A Step-by-Step Guide to UAN Generation and Activation Process

Employees’ Provident Fund or EPF is a government scheme for salaried professionals. Under this scheme, a small portion of your monthly salary is credited to your EPF account. The idea of the EPF programme is to offer a lump amount of savings to salaried employees upon retirement.

However, to enjoy the benefits or to be a part of the EPF scheme, you need to have an activated UAN (Universal Account Number). If you are just starting with your corporate life and are not aware of  UAN, then this guide is for you. We will be discussing everything from learning what is UAN to how you can activate it.

What is a UAN number?

The acronym UAN stands for Universal Account Number. It is a 12-digit unique number assigned to each employee under the Employees Provident Fund scheme. This number is allotted by the Employee Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), which is under the supervision of the Government of India.

Your UAN number remains the same throughout your lifetime, till you retire. Even if you change your organisation, you would be using the same UAN and will be required to provide your UAN number to the employer.

Importance of having a UAN number

The UAN (Universal Account number) can be of importance to you if you are a salaried person. A few reasons for it being important are :

• Until the time of your retirement, your UAN remains the same which makes it easy to transfer your PF (Provident Fund) balance from one account to another.
• By activating UAN you are eligible to utilise all the online services offered by EPFO.
• With the help of your UAN, you can claim a partial withdrawal.
• With the help of UAN, you can easily track your EPF Passbook, withdrawals, deposits, claim status, etc. using the EPFO portal.
• You can regularly check whether or not your employer has contributed your share of money to the EPF.
• You can easily transfer your EPF amount from one Member ID to another with the help of UAN and can be done online.
• You get to receive regular SMS updates about what is happening with your PF account. This makes it easy to stay updated about your PF holdings and activities.

From the above, you can notice that almost all the activities related to PF (Provident Fund) are through UAN. Therefore, to enjoy all the benefits offered by EPFO you should generate and activate your UAN.

Documents Required

To generate your UAN (Universal Account Number) you need to submit some documents. These documents are:

• Banking Information (Bank Name, IFSC Code, Account Number, and Branch Name)
• PAN (Permanent Account Number) Details
• Aadhaar Details
• Residential Proof (Voter ID, Driving License, etc.) 

Generating UAN

In most cases, your employer will generate the UAN (Universal Account Number) for you, and you can find it printed on your pay slip. However, if your employer has not shared the UAN with you, then you can generate it yourself. Follow the steps listed below carefully to generate your UAN.

1. Visit the government website of EPFO
2. At the login, the page toggle to “Direct UAN Allotment by Employees”, and click on it.
3. You will be prompted to enter your Aadhaar details, and then click on “Generate OTP”.
4. Enter the OTP (Time Password) sent on your registered mobile number and click on “Submit”.
5. You will now be shown all the details linked to your Aadhaar. Now enter the details against the “Mandatory” fields.
6. After filling out the mandatory fields enter the captcha and select the box in the disclaimer section.
7. Once you are done with all the above steps, cross-check the information and then click on the “Register” button.
8. A UAN shall be allotted to you.

Activating UAN

After generating the UAN the next step is to activate it to enjoy its benefits. To activate your UAN follow the steps below.

1. Go to the EPF Member Portal
2. Click on “Activate UAN”
3. Now choose from any of the three options presented to you, that is UAN, Member ID, or PAN/ Aadhaar.
4. Enter the necessary details like Date of Birth, mobile number, email ID, and name.
5. Click on “Get Authorisation PIN”.
6. After receiving the Authorisation PIN, put the PIN at the required place, and click on “Validate OTP and Activate UAN”.
7. Your UAN will be activated and the same will be sent to your registered mobile number.

Finding your UAN

If you have an activated Universal Account Number (UAN) but can’t remember what it was? In that case, follow the steps below to find out your UAN.

1. Go to the EPF Member Portal
2. On the homepage, toggle to “Know your UAN” and click on it.
3. You will now be required to enter your registered mobile number, and a captcha, and then click on “Request OTP”.
4. Enter the OTP (One Time Password)
5. Now you will be required to enter your name, date of birth, PAN/Aadhaar/ Member ID, and a captcha.
6. After entering all the necessary details click on “Show my UAN” to know your Universal Account Number.

Linking Aadhaar to UAN

It is advised that you link your Aadhaar with your UAN after you successfully activate it. You can link your UAN to your Aadhaar both online and offline. Let’s dive into the steps of linking your UAN.

Online Method:

1. Using the EPFO Online Portal

1. Visit the EPF Member Portal
2. Sign in to the “MEMBER e-SEWA” with the help of your UAN and password.
3. Click on “KYC” under the tab “Manager”.
4. Now select the option of “Aadhaar”.
5. Click on “Save”.

II.        Using the UMANG app

1. On your mobile device, download the “UMANG” app from the play store or app store.
2. Open the app and click on the “e-KYC services” option.
3. Now, select the option “Seed Aadhaar”.
4. Enter your UAN.
5. Click on the “Get OTP” option. OTP (One Time Password) will be sent to your registered mobile number.
6. Now enter the OTP and your Aadhaar number.
7. An OTP will be again sent to your mobile number to verify your Aadhaar.
8. Your Aadhaar will link to your UAN after the verification is completed successfully.

Offline Method:

You can visit any Aadhaar Seva Kendra or visit any branch of EPFOs, to link your Aadhaar with your UAN. Upon visiting the office you would be required to submit a request form, alongside a copy of your Aadhaar card. After successful verification of all the details, you will receive a notification on your registered mobile number.

Conclusion

For a salaried individual, UAN is extremely important. Not only does it allow you to access your PF (Provident Fund) Account, but also makes transferring and withdrawing easy. With the help of the availability of online portals, you don’t have to rely on your employer to generate or activate your UAN. Simply follow the steps of generating and activation listed above, and you should be good to go.

Frequently Asked Questions