Employment & Social Security#052

Understanding EPF account transfer between employers — Form 13

Transfer your EPF account to a new employer using Form 13 or the One Member–One EPF Account facility.

At a glance

Jurisdiction

Central — Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), Ministry of Labour and Employment

Who applies

An EPF member who has changed jobs and wants to transfer their EPF accumulations (including EPS pension service) from the previous employer's PF account to the new employer's PF account under the same UAN.

Typical time

Online transfer (Aadhaar-verified, approved by current employer): 3–20 working days. Transfers involving exempted trusts may take 30–60 days.

Fee

Nil — EPFO charges no fee for EPF account transfer.

Who should use this process

✓Must have an active UAN with both old and new EPF member IDs linked under the same UAN.
✓New employer must be registered with EPFO and the new PF account must be linked to the member's UAN.
✓Aadhaar must be seeded and approved under UAN KYC.
✓Transfer request must be initiated by either the current (new) employer or the previous (old) employer on the member's behalf, or by the member directly on the portal.
✓Member can initiate the transfer themselves online if Aadhaar OTP authentication is available.

Who does NOT need to apply

✕Transfer cannot be initiated if the previous PF account is not linked to the same UAN — the old account must first be merged/linked.
✕If either employer's establishment is exempted and maintains its own PF trust, the transfer may need to be handled partially offline through the trust.
✕EPS account transfer does not move funds but updates the service record for continuous pension calculation.
✕Members who have already settled (Form 19) the previous account cannot transfer it.

Documents required

#	Document	Type needed	Purpose
1	Form 13 (EPF Account Transfer Request Form)	Download / Print	Core transfer form; for Aadhaar-verified members it is generated and signed digitally on the portal. Physical form needed only for offline/exempted trust transfers.
2	Aadhaar card	Self-attested Copy	Identity verification and Aadhaar OTP digital signature for online transfer initiation.
3	Previous employer's PF account details (Member ID / PF Account Number)	Soft copy (PDF)	Required to identify the source account for transfer; found on old salary slips or the UAN passbook.
4	New employer's PF account number / establishment code	Soft copy (PDF)	Required to identify the destination account; provided by new employer HR.
5	Declaration of previous employment (if offline)(optional)Required only for offline / exempted trust transfers.	Self-attested Copy	Member's self-declaration of previous employment dates for exempted trust transfer.

Original documents: Carry originals only for in-person visits — do not hand them over permanently unless explicitly required.

Step-by-step guide

1
Verify both PF accounts are linked to UAN
Online
Log in to the EPF Member Portal and navigate to 'View' → 'Service History'. Confirm that both the previous and current employer's member IDs are listed under your UAN. If the old account is missing, request HR to link it.
5 minutesEPF Member Portal — https://unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in/memberinterface/
2
Initiate transfer request online (Form 13)
Online
Go to 'Online Services' → 'One Member – One EPF Account (Transfer Request)'. The portal shows previous member IDs. Select the PF account to be transferred. Choose the attestation authority — current employer or previous employer — who will approve the transfer.
10–15 minutes
3
Aadhaar OTP authentication
Online
Submit the transfer request by verifying with an OTP sent to your Aadhaar-linked mobile. Note the transfer claim reference number.
2–3 minutes
4
Employer approval (current or previous employer)
Online
The selected employer (current or previous) receives the transfer request on the EPFO employer portal. The PF nodal officer logs in and approves the transfer. Both employers must have active digital signatures (DSC) registered with EPFO.
3–10 working daysPF Nodal Officer (Employer)
5
EPFO processing and credit
Online
After employer approval, EPFO's regional offices at both the previous and current employer's jurisdictions process the transfer. The EPF corpus (member + employer contribution + interest) is moved to the new account. EPS service is updated in the records.
5–15 working days after employer approvalEPFO Accounts Officer
6
Verify transfer in new passbook
Online
After transfer is credited, check the new employer's EPF passbook on the member portal. The transferred amount should appear as a credit with a 'TR' notation. Verify that EPS service years are also updated.
1–2 days after credit

Government officers involved

PF Nodal Officer — New Employer

New employer's HR / Accounts

Approval step — approves the transfer claim on the employer EPFO portal.

Verifies the member's employment with the new establishment and approves the incoming transfer request.

PF Nodal Officer — Previous Employer

Previous employer's HR / Accounts

Alternate attestation — can approve the transfer request instead of current employer.

Certifies the member's previous employment period and approves outgoing transfer.

Accounts Officer (AO) / RPFC

EPFO Regional Office

Back-end processing — transfers funds between regional trust accounts.

Processes the inter-regional or intra-regional EPF fund transfer and updates EPS service record.

Government portals

EPF Member Portal (Unified Portal)

https://unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in/memberinterface/

Initiate Form 13 transfer request, track claim status, view passbook after transfer.

EPFO Employer Portal

https://unifiedportal-emp.epfindia.gov.in/epfo/

Employer login to approve EPF transfer request submitted by member.

EPFO Grievance Portal (EPFiGMS)

https://epfigms.gov.in

Raise grievance if transfer is not processed within 20 working days after employer approval.

Things to watch out for

Old PF account must be linked to UAN before transfer

If a previous employer created a separate PF account that is not yet linked to your current UAN, the transfer portal will not show it. Request your previous employer or contact the EPFO office to merge the old account into your UAN before filing Form 13.

Employer must have a valid DSC registered with EPFO

Employer approval on the portal requires a valid digital signature certificate (DSC). Many small employers have expired DSCs. If employer approval is stuck, ask HR to renew the DSC with EPFO or submit a physical Form 13 at the EPFO office.

EPS balance does not physically transfer — only service record updates

The EPS corpus sits centrally with EPFO. A transfer does not move EPS money; it only updates your continuous service record. Ensure the EPS service in the new passbook reflects the combined tenure after transfer.

Interest is not lost during transfer but timeline matters

EPF interest is credited to accounts annually (March 31). If you transfer mid-year, interest is proportionately credited up to the transfer date. Do not confuse a delay in passbook update with loss of interest.

Do not settle (Form 19) the old account — transfer instead

Many members mistakenly withdraw old EPF (paying TDS) instead of transferring it. Transferring preserves the continuous service count for pension, avoids tax liability, and maintains the compounding corpus. Always transfer rather than withdraw when rejoining formal employment.