UAN Number: How To Check, Generate & Activate UAN Number

What is a UAN Number?

We already decoded the UAN full form above. It is also sometimes referred to as the Universal Account Number. It is a 12-digit number that is allocated to both your employer and you. Under the UAN, you are allowed to contribute to your PF account, also called the EPF. The Ministry of Labour and Employment in India is responsible for issuing the UAN. The EPFO generates the number and allocates it to both the employer and the employee.

The EPFO UAN, upon generation, remains the same all through the number of years that the company remains operational as well as the total years of your active employment. This is regardless of the number of jobs that you have been a part of during your active career. Each time you change your job, you will be allotted a new member identification number (ID) which links automatically to your UAN. This simplifies the process of maintaining multiple EPF deposit accounts under one single UAN, accessible to both your employer and you.

How to Check the UAN?

The process on how to know a UAN number is rather simple. There are two simple means how to find your UAN number:

1. Getting it through the employer
2. Getting it directly from the UAN portal

As part of the routine employment process, your employer is obligated to inform you of your UAN in case it is your first-ever job on your career journey. In case you are not notified by your employer, you can easily find your UAN printed on your salary slip. This will be visible once your employer starts deducting their PF contribution towards your fund from your annual salary. All Indian companies follow this protocol so it’s hard to miss knowing your UAN at the start of your very first employment with a company in India.

You can also easily get your UAN from the UAN portal. Read below on how to get the UAN number from the portal:

1. Log on to the UAN portal – https://unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in/memberinterface/
2. Click on the tab ‘Know Your UAN Status’.
3. Enter the required details on your Aadhar number, PAN number, and PF number/member ID (if available from the employer).
4. Select your State and EPFO office from the dropdown list provided.
5. Fill out the mandatory fields of Name, DOB, Contact Number, and Captcha Code.
6. Once the form is duly filled, click ‘Get Authorisation PIN’.
7. The PIN will be sent to your mobile number. Enter it and then click on ‘Validate OTP’.
8. The UAN button will now be displayed on the screen.
9. Click the button to get your UAN via SMS.

How to Generate a UAN for EPF?

Every employer in India is obligated under the Labour Law to generate a UAN for every employee that joins his/her organisation. This rule applies to all companies with 20 or more employees. If the company is the employee’s first on his/her career journey, then the employer must generate a UAN for him/her. In case the employee has already worked with a prior establishment before this firm, he/she must intimate the employer of his/her UAN.

To generate a new first-time UAN for a new employee, the employer can follow the below procedure:

1. Log on to the EPF Employer Portal using the EPF Employer Login. The login credentials are the Establishment ID and password that are unique to the particular employer.
2. In the ‘Member’ section on the portal, click on the tab ‘Register Individual’.
3. Enter the required details of the employee – Aadhar Number, PAN number, bank account details, and more.
4. In the ‘Approval’ section, you (the employer) will be required to approve all the details entered.
5. Upon approval, the EPFO will generate a new UAN.
6. You can then link the employee’s PF account with their UAN.

How to Activate a UAN?

Once generated, the employee can activate the UAN number on the UAN member portal via the following steps:

1. Log on to the UAN eSewa portal – https://unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in/memberinterface/
2. Click on the ‘Activate UAN’ tab.
3. Fill in the details of your Aadhar card, Member ID, or PAN, as required.
4. Now click on the tab ‘Get Authorisation PIN’.
5. You will receive an OTP on your registered mobile number.
6. Enter the OTP in the given field.
7. Click on ‘Activate UAN’ and your number will be activated for use.
8. Upon activation, you will get a password on your mobile number. You can change it to suit your convenience.
9. To avail of the EPF passbook facility, log on to Member e-Sewa using the user ID and password provided via the UAN member login. With this facility, you will be able to track and view your EPF balance online.