How to Link Aadhaar with Your EPF Account (UAN)

Quick answer: To link Aadhaar with your EPF account, log in to the EPFO Member Portal with your UAN, go to Manage, then KYC, choose Aadhaar, and enter your Aadhaar number and name exactly as in Aadhaar. After your employer approves it, the status changes to “Verified by UIDAI”. You can also seed Aadhaar without your employer through EPFO’s e-KYC service on the portal or the UMANG app.

Why Aadhaar must be linked with your UAN

The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) gives every member a single Universal Account Number (UAN). EPFO’s member information booklet lists the KYC details you are expected to seed against your UAN:

• Mandatory: Aadhaar, your personal bank account and PAN.
• Minimum for online services: mobile number, Aadhaar and bank account.

Without Aadhaar seeded and verified, you cannot use most of EPFO’s online services:

• online claims for withdrawal or advance;
• transfers when you change jobs;
• Aadhaar-based e-nomination;
• correcting your name or date of birth to match Aadhaar.

Linking also helps keep one person to one UAN. The original article said Aadhaar works “as a proof for Indian citizenship”. It does not. Aadhaar is proof of identity and address, not citizenship.

Before you start

• Activate your UAN. On the Member Portal (unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in), choose Activate UAN and verify with the PIN sent to your mobile. Since April 2025 you can also allot or activate a UAN through the UMANG app using Aadhaar face authentication, without going through your employer.
• Match your name. The name in EPFO records must match your Aadhaar. EPFO’s FAQ says that if the names differ, you should first raise a name change request.
• Keep your Aadhaar-linked mobile handy for the OTP.

Method 1: Link Aadhaar on the EPFO Member Portal

1. Log in to the EPFO Member Portal with your UAN, password and captcha.
2. Open the Manage menu and choose KYC.
3. Tick Aadhaar, then enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number and your name exactly as it appears on Aadhaar.
4. Click Save. The request appears under “KYC Pending for Approval”.
5. Your employer approves the request digitally, and the status becomes “Digitally approved by the employer”.
6. After UIDAI confirms the details, “Verified by UIDAI” is shown against your Aadhaar. You also get an SMS when the KYC is approved.

The original article said to “wait for 15 days” for verification. EPFO does not publish a fixed period, so check the status on the portal. If your employer does not approve, EPFO suggests speaking to HR first. If that fails, raise a grievance on EPFiGMS (epfigms.gov.in).

Method 2: e-KYC without your employer

EPFO’s member booklet says you can link UAN with Aadhaar without the employer’s intervention. Use the “e-KYC Portal” under Online Services on the EPFO website, or the e-KYC service under EPFO in the UMANG app. The booklet does not spell out the steps, but expect to verify yourself with an OTP sent to your Aadhaar-linked mobile.

Method 3: Through your employer

You can also ask your employer to seed your Aadhaar from the employer portal. Employers enter Aadhaar, PAN and bank details when they register a new employee. Since 2025, EPFO has encouraged employers to have new employees generate their UAN themselves through face authentication in UMANG, because the details then come straight from Aadhaar.

Fixing a name or date-of-birth mismatch

Name mismatch is the most common reason linking fails, and it was the main problem flagged in the original article. EPFO’s suggested route:

1. Log in to the Member Portal and go to Manage, then Modify Basic Details.
2. Enter your Aadhaar number, and your name and date of birth as they appear in Aadhaar.
3. Submit the request and ask your employer to approve it.

If your Aadhaar itself is wrong, correct Aadhaar first; see our guide to the Aadhaar correction form. Remember that name and date of birth changes in Aadhaar need a visit to an Aadhaar centre. EPFO also notes that the name on a PAN card can differ from the name in the Income Tax database. When linking PAN, use the name as it appears in the Income Tax records.

If an employer linked the wrong Aadhaar number to your UAN years ago, you cannot fix it online. You must apply to your EPFO regional office through a joint request with your employer.

Check your PF balance by SMS or missed call

Once your UAN is activated and your KYC is seeded, EPFO’s member booklet lists two quick ways to check your balance:

• SMS: send EPFOHO <UAN> <LAN> to 7738299899 from your registered mobile number. LAN is a three-letter language code, such as ENG for English. EPFO says the service works in 10 languages.
• Missed call: give a missed call to 9966044425 from your registered mobile to receive your balance and see which KYCs are linked to your UAN.

You can also view your passbook on EPFO’s passbook portal or in UMANG. EPFO’s 24×7 toll-free helpline is 1800 118 005.

Note that EPFO’s main website now opens at epfo.gov.in (checked October 2026), while the member portal remains at unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in. Use only these official addresses and the UMANG app, which EPFO describes as its only official app.

EPF is one of several things you may need to link with Aadhaar; our Aadhaar linking overview lists the others. If an OTP or authentication fails, see common Aadhaar problems and fixes.

Frequently asked questions

Is linking Aadhaar with EPF mandatory?

EPFO treats Aadhaar as a mandatory KYC for your UAN, and you need it for online claims, transfers and e-nomination. In practice, every member should seed it.

Can I link Aadhaar to my UAN without my employer?

Yes. EPFO says you can use the e-KYC service on the EPFO website or in the UMANG app to link your UAN with Aadhaar without your employer’s intervention.

Why does the portal reject my Aadhaar?

Usually because your name, date of birth or gender in EPFO records does not match Aadhaar. Correct the EPFO record through Modify Basic Details, or correct your Aadhaar first if Aadhaar is wrong.

Do I need to upload a copy of my Aadhaar card?

No. EPFO says you do not need to upload documents for KYC. You enter the document number and your name as it appears on the document.

I have two UANs. What should I do?

Report it to your current employer and email EPFO at uanepf@epfindia.gov.in, mentioning both your current and previous UANs. According to EPFO’s member booklet, after verification the older UAN is blocked and the current one is kept active. Two UANs usually arise when a previous employer did not record your date of exit.

Steps in this guide were checked in October 2026 against EPFO’s member information booklet, its Citizen’s Charter and EPFO releases published through PIB. Portal menus change from time to time, so follow the on-screen options on the EPFO Member Portal if they differ.