How to Get UAN Number: Generate, Activate and Find Your EPF UAN

How to get UAN number: since 1 August 2025, a new Universal Account Number (UAN) is generated and activated only through the UMANG app using Aadhaar face authentication. You enter your Aadhaar number and Aadhaar-linked mobile, verify with an OTP, scan your face, and the 12-digit number is sent by SMS. Give it to your employer. If you already have one, use the EPFO "Know Your UAN" service.

The UAN is the single number that follows you through every job covered by the Employees' Provident Fund. Many first-time employees ask how to get UAN number before joining, and many experienced employees ask how to find the one they already have. This guide covers both, explains the new face-authentication rule and its exceptions, shows how to link a UAN to a new employer, and lists the fixes for the most common errors – written by chartered accountants who run payroll and PF compliance for employers.

• UAN is a 12-digit number from EPFO that stays the same for your whole career
• From 1 August 2025, new UANs are generated and activated through the UMANG app with Aadhaar face authentication
• International workers and citizens of Nepal and Bhutan still get UANs through their employer
• If you already have one, find it on the EPFO member portal, your payslip or from HR – do not create a second one
• Share it with each new employer so your PF builds in one account
• Aadhaar, PAN and bank details linked to your account make withdrawals and transfers faster

The Universal Account Number is issued by the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). Every employer you work for opens a separate PF member ID for you, but all those member IDs sit under one UAN. That lets you see all your PF balances in one passbook, transfer old balances, file claims online and track pension service.

You need a UAN if you work in an establishment covered by EPF – generally one with 20 or more employees, or one that has joined voluntarily. From 17 September 2026, the wage ceiling for compulsory PF coverage was raised from ₹15,000 to ₹25,000 a month, so many more employees now fall under compulsory coverage and need a UAN when they join.

Since 1 August 2025, EPFO requires new UANs to be allotted and activated through the UMANG app using Aadhaar-based face authentication. The process takes a few minutes on a smartphone.

1. Install the UMANG app and the AadhaarFaceRD app from the official app store
2. Open UMANG, search for EPFO and choose the option for UAN allotment and activation
3. Enter your Aadhaar number and the mobile number linked to Aadhaar, and give consent
4. Verify the OTP sent to the Aadhaar-linked mobile
5. Complete the face scan when the AadhaarFaceRD app opens – face the camera in good light
6. The number is generated, activated and sent to your mobile by SMS
7. Download the e-card if you wish, and give the number to your employer

Employers can no longer simply generate UANs in bulk for most new joiners, so HR teams now ask employees to complete this step themselves before or on joining. Keep your Aadhaar-linked mobile handy – without it the OTP step fails.

Employer-assisted generation continues for international workers – foreign nationals covered by EPF – and for citizens of Nepal and Bhutan, who may not have Aadhaar. Employers in these cases file the details through the employer portal with the required identity documents.

If you have worked in a PF-covered job before, you already have one. Do not generate a new one. Find the existing number in any of these ways.

1. Tell HR your existing number at joining – include it in the joining form
2. HR adds you under their establishment, which creates a new member ID under the same account number
3. Check on the member portal that the new member ID appears and the date of joining is correct
4. Mark the date of exit for the old employer if it is missing (employers usually do this)
5. Transfer the old PF balance to the new member ID through the online transfer claim or the automatic transfer route, where available
6. Check the passbook after a few months to confirm contributions are coming in

Your PF works well as one continuous account. Separate UANs for each job lead to scattered balances, slower claims and gaps in pension service.

An account number without KYC is like a bank account without a cheque book – it exists, but you cannot do much with it. Link these details on the member portal or through your employer.

Your name, date of birth and gender must match across Aadhaar, PAN and the PF record. Mismatches are the most common reason for rejected transfers and claims.

• Your Aadhaar card and the mobile number linked to it
• A smartphone with a working front camera and internet
• The latest versions of the UMANG and AadhaarFaceRD apps
• Good light and a plain background for the face scan
• Your PAN and bank account details for KYC afterwards
• Your joining date and employer's name, in case the app or HR asks

Most failed attempts come from an outdated Aadhaar mobile link or a rushed face scan in poor light. Fix those first and the process usually completes in one go. If you are joining a company that is newly registered with EPFO, ask HR to confirm the establishment code is active before you start, so the link to the employer happens without delay.

The number you get on your first job will be with you for decades, through job changes, career breaks and retirement. A few habits keep the record clean: check the passbook every quarter to confirm contributions, update your bank account when you change it, file e-nomination early and update it after marriage or the birth of a child, and transfer old balances as soon as you join a new employer. When you finally withdraw or retire, a clean record with matching KYC means the claim is processed online without visits or paperwork.

Employers have their own duties around UANs. They must enrol eligible employees from the date of joining, file monthly contribution returns with each employee's number, deposit contributions by the due date, mark exit dates, and help employees complete KYC. With the labour codes in force and the higher PF wage ceiling, HR teams should check every new joiner's coverage and make sure the generation step is completed before the first payroll run, so contributions are not delayed.

• Collect UAN or confirm UMANG generation at joining
• Check coverage under the ₹25,000 PF wage ceiling
• File monthly returns and deposit PF by the 15th of the following month
• Mark exit dates promptly
• Help employees fix KYC mismatches

Generating and activating used to be separate steps: an employer generated the number, and the employee activated it on the member portal. Under the current process, both happen together in the UMANG face-authentication flow. If you have an old number that was generated by an employer but never activated, use the activation option in UMANG with face authentication; you will then be able to log in to the member portal, see the passbook and file claims.

PF withdrawals before five years of continuous service can be taxable, and TDS may apply if the amount crosses the threshold; linking PAN reduces the TDS rate. Employer contributions above the annual limit and interest on certain high employee contributions are taxable as well. When you change jobs, transferring PF to your new member ID keeps your service continuous, which matters for the tax-free status of withdrawals.

How to get UAN number for the first time?

Use the UMANG app with Aadhaar face authentication: enter Aadhaar and mobile, verify the OTP, scan your face, and receive the number by SMS.

Can my employer generate my UAN?

Not for most employees since 1 August 2025. Employers still generate UANs for international workers and citizens of Nepal and Bhutan.

How can I find my existing UAN?

Use Know Your UAN on the EPFO member portal or UMANG, check your payslip, or ask your previous employer.

Should I create a new UAN when I change jobs?

No. Give your existing number to the new employer; one account covers all jobs.

How many digits is a UAN?

Twelve.

Is there any fee to get a UAN?

No. EPFO does not charge for generating or activating it.

What if my Aadhaar is not linked to my mobile?

Link the mobile to Aadhaar through UIDAI first; the OTP step needs it.

How do I merge two UANs?

Request merger of the older member ID into your current account through EPFO's online process, with employer verification where needed.

Do I need a UAN if my salary is above ₹25,000?

If you are already a PF member you continue; new joiners above the ceiling may join by choice where the employer allows.

Where do I use my UAN?

For the PF passbook, transfers, withdrawals, pension, KYC updates and e-nomination.

EPFO circulars on UAN allotment and activation through UMANG face authentication (effective 1 August 2025); notification of 17 September 2026 raising the PF wage ceiling to ₹25,000; EPFO member portal and UMANG app help pages. Checked 3 November 2026.