The Employees' Provident Fund, shortly known as the EPF, is one of the most popular retirement savings schemes for salaried individuals.

Under this scheme, employees can contribute a minimum of 12% of their basic pay (or even more) towards their retirement savings. Besides the contribution of the employee, employers also provide 12% of the basic salary of the employee for the funds.

The amount deposited in the fund continues to earn interest, providing the employee with a lump sum amount on retirement. 

Now, what happens if you switch jobs? Do you miss out on the accumulated funds in your EPF account? Well, no! The EPFO makes it easy and seamless for employees to switch their current PF accounts to the new employer. 

Here, in this guide, we show you how you can transfer your EPF account from a previous employer to your current employer. 

What are the options available to an employee while switching jobs? 

When switching jobs, the employee has two options:

  1. To withdraw funds accumulated in the current EPF account and open a new account with the new employer. 

  2. To transfer the current account to the new employer, and continue building the retirement corpus. 

Benefits of Transferring EPF from the Previous Employer to New Employer

The EPF is one of the most secure long-term investment funds available to salaried employees in India. It is backed by the central government, making it a safe and attractive long-term investment option. 

So, instead of breaking the investment mid-way and starting again from scratch, you can quickly transfer the EPF account to your new employer. By doing this, you can continue building your corpus, providing you with a lump-sum on retirement.

Besides helping you build a substantial retirement corpus, transferring PF is also beneficial from the tax point of view. This is because, if you withdraw funds from the EPF account within 5 years of continuous service, the proceeds generated are taxable. You can avoid taxation by switching the fund to the new employer. In this case, it is treated as a continuous service.

Additionally, the process of transferring the existing EPF account is seamless and straightforward. The EPFO provides each account holder with a unique UAN (Universal Account Number), which makes the transfer process seamless.

For the PF transfer, the account holder has to submit the transfer form online. This is then verified by the employer, who then approves the transfer process. That's it. The account is transferred to the new employer, and you can continue building your corpus.

Points to Keep in Mind, while Transferring EPF Account from One Employer to Another 

To ensure that the PF transfer proceeds smoothly, you need to consider the following:

  • The member should have activated the UAN via the UAN portal. 

  • The mobile number used for UAN activation should be active. 

  • The bank account number of the employee should be linked with the UAN. However, note that it's not mandatory to connect the Aadhaar number/PAN number with the UAN.

  • The employer should have verified the e-KYC documents of the account holder.

  • Either the previous or current employer should be digitally registered authorized signatories in the EPFO. 

  • Only one transfer request can be made at a time from the UAN. 

  • The personal information and other accounts related information entered by the account holder must be factually correct.

Only employees who meet these requirements can transfer the EPF account from the old employer to the current employer online. If you don't meet these requirements, you will be required to visit the nearest EPFO office to complete the process.

Documents Required for EPF Transfer from One Employer to Another 

Make sure to have these documents ready before initiating the transfer online:

  • Revised Form 13

  • Valid ID proof like PAN, driving license, Aadhaar, etc. 

  • Have the mobile number you used for UAN registration handy

  • EPF account number 

  • Details of the current employer like establishment number

  • Bank details of the salary account 

Step-by-Step Process to Transfer EPF Account from the Previous Employer to Current Employer 

  1. Visit the EPFIndia online portal, and in the main “Services” tab, choose “For Employees.” 

  2. You will be taken to the Member Homepage. Log into your account using the UAN and registered password. You will also be prompted to enter the Captcha Code displayed on the screen. Then, click on “Sign in.” 

  3. Once you have logged into the account, click on the “Online Services,” tab and select, “One Member – One EPF Account (Transfer Request).” 

  4. You will be taken to a webpage for the transfer request. First, verify if your details like the – UAN, date of birth, date of joining – are correct. 

  5. You can submit the request for transfer by entering the details of the previous employer or current employer. The option you choose acts as the authorised signatory for the transfer.  

  6. Next, you will be required to enter the Member ID/UAN of the chosen signatory. Click on the "Get Details" button to generate the MID of your previous/current employer.  

  7. In the next step, you will have to click on "Get OTP" to generate the OTP. Enter the OTP received on your registered mobile number to authenticate the request and click on “Submit.” 

Once you click on "Submit," the previous/current employer receives your transfer request. The employer approves the application by logging in using the employer's portal. The employer then verifies the details of the employee and supports the transfer request digitally. The transfer request is then sent to the EPFO, which then transfers your current account to the new employer.

The final step is to download the generated Form 13. It is the transfer claim format in PDF format. Download and print it. Sign it and submit the physical copy to the selected employer within 10 days of initiating the transfer online.

By transferring the account from one employer to another, you can continue building your retirement corpus using the same EPF account. 

EndNote 

It's common for all employees to switch from one employer to another, several times during their careers. Make sure that your EPF account moves with you while you change jobs. Use the guide listed here to transfer your EPF account online from one employer to another seamlessly.