How to Activate UAN: Step-By-Step Process
Universal Account Number (UAN) is an important number for EPF account holders. Any employee who is contributing to EPF is assigned UAN. A Universal Account Number is a unique 12 digit number that is generated by the Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO). Ministry of Labour and Employment authenticates UAN. In this article, we will learn the process of how to activate UAN.
Table of Contents
- What is Universal Account Number (UAN)?
- How to Generate UAN for the first time?
- How to Regenerate UAN?
- How to Activate UAN?
- How to Reset UAN Password?
- Advantages of Having Universal Account Number (UAN)
What is Universal Account Number (UAN)?
UAN for an employee remains the same throughout the employee's life whether he/she changes the job. Once the employee switches the job a new member identification number or EPF number (ID) is allotted. This ID is linked to the UAN. One can request a new member ID by submitting a UAN to the new employer. In short, UAN is only once generated in an employee’s lifetime and under this single UAN, multiple IDs are generated for different jobs.
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How to Generate UAN for the first time?
For every PF account number appearing in the Electronic Challan cum Return (ECR), a Universal Account Number is allotted by EPFO.
- UAN is then available on the Online Transfer Claim Portal (OTCP).
- The employer has to download the UAN list from the UAN menu in the OTCP.
- After that, the employer shares the UAN with its members.
How to Regenerate UAN?
Following is the step-by-step process of regenerating UAN:
- When an employer submits the ECR and the payment is confirmed, a list containing member IDs without OTCP is generated. This helps in identifying members without UAN against member IDs.
- The employer has to complete Form-11 with respect to the member IDs that have not been allotted UAN or linked to UAN.
- Employers have the facility to declare these member IDs on OTCP against:
- UAN
- Previous member ID
- First-time membership
- The declared member IDs are shared with EPFO from OTCP. At EPFO, the information is processed for:
- Generating new UANs against member IDs without UAN.
- Linking member IDs against UAN that already have UAN generated against previous member ID.
- Generating and linking UAN against member ID and previous member ID in case neither have UAN.
How to Activate UAN?
The following steps are to be followed to activate UAN:
- Visit www.epfindia.gov.in/site_en/index.php
- Click on 'Our Services'
- Select 'For Employees' in the drop-down menu. Click on 'Member UAN/Online Service'. It will redirect you to the UAN member portal
- Click on 'Activate your UAN' located under 'Important Links' on the right-hand side
- Enter the following details including:
- UAN
- Mobile number
- Provident Fund Member ID
- Enter the displayed captcha code and then, click on the 'Get authorization PIN'
- Request for One time Password
- You will then receive the OTP on the registered mobile number
- Click on 'I agree' and enter the OTP received on the registered mobile number
- Click on 'validate OTP and activate UAN'
How to Reset UAN Password?
The following steps must be followed to reset the UAN password:
- Go to the UAN portal
- Click on 'Forgot Password'
- Enter UAN along with the captcha
- Click on submit
- Enter your details including name, gender, date of birth and then, click on 'verify'.
- Enter the AADHAAR number, captcha and click on 'verify'.
- Enter mobile number and click on the 'Get OTP' button.
- Enter the received OTP on the registered mobile number and click on ‘verify'.
- You can change your password by entering it twice in the provided boxes.
- Click on 'submit' to update the password on the EPFO portal.
Advantages of Having Universal Account Number (UAN)
The following are the advantages of having UAN:
- Simplifies PF Account Management: With a UAN, employees can easily manage their PF accounts online. It consolidates multiple PF accounts into one, eliminating the need to transfer funds when changing jobs.
- Easy Online Access: Employees can access their PF account details, download UAN cards, and check their PF balance and passbooks online through the EPFO portal using their UAN.
- Hassle-Free PF Withdrawal and Transfer: The UAN facilitates easy and hassle-free transfer of PF balances from one account to another upon changing jobs. It also simplifies the process of withdrawing PF, reducing the dependency on the employer for withdrawals.
- KYC Integration: Linking the UAN with KYC details (Aadhaar, PAN, and bank details) ensures transparency, reduces fraud, and makes the system more efficient. It also makes the verification process quicker for employers.
- SMS Updates: Employees receive SMS notifications each time their employer deposits the monthly PF contribution into their account. This keeps them informed about the timely deposit of their contributions.
- Loan Application: Having UAN and a well-maintained PF account can help employees apply for loans against their PF amount. This can be particularly helpful in times of financial need.
- Portability: The UAN remains the same throughout the lifetime of an employee, regardless of the number of jobs they change. This portability makes it easier to keep track of PF contributions and accumulations over their career.
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FAQs
How can an employer view the UAN allotted to its members?
Employers can indeed the UANs assigned by the EPFO to their establishment's members. To do this, they should navigate to the UAN Menu and select the ‘Download UAN List’ option. This action allows employers to quickly view the UANs assigned to their members. For those who want to download a PDF version, there is a hyperlink on the right-hand side of the page labeled for downloading. Clicking on this link presents five different download options. Employers can choose the one that suits their needs and proceed to download the document.
How do new employees receive a UAN?
Upon the successful submission and payment of the Electronic Challan cum Return (ECR), the names of employees who do not have a UAN and are included in that ECR will appear under the ‘Confirm Previous Employment’ link. Here, employers can either provide details of previous employment or declare it as new employment based on the Form-11 submitted by the new employee. After the employer approves this, the details are sent to the EPFO for the allocation or linking of a UAN. The list of newly allocated UANs can then be found on the portal under ‘Download UAN List’.
Is it possible for an employer to download a UAN list sorted by the date of creation?
Indeed, employers have the capability to download the list of UANs sorted by their creation date, either in ascending or descending order, or by distribution. By clicking on the download PDF/Text hyperlink, employers will be presented with four hyperlinks to choose the desired sorting order.
Can an employer look up the UAN of employees from other establishments?
Employers have the ability to search for the UANs of employees from other establishments. This can be done by selecting the ‘Search UAN’ option in the UAN Menu and searching using either the Member ID or UAN.
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