When it comes to EPF withdrawal, the first step that you need to do is to fill the required form. Yes, in order to process your request further, filling a PF form is mandatory. You can fill the form either online or offline and can get your claim. The EPF withdrawal claim can be made by an employee if he is unemployed or when he retires. However, the online process of the PF claim is easy and time-saving hence is preferred by many. But to use the online withdrawal claim facility, your aadhaar is mandatory to be linked with your UAN. Yes, every EPF member has its own UAN and it is compulsory to link your 12-digit numeric number with it to reap the benefits. Once your aadhaar is linked with the EPF account, you can easily go through the claim process and get the funds in your linked bank accounts. 

How to Fill EPF Withdrawal Form

Follow the steps mentioned below to fill your PF form to get the claim online.

EPF Withdrawal Online to Get the Claim

Step 1: Visit the official website of EPF and sign in with your UAN and password

Step 2: From the top menu bar, click on the ‘Online Services’ and select ‘Claim (Form-31, 19 & 10C)’ from the drop-down menu

Step 3: Member Details will be displayed on the screen. Enter the last 4 digits of your bank account and click on ‘Verify‘

Step 4: Click on ‘Yes’ to sign the certificate of the undertaking and proceed further

Step 5: Click on the ‘Proceed for Online Claim’ option

Step 6: Select ‘PF Advance (Form 31)’ to withdraw your funds online

Step 7: A fresh section of the form will open, wherein you have to select the ‘Purpose for which advance is required’, the amount required and the employee’s address

Step 8: Tick on the certification and submit your application

Step 9: You may have to submit scanned documents depending on the purpose for which you have filled the form

Step 10: Your employer has to approve your withdrawal request after which the money will be withdrawn from your EPF account and deposited in the bank account mentioned at the time of filling the withdrawal form.

Note: An SMS notification will be sent to your mobile number registered with EPFO. Once the claim is processed, the amount will be transferred to your bank account. Although no formal time limit has been provided by the EPFO, the money usually gets credited within 15-20 days.

Who is Eligible for EPF Withdrawal

• Money from the EPF account can be withdrawn only after retirement. EPFO considers early retirement only after the person has crossed 55 years of age
• Partial withdrawal of EPF is permitted only in the case of a medical emergency, house purchase or construction, or higher education
• EPFO allows withdrawal of 90% of the amount 1 year before retirement
• One can withdraw the EPF corpus if he/she faces unemployment before retirement due to lock-down or retrenchment
• As per the new rule, only 75% of the corpus can be withdrawn after 1 month of unemployment. The remaining will be transferred to the new EPF account after gaining employment
• Employees do not need to wait for approval from their employer for withdrawing their EPF. By linking UAN and Aadhar to your EPF account, you do get the approval online
• While making the claim online, you must have-
  • An active UAN number
  • Bank details linked with UAN
  • PAN and Aadhar details seeded into EPF database

Documents Required for EPF Withdrawal

• Composite Claim Form
• Two revenue stamps
• Bank account statement (The bank account should be only in the name of the PF holder while he/she is alive)
• Identity proof
• Address proof
• One blank and canceled cheque with clearly visible IFSC code and account number
• Personal information such as father’s name, date of birth, etc. should clearly match with the identity proof

Note: If an employee withdraws his PF amount before 5 years of continuous service, he is liable to facilitate ITR Forms 2 and 3 in order to prove a detailed breakup of the entire amount deposited in the PF account every year.

How to Check EPF Claim Status Online

You can easily check EPF claim status online at the EPF member portal. You first need to log in to the portal online and select track Claim Status under the Online Services section. 

Note: You will not have to enter any reference number to check the status, it will be displayed on the screen automatically. 

When to Withdraw EPF?

• When an individual retires
• When an individual remains unemployed for more than two months: To make a withdrawal in this circumstance, the individuals must get an attestation of the same from a gazetted office.

Reasons for EPF Withdrawal

Reasons for withdrawal	Limit for withdrawal	No of years of service criteria	Other conditions
Marriage	Up to 50% of employee’s share of contribution to EPF	7 years	For the marriage of self, son/daughter, and brother/sister
Education	Upto 50% of employee’s share of contribution to EPF	7 years
Purchase of land/purchase or construction of a house	For land – up to 24 times of monthly wages plus Dearness allowance For house – up to 36 times of monthly wages plus dearness allowance	5 Years	The asset, i.e. land or the house should be in the name of the employee or spouse or jointly.
Home loan Up torment	Up to a maximum of 90 %, from both employee’s contribution and employer contribution in Employee Provident Fund.	10 years	The property should be registered in the name of the employee or spouse or jointly Withdrawal permitted subject to furnishing of requisite documents as called for by the EPFO relating to the housing loan availed, The accumulation in the member’s PF account (or together with the spouse), including the interest, has to be more than Rs 20,000
Renovation of house	Up to 12 times the monthly wages	5 years	The property should be registered in the name of the employee or spouse or jointly.
A little before Up torment	Up to 90% of accumulated balance with interest	Once he reaches 57 years (as per recent amendment)	Torment

Benefits of EPF Withdrawal Online

Easy Process: The online process gives you a hassle-free withdrawal facility, where you don’t need to stand in the long queues. 

Time Saving: With the online claim, the amount will instantly be processed into your bank account i.e. within 15-20 days of the application. However, the processing time may vary as per the government. 

No Physical Verification: Unlike offline claims, wherein you have to get your documents attested by the employer, online claims get verified automatically without any hassle.