EPFO: How To Merge Two Or More PF Accounts—A Step-By-Step Guide
When changing jobs, employees often end up with multiple PF accounts, which can complicate fund management. Let’s find out how to merge PF accounts.
People change jobs for various reasons — better pay, career growth or new opportunities. Often, it improves their CVs as well as long-term job prospects. One unavoidable consequence of job changes is the creation of a new Provident Fund (PF) account.
When you start a new job, your employer may set up a fresh Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) account with a different Universal Account Number (UAN). This 12-digit number uniquely identifies your PF account and is intended to remain the same throughout your career. Frequent job changes can sometimes lead to multiple UANs being generated.
The funds from your previous PF account do not automatically transfer to the new one. If you wish to consolidate your savings, you need to merge your PF accounts.
Steps for merging PF accounts online:
You can merge your EPF accounts either through the EPFO portal or by sending an email request.
Through the EPFO portal
Visit the EPFO portal.
Sign in using your username and password.
Click on the section titled “Online Services”.
Select the option “One Member-One EPF Account”.
Enter the required information, including your name, UAN, and registered phone number.
Click on “Generate OTP”.
An OTP will be sent to your registered mobile number. Enter the OTP and click “Verify OTP”.
A pop-up window will appear. In this window, enter the details of the PF accounts you want to merge.
Agree to the declaration by ticking the box and then click “Submit”.
Through email
You can also merge multiple PF accounts by sending an email request to uanepf@epfindia.gov.in.
In your email, you must provide details of the EPF accounts you want to merge.
Once your request is verified, the EPFO will deactivate any older UANs, ensuring that only your current UAN remains active.
After this process is completed, you will need to submit a claim to transfer funds from the previous PF accounts into your active one.
By following these steps, you can ensure all your PF savings are consolidated into a single account, making it easier to manage and track your retirement funds.
