The Employee Provident Fund (EPF) is a retirement savings scheme where both you and your employer contribute 12% of your basic salary every month. After years of work, this can add up to a significant amount. But many employees — especially when they change jobs or face emergencies — don’t know how to access this money. The EPFO now allows completely online claims settled in 3–7 days.
Types of EPF Withdrawal
- Full Withdrawal: After retirement, or after 2 months of unemployment (with no new job)
- Partial Withdrawal (Advance): Allowed for specific purposes even while employed — medical emergency, housing, education, marriage
- Pension Withdrawal (EPS): If you have less than 10 years of service, you can withdraw your pension contribution. If 10+ years, you qualify for a monthly pension after retirement.
Before You Apply: Prerequisites
For online claim, you need:
- UAN (Universal Account Number) — activated and KYC completed
- Aadhaar linked to UAN
- Bank account linked and verified in UAN portal
- Mobile number linked to Aadhaar (for OTP verification)
If your UAN is not activated, log in at unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in and activate it using your member ID (from your salary slip), Aadhaar, and date of birth.
How to Withdraw EPF Online (Step by Step)
- Go to unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in
- Log in with your UAN and password
- Go to Online Services → Claim (Form 31, 19, 10C, 10D)
- Enter your bank account number and click “Verify”
- Click “Proceed for Online Claim”
- Select the claim type: Full Settlement (Form 19), Pension Withdrawal (Form 10C), or Advance/Partial (Form 31)
- Fill in the purpose, upload required documents if any, and submit
- Enter the OTP sent to your Aadhaar-linked mobile
- Your claim is submitted — track it in the “Track Claim Status” section
Settlement time: Claims are usually settled in 3–7 working days and money is credited directly to your bank account. You will receive an SMS confirmation.
Partial Withdrawal: When Are You Eligible?
- Medical emergency: Up to 6 months’ basic salary + DA (no minimum service required)
- House purchase or construction: After 5 years of service
- Home loan repayment: After 10 years of service
- Wedding expenses: After 7 years of service (for self, children, or siblings)
- Education: After 7 years of service (for self or children)
- COVID-19 emergency: 3 months’ basic salary + DA (special provision)
Tax on EPF Withdrawal
- If you withdraw after 5 continuous years of service — completely tax-free
- If you withdraw before 5 years — TDS is deducted; the amount is added to your income and taxed as per your slab
- If you have less than ₹50,000 in EPF — no TDS even before 5 years
Pro Tip: Don’t withdraw your EPF when changing jobs. Transfer it to your new employer’s EPF account instead. Withdrawing early means losing future compound interest and your pension eligibility. Use the “One Member One EPF Account” transfer facility at the EPFO portal.
Quick Summary
- Activate UAN and complete KYC at epfindia.gov.in
- Full withdrawal after retirement or 2 months of unemployment
- Partial advance allowed for medical, housing, education, and wedding
- Online claims settle in 3–7 days to your bank account
- Avoid withdrawing early — transfer when changing jobs instead
All information sourced from epfindia.gov.in. MeraHaq is not affiliated with any government body.