EPF Transfer Process When You Switch Jobs

Let’s find out about the online EPF transfer process

• Go to the EPF official website and log in using your UAN number and registered Password.
• Navigate to the ‘Online Services’ section and select ‘One Member – One EPF Account (Transfer Request)’ that is available in the dropdown menu.
• Read the information on your PF account for the current employment very carefully. Details such as name, preferred bank account details, UAN, establishment name, date of joining, member name, and name of father/spouse must be verified.
• For viewing the PF account details of your previous employment, select the ‘Get details’ option.
• To attest the claim form based on the authorized signatory for Digital Signature, you can either opt for your previous employer or current employer. Input the Member UAN/ID and your attestation source to proceed.
• Choose the ‘Get OTP’ option for generating an OTP. This will be sent to your registered mobile number.
• Next, enter the correct OTP and click on the ‘Submit’ button.
• A tracking ID is generated at the end of the process. This can be used for keeping a track of the request status. You must then submit a self-attested copy of the online PF transfer request in PDF format within 10 days. Your employer will have to digitally approve this transfer request. Post this step, your PF balance will be successfully transferred to the new PF account.

Here is an alternate set of steps that you can follow for EPF transfer:

Step 1: Complete the details of Composite Declaration Form (F-11), instead of Form 11. This has to be done along with the details of the old PF account and correct Universal Account Number (UAN).

Step 2: Furnish this to the new employer.

Step 3: The new employer will pass on this set of information to the employer’s portal at EPFO.

Step 3: In case UAN has been linked with Aadhaar and verification by a previous employer is done, then the portal auto-triggers the process.

Step 4: Next, you will receive an SMS confirming the trigger of the auto-transfer process.

Step 5: After the first instalment of EPF has been deposited by the new employer and appropriately reconciled, the auto transfer is processed. The employee will get an SMS notifying the completion of the transfer of old EPF balance to the new EPF account.

The total time taken to complete the transfer of PF account is approximately 20 days. This can differ depending on the time taken by the previous employer for attesting the old claim.

What documents are needed for EPF claims procedure?

The list of documents needed for the withdrawal process depends on the reason for submitting the claim. Here is a quick reference for documents needed:

• Buying a House – Declaration and Registration certificate of the property
• Repayment of Loan - Outstanding principal and interest certificate by the lending agency
• Cash advances - Certificate from the current employer
• Medical reasons - Certificate from the employer and the doctor
• Marriage - Declaration in Claim Form 31
• Treatment of physical disability - Certificate from the consulting doctor
• Withdrawal before retirement - Declaration by the member

What happens to an existing PF account in case of PF transfer?

In case you switch a job from one organisation to another EPFO registered establishment, a fresh PF account will be added to your UAN. You can request to transfer the existing EPF balance from your previous account to the new account online using the UAN Member e-Sewa Portal.

However, for accessing EPF facilities online, you should ensure that your UAN is linked to your Aadhaar. Along with the transfer of your PF balance, EPS fund transfer also gets done but this will not be reflected on the online portal.

What happens to UAN in case of EPF transfer?

Your Universal Account Number or UAN will remain the same even when you join a new establishment. The UAN is set up on the ‘one account, one subscriber principle.’ Any new PF account will be added to your existing UAN.

In case an employer sets up a new UAN number against the credentials of an employee, the service tenure stated in the two UAN ids are not added for while computing the pension eligibility of the employee. Thus, it makes sense to add the new PF account to the existing UAN id.

In case your employer has created a new UAN for the PF account then you can opt to withdraw the entire EPF balance from the existing PF account. This can be done after the completion of two months of switching jobs. Technically, you will be considered as unemployed as per your old PF records and therefore, you are allowed to withdraw your PF money. You can also opt to merge different UANs and transfer the balance to the new PF account.

Why should you transfer PF instead of closing it?

While shifting jobs and joining a new workplace, an employee can opt to close the old PF account and open a fresh one. But it makes more sense to transfer the old PF account funds to the new one. In earlier days, the transfer required a lot of paperwork, including getting the transfer form from the old employer and submitting to the new one. However, with the availability of an online self-service portal of EPFO, the process has become much smoother and hassle-free for the account owners.

Advantages of EPF Transfer

In case you opt to close an old account before completion of 5 years, the withdrawn amount is taxable. On the other hand, if you simply transfer the EPF funds, you do not have to pay any tax and can enjoy the benefits of money in full. You can also choose to partially withdraw EPF funds for reasons such as purchase/construction of a house, medical expenses, marriage-related expenses, etc. EPF balance earns the prevailing interest rate. This earning can be a substantial sum in the long run as there is compounding involved.

How to track your EPF status using claim ID?

In case a need arises, employees are permitted to withdraw and transfer EPF amount from their accounts. For this, a claim has to be raised for any withdrawal and transfer requirements. The employer has to approve or reject the claim that is raised by an employee. For checking the approval status of such a claim, you can make use of the mobile app. Another way to go about it is through the EPFO’s member portal or by using SMS. Here are the steps involved:

• Go to the EPFO’s member portal website
• Next, click on the ‘Know your status’ option.
• Alternative URL that can be used
• Enter the details of the state of your regional PF office location.
• Enter the details of establishment, such as establishment code.
• To continue, enter your correct PF account number.
• Next, you will be asked to enter details such as the 3-digit code of your PF account number which comes in numeric or alphabetic form. Enter the same to proceed
• After this, you have to select the ‘submit’ option to know about your claim. The claim status will show up along with the respective claim status ID.
• With the help of the claim ID available on the EPFO member portal, you can easily check the status of your claim.
• EPFO’S mobile app or SMS by the EPFO are other ways of checking the status of the claim.

FAQs