PF Transfer on Job Change with Form 13 - citizen guide 2026

When you switch jobs in India, the provident fund built up at your old employer does not move on its own. You file Form 13 on the EPFO member portal under One Member-One EPF Account, and the balance shifts to your new account.

PF transfer moves the Employees Provident Fund accumulated under your old employer into the account held under your new employer, both linked to the same Universal Account Number. It keeps your service continuous, protects interest and pension rights, and avoids holding multiple idle PF accounts.

The Employees Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 governs PF, and the scheme is run by the Employees Provident Fund Organisation under the Ministry of Labour and Employment. The transfer request is filed on Form 13(R). On 25 April 2025 EPFO confirmed its Revamped Form 13 functionality, stating that it has “removed the requirement of approval of all transfer claims at the Destination Office” and that “once the transfer claim gets approved at the Transferor (Source) Office the previous account will automatically get transferred to the present account of the member at the Transferee (Destination) Office instantly.” This reform is expected to benefit more than 1.25 crore members.

1. Activate your UAN and complete Aadhaar-seeded KYC at the EPFO unified member portal before you start.
2. Log in with your UAN and password at the member interface.
3. Open the Online Services menu and select One Member-One EPF Account, the Transfer Request option.
4. Confirm your personal and KYC details shown on screen are correct.
5. Enter the old PF account, the Member ID or previous UAN, and the establishment details.
6. Choose who attests the claim, your previous employer or your present employer, then get the OTP on your Aadhaar-linked mobile.
7. Submit Form 13 and note the tracking ID. The source office approves it, and the balance moves to your new account.

• Active UAN with Aadhaar-seeded KYC
• Aadhaar-linked mobile number for OTP
• Old PF account number or previous Member ID and UAN
• Bank account and PAN seeded in your EPFO profile
• Details of your current establishment and its PF code

• Leaving the old PF account idle instead of transferring, which risks the account becoming inoperative.
• Filing a withdrawal claim by habit when you only changed jobs, which can trigger tax and loss of pension years.
• Submitting before KYC is approved, so the request gets rejected at verification.
• Wrong Member ID or establishment code, the most common cause of stuck claims.
• Ignoring the bifurcation of taxable and non-taxable PF that the Revamped Form 13 now records, which matters for TDS on interest.

Yes. Form 13(R) remains the formal transfer document. The EPFO FAQ states the member “should necessarily get his PF account transferred to his present establishment, duly submitting Form 13” and can do so online through the member interface at the unified portal.

It is the EPFO online service that consolidates all your PF money under one UAN. Because the UAN is permanent and “does not change with the change of employment,” you move each old account into your current one instead of leaving balances scattered.

In most cases employer routing has been reduced. Under the Revamped Form 13 functionality, EPFO removed approval at the destination office, so once the source office approves, the balance transfers automatically. You still pick an attesting employer when you file the request.

Once the source office approves the claim, the transfer to your new account is now instant under the Revamped Form 13 system. The earlier wait caused by a second approval at the destination office has been removed.

No. Filing Form 13 and transferring your EPF balance through the EPFO member portal is free. Be cautious of anyone or any app that charges a fee to do it for you.

You must seed and verify Aadhaar in your KYC before filing, or the request fails verification. Aadhaar-seeded KYC also enables the streamlined transfer flow, so complete it first at the member portal.

If you are continuing in employment, transfer it. Withdrawing breaks your continuous service, can attract TDS, and reduces the years counted toward your EPS pension. Withdrawal is meant for genuine exit from the workforce, not a job switch.

Note the tracking ID shown after you submit Form 13, then check Online Services, Track Claim Status on the member portal. For unresolved issues, call the EPFO helpdesk on 14470 or raise a grievance on the EPF i-Grievance portal.

• EPFO FAQ, transfer on change of employment and UAN
• EPFO press release, Revamped Form 13 functionality, 25 April 2025
• EPFO unified member portal
• EPFO, Ministry of Labour and Employment

• The RTI Playbook
• EPS-95 pension application process
• If your employer is not paying gratuity
• Reactivate a dormant account via UDGAM
• Apply for a PAN card online

PF transfer when changing jobs — complete guide on Form 13, auto-transfer, and common issues for 2026:

1. Step 1: What is PF transfer and why it matters. (a) when an employee changes jobs — the PF balance from the previous employer — must be transferred to the new employer's PF account — to avoid withdrawal — and to maintain the continuous service — for pension eligibility, (b) the PF transfer consolidates the balance — into one UAN (Universal Account Number) — and the employee can track the total balance — and withdraw — at retirement, © the PF transfer is different from PF withdrawal (withdrawal closes the account — and is taxable — if the service is less than 5 years — whereas transfer maintains the account — and is tax-free), (d) the EPFO (Employees' Provident Fund Organisation) manages the PF transfer — through the EPFO portal — and the UAN portal.
2. Step 2: How to transfer PF online (Form 13). (a) Step 1 — activate UAN (the employee must activate the UAN — on the EPFO portal — using the UAN — and the mobile number — and the Aadhaar), (b) Step 2 — link Aadhaar and PAN (the employee must link the Aadhaar — and the PAN — to the UAN — for KYC verification), © Step 3 — login to the EPFO portal (the employee logs in to the EPFO member portal — or the UAN portal — with the UAN — and the password), (d) Step 4 — select “One Member - One EPF Account” (the employee selects the transfer option — under the “Online Services” tab — and selects “One Member - One EPF Account (Transfer Request)”), (e) Step 5 — enter the details (the employee enters: (i) the previous PF account number, (ii) the previous establishment ID, (iii) the new PF account number, (iv) the new establishment ID, (v) the UAN), (f) Step 6 — select the attestation mode (the employee selects: (i) “Previous Employer” — if the previous employer attests — or (ii) “New Employer” — if the new employer attests — the new employer is preferred — because the previous employer may not be accessible — after leaving the job), (g) Step 7 — submit and track (the employee submits the transfer request — and gets a TRRN (Transfer Request Reference Number) — and tracks the status — on the EPFO portal).
3. Step 3: Auto-transfer of PF (new process from 2024). (a) the EPFO introduced the auto-transfer facility — from 2024 — where the PF balance is automatically transferred — when the employee joins a new employer — and the new employer registers the employee — on the EPFO portal, (b) the auto-transfer happens — if: (i) the UAN is activated, (ii) the Aadhaar is linked to the UAN, (iii) the previous PF account is linked to the UAN, (iv) the employee has not opted out of auto-transfer, © the auto-transfer process: (i) the new employer enters the employee's UAN — on the EPFO portal — and registers the employee, (ii) the EPFO system detects the previous PF account — and initiates the transfer — automatically, (iii) the employee receives an SMS — about the auto-transfer — and can track the status — on the UAN portal, (iv) the transfer is completed — within 3-5 working days — if the details are correct, (d) the employee can opt out of auto-transfer (by logging in to the UAN portal — and selecting “opt out of auto-transfer” — if the employee wants to withdraw — instead of transfer).
4. Step 4: Common PF transfer issues and solutions. (a) transfer rejected due to name mismatch: the name in the EPFO records — does not match the Aadhaar — solution: (i) correct the name in the EPFO records — through the employer — or the UAN portal, (ii) update the Aadhaar — if the name is wrong in the Aadhaar, (b) transfer rejected due to date of birth mismatch: the DOB in the EPFO records — does not match the Aadhaar — solution: (i) correct the DOB — through the employer — or the UAN portal — with the Aadhaar proof, © transfer delayed: the transfer takes more than 30 days — solution: (i) check the status on the EPFO portal, (ii) contact the employer — to attest the transfer, (iii) file a grievance — on the EPFO grievance portal — epfigms.gov.in, (iv) file RTI with the EPFO — asking for the transfer status — and the reason for the delay, (d) previous employer not attesting: the previous employer is not attesting the transfer — solution: (i) select the new employer — for attestation — instead of the previous employer, (ii) file a grievance with the EPFO — against the previous employer, (e) multiple PF accounts: the employee has multiple PF accounts — and the transfer is confusing — solution: (i) link all PF accounts to the UAN, (ii) transfer all accounts — to the current PF account — through the “One Member - One EPF Account” facility.
5. Step 5: File RTI on PF transfer. File RTI with the EPFO (the EPFO is a public authority under the RTI Act) asking for: (a) the transfer status: “Provide the status of PF transfer request — TRRN [number] — filed on [date] — including: (i) the date of filing, (ii) the date of processing, (iii) the date of completion, (iv) the reason for delay — if any”, (b) the rejection reason: “Provide the reason for rejection of PF transfer request — TRRN [number] — and the documents required — for re-submission”, © the account details: “Provide the PF account details — for UAN [number] — including: (i) the member ID, (ii) the establishment ID, (iii) the account balance, (iv) the transfer history”, (d) the grievance status: “Provide the status of grievance — filed on the EPFO grievance portal — reference number [number] — and the action taken — and the resolution”, (e) the auto-transfer records: “Provide the auto-transfer details — for UAN [number] — including: (i) the date of auto-transfer, (ii) the amount transferred, (iii) the previous account, (iv) the new account”.
6. Step 6: PF transfer vs PF withdrawal. (a) transfer: (i) the PF balance is transferred to the new account, (ii) the account continues — and earns interest, (iii) the service is continuous — for pension eligibility, (iv) no tax implication, (b) withdrawal: (i) the PF balance is withdrawn — and the account is closed, (ii) the withdrawal is taxable — if the service is less than 5 years (the withdrawn amount is taxed — as income — and the 80C deduction is reversed), (iii) the service is broken — and the pension eligibility is affected, (iv) the withdrawal is allowed — only after 2 months of unemployment — for the full withdrawal — and 75% after 1 month — for partial withdrawal.
7. Step 7: Practical tips. (a) always transfer (do not withdraw — unless necessary — because the transfer maintains the account — and the service — and the pension eligibility), (b) activate UAN early (activate the UAN — and link the Aadhaar — and the PAN — as soon as you join — to enable auto-transfer), © use auto-transfer (opt for auto-transfer — to avoid the hassle — of manual transfer — and the employer attestation), (d) track the transfer (track the status — on the EPFO portal — and the UAN portal — and follow up — if delayed), (e) file RTI (if the transfer is delayed — or rejected — or the grievance is not resolved — file RTI with the EPFO — to get the status — and the reason), (f) Example: An employee changed jobs — and filed a PF transfer request — through the EPFO portal — the transfer was delayed — for 45 days — the employee filed RTI with the EPFO — asking for the transfer status — the reply showed that the transfer was pending — due to name mismatch — the employee corrected the name — through the employer — and the transfer was completed — within 10 days.

See PF Transfer and Find PIO.