Transfer of EPF account while switching jobs becomes convenient

The PF account can be automatically transferred through Form 11.

Transfer of employees’ provident fund (EPF) account, while changing jobs, has become easier now. The EPFO has introduced a new composite form—Form 11—in place of Form 13 for all cases of auto provident transfer.

Now, when an employee leaves a company and joins a new one, she/he is not required to file a separate EPF transfer claim using Form 13. It will be transferred automatically.

The procedure for automatic transfer of Provident Fund Account through Form 11 is as follows:

1) After joining a new organisation, the employee has to fill and submit details through the new Composite Declaration Form 11. The joinee has to fill personal information and other details about previous employment, and also provide the UAN (Universal Account Number) and previous provident fund number.

2) The employer enters the information as given in Form 11 in the employer’s portal.

3) The data is then validated with the information available against the UAN, and in case of any discrepancy, the employer has to verify/update the information provided.

4) In case, the earlier UAN was Aadhaar seeded and verified, the declaration by the employer of transfer request made by the employee in Form-11 will trigger an auto-transfer process, which will transfer the accumulations against his previous provident fund account (PF ID) to the new account. Form No. 13 is not required to be submitted in such cases.

5) An SMS informing the subscriber about the proposed auto-transfer will be sent on his registered mobile number.

6) Auto transfer will be completed only if the member does not request to stop the proposed auto-transfer (either online, or through employer or at the nearest EPFO office) within 10 days of the SMS, and the first contribution by the present employer is deposited and reconciled.

7) On transfer of the account, the new employee will be informed by SMS on his mobile number, seeded against the UAN and by e-mail, if registered.

8) Auto transfer of previous PF account will be possible in respect of Aadhar-verified employees only. In case the earlier UAN was not seeded with Aadhaar or UAN was Aadhaar-seeded but not verified, the member needs to apply for transfer in Form-13 as the existing procedure for physical transfer would be followed.