Universal Account Number (UAN)

Universal Account Number (UAN) is 12-digit long unique identification number. This number is assigned by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). Both the employer and employee are assigned this number (one each), so that they can contribute to the EPF account. The UAN number identifies Employee Provident Fund (EPF), and keeps it secured. So even if several PF accounts are opened for you by different employers, they will come under a unique UAN number.

• After UAN is generated for an employee, it remains unchanged throughout his/her tenure with the organization.
• The Universal Account Number of an employee is the same even if he/she switches job in lifetime.
• For the company, the UAN remains constant for the entire tenure the organization remains in business.

However, after you switch a job, you will receive a new identification number (ID) by the EPFO, which you have to link to the existing UAN (EPFO account). When doing so, you have to let the company know about this, and do the needful on the EPFO portal by self, or request the employer for the same on your behalf.

In this post, we will discuss about purpose of UAN number, benefits and features, how to check/find UAN number, documents required, how to generate UAN, how to activate Universal Account Number, facilities on the UAN portal, how to link the same to Aadhaar details, and frequently asked questions.

What is the Purpose Behind Introducing UAN Number?

If a contribution from your monthly salary goes towards the EPF account, then you will have a Unique Identification Number. Earlier however, every employee was given a unique but new number for each Provident Fund account opened by different employers.

• But with UAN number that came to effect from 1 October, 2014, it has become easier for employees to access their EPF account.
• This is because the UAN number allows you to manage all your PF accounts under one platform, no matter how many times you change jobs in your entire employment period for lifetime.
• Even if you were employed before 2014, it is possible to port your PF account with the UAN.
• Thus, you get a safe and ready access to your PF accounts, and you do not have to then remember passwords and details to different accounts, which you had to otherwise do pre-UAN launch.

Benefits and Features of UAN Number

Here are the features and benefits of Universal Account Number:

• UAN helps to find all your PF account details at one place. It also gets all the PF details and KYC under a single platform.
• Even for the employers, your Universal Account Number helps them to know your Provident Fund history.
• It is easy to activate the UAN number through your bank account and identity details.
• With the help of this unique number, you can transfer and withdraw PF money anytime.
• Your PF account can be managed by self and the employer on the UAN online portal.
• On the UAN portal, the employer can verify and validate your PF request. The employer can also successfully submit the PF deduction/contribution here.
• As an employee, only you can access your UAN account as it is linked to your KYC details.
• This number is independent of all employers, and is a unique identification number for you.
• With the help of UAN, you can check your PF balance, status, claims, and a lot more, basically manage your complete PF account.
• With this identification number, you can keep a track of amount being credited by the employer every month, the deductions, and accrued interest.

How to Find Your UAN Number?

You can check your UAN number through your employer or the UAN Portal. Most of the employees do print the Universal Account Number on salary slips, so you can check this document for the same.

1) Check Through Employer: You can get in touch with your employer or the HR department of the company to know your UAN details. You can see the same on the salary slip, as deduction in your salary towards PF contributions will generally show in the salary calculation.

2) UAN Portal: Visit the Unified Portal and login with credentials.

• Then click ‘Know Your UAN Status’ and enter your PAN number and Aadhaar number, with other required details.
• You may even fill a form based on the member ID of the organization.
• In case you provide the PF number or member ID, then fill the EPFO office and state from the dropdown menu, and submit.
• You can search the UAN with help of your PAN or Aadhaar number as well.
• You will have to enter other information such as your name, date of birth, mobile number, and captcha code.
• Click ‘Get Authorization PIN’. Now enter the PIN you receive on your mobile number.
• Click ‘See the UAN number’, and you will then get the details through an SMS on your registered mobile number.

Documents for UAN Number Generation

You need to submit the following documents for the Universal Account Number generation:

• PAN Card
• Aadhaar Card
• Bank account number, branch name, and IFSC code
• Address Proof (any one of the government-recognized) such as a photo ID, ration card, etc
• ID proof (any one of the government-recognized) such as Voter ID, Driving License, Passport, Aadhar card, etc
• ESIC card, if you have an account

How to Generate UAN Number?

Here are the two ways of generating the UAN number:

• Employer Generated UAN: When you join your first job, the employer will generate the UAN number. The company will ask for a few documents for a one-time procedure. After generation of UAN number, the same will remain constant for lifetime or the duration of the entire employment years.
• Self-generated UAN Number: If your employer does not do the needful, but is making PF contributions, then even you by self can generate the Universal Account Number. Just follow the above-given steps on your own to get desired results.

How to Activate UAN Number?

After the UAN is generated, you can activate the same this way:

• Visit the UAN portal, click ‘Activate UAN’.
• To activate the Universal Account Number, you have to enter the UAN, PAN number, and Aadhaar Number.
• Also provide your personal details and mobile number as asked on the page.
• You will receive a verification pin on your registered mobile number.
• Enter this pin and click ‘Authorize and Activate’.
• You can activate this number on EPFO app. Download the Unified Mobile Application for New-age Generation (UMANG).
• This app has all the UAN services. To download, you can visit the app store or give a missed call on 9718397183, or send an SMS EPFOHO UAN to 7738299899. Reply with the correct option to the SMS you get hereafter. After this step, you will know about the UAN activation status.

Which Services Are Available on the UAN Portal?

Here are the UAN facilities on the Unified Portal:

• Check UAN eligibility online
• Download the UAN Card
• Get a list of all the member IDs of your previous organizations and current employer
• View and download UAN Passbook
• Request for PF withdrawal, transfer, balance check, claim partial withdrawal
• Update KYC anytime
• Link UAN and Aadhaar
• Edit personal information

Frequently Asked Questions on Personal Loans

Here are the UAN FAQs: