be updated on the UAN portal only if they match the details on your Aadhaar card. Thus, first, you need to update your personal details on the Aadhaar card and then proceed to update them on the UAN portal.
To update/change the name and date of birth, you need to click on the ‘Basic Details’ option under the ‘Manage’ tab after logging into the portal. Next, you need to enter the updated name or date of birth and click on the ‘Submit’ button. However, your employer will have to approve the changed name and date of birth. Once, it is approved by the employer, the EPFO will update the details on the UAN portal.
For updating the mobile number or e-mail ID, you need to log in to the UAN portal and click on ‘Contact Details’ under the ‘Manage’ tab. Enter your updated mobile number or e-mail ID and click on the ‘Submit’ button.
You can check your PF account balance by using UAN through the following process:
You can know the status of UAN by following the below process:
You can get your UAN through your employer. You need to contact your HR/accounts department to get your UAN without a mobile number. You can also check your payslips since some companies put the UAN numbers on payslips.
You can get the UAN number by giving a missed call when you are registered and activating your UAN on the UAN portal. Members registered on the UAN portal can get the UAN details by giving a Missed call to 9966044425 from their registered mobile number.
Some companies include the UAN number on the salary slips. Thus, check your salary slip and search if there is a mention of the UAN number on the salary slip. Employers will clearly mention the heading ‘UAN – (12 digit number)’ in the salary slip.
Yes, you must give your old UAN to a new employer when you are joining a new company/employer. Your new employer will open a new EPF account and link it with your existing UAN.
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