EPF Balance & UAN Password — the working 2026 guide
The EPFO portal goes down half the time and the error messages are useless. This page tells you which method works, in what order, and what to do when each one fails.
Check your EPF balance — 3 methods, ranked by reliability
Method 1 — Missed call (recommended, always works)
- Pick up your phone — must be the number registered with your UAN
- Call 9966044425
- It disconnects after 2 rings — that's normal
- SMS comes back within 60 seconds with your last contribution + total balance
If you don't receive the SMS: Your mobile number isn't UAN-activated. See Mobile not registered below.
Method 2 — SMS
Send this exact SMS from your registered number to 7738299899:
EPFOHO UAN ENG
Available languages: ENG (English), HIN (Hindi), TAM (Tamil), TEL (Telugu), MAR (Marathi), GUJ (Gujarati), KAN (Kannada), MAL (Malayalam), PUN (Punjabi), BEN (Bengali). Just swap the last 3 letters.
Charge: standard SMS rate (₹0.50 - 2). Reply in < 60 s.
Method 3 — Web portal (when the above don't work)
- Go to unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in
- Enter your UAN, password, and the captcha
- Click Sign In
- Top menu: View → Passbook
- Pick the member ID (one per employer if you've changed jobs) → View Passbook
- Download the PDF if you need it for visa / loan / tax filing
Common page load failure: the portal serves blank pages roughly 30% of the time during 10am-5pm IST (office hours). Try after 11pm IST or use Method 1 / 2.
Forgot UAN password — recover in 3 minutes
- Open unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in
- Click the Forgot Password link below the password field
- Enter your UAN and captcha → Submit
- Verify name, DOB, gender (auto-populated). Click Verify
- Click Get OTP — sent to your registered mobile (NOT email, ignore that field)
- Enter the 6-digit OTP → Submit
- Set a new password (8+ chars, one capital, one number, one symbol — yes, all four required)
If you don't remember your UAN
You have three recovery paths:
- Salary slip — your UAN is printed on every payslip (look for "UAN" near "PF Account Number")
- Old EPF passbook PDF — UAN on the cover page
- "Know your UAN" link on the EPFO portal — needs PAN + Aadhaar + DOB + captcha + OTP. Multi-step. Use only as last resort.
Common errors decoded
"Service Unavailable" / blank page / 502
The EPFO portal is overloaded — typical 10am-5pm IST. Try after 11pm IST or use the missed-call/SMS methods which use a different backend that's more reliable.
"Invalid Captcha"
The captcha is case-sensitive and easily misread. Click Refresh next to the captcha image to get a clearer one. If it fails 3+ times, clear cookies and start over — there's a stale session token issue.
"OTP not received" / "Mobile not registered"
Your mobile number isn't linked to your UAN. This happens when:
- You changed phone numbers and didn't update EPFO
- Your employer registered an old number
Fix: go to Manage → Contact Details after logging in via Aadhaar-OTP at passbook.epfindia.gov.in. If that doesn't work either, file a grievance at epfigms.gov.in — they typically respond in 7-15 working days.
"User does not exist" when entering UAN
Two possible causes:
- Typo in UAN — UAN is 12 digits. Double-check from your payslip.
- UAN not activated — new UANs require activation before first login. Use the Activate UAN link on the same login page. Requires UAN + member ID + Aadhaar + mobile.
"Authentication failed" repeatedly after password reset
Two common causes:
- Special characters — the portal silently rejects passwords with
&,%,+, even though it lets you set them. Re-do with only!@#$*as your symbol. - Browser auto-fill — your browser may be filling the old saved password. Manually type the new one.
Passbook shows "No record found"
Most common with new employees — first month's contribution takes 30-45 days to reflect because employers file in monthly batches. Your contributions are deducted but unposted. Check again after the 7th of next month. If still missing after 2 cycles, contact employer's PF compliance officer.
"UAN already activated" but you can't log in
Your UAN was activated by someone — usually an HR person — and they have the password. Use Forgot Password to reset.
Related — credit & loan products for salaried Indians
Once you've verified your EPF balance for a home loan / visa / tax filing, you might also be looking at:
Credit cards for salaried Indians
SBM ZET (lifetime free, FD-backed) · Kotak Cashback Plus · Kotak League Platinum · SBM Novio.
Personal & home loans
BankBazaar — compare 30+ lenders, instant eligibility check based on income + CIBIL.
How to keep your EPF working long-term
- Activate your UAN once and keep mobile number current — most EPFO recovery failures are because the registered mobile is stale
- Link Aadhaar to your UAN — required for online withdrawal claims, partial advances, transfer requests
- Link PAN to your UAN — required to avoid TDS deduction on withdrawal (relevant after age 58 or premature withdrawal)
- File a transfer request when you change jobs — otherwise you accumulate multiple member IDs and pension calculation gets messy
- Keep your e-nomination current — both for EPF and EPS pension. Required since 2021. Without it, your family faces a painful claim process after you.
FAQ — quick answers
Is checking EPF balance free?
Missed call and SMS methods are free (standard tariff applies on SMS — usually ₹0.50-2 per SMS). Web portal is free with no charges. Avoid third-party apps charging for balance checks — they're scams.
How often does EPF interest get credited?
Annually, usually between October and December for the previous financial year. The current declared rate is 8.25% (FY 2024-25). You'll see a lump-sum interest entry in your passbook when it's credited.
Can I withdraw EPF before 58?
Yes, under specific conditions: unemployed for 2+ months (100% withdrawal), medical emergency (own/spouse/child/parent), home purchase/construction, child's marriage/education, COVID-related (advance up to 75% with 3-month basic+DA cap). All claims via the Online Claim section after Aadhaar + bank + PAN are linked. Settlement: 7-30 days typically.
What's the difference between EPF and EPS?
EPF = Employees' Provident Fund (your retirement corpus, withdrawable). EPS = Employees' Pension Scheme (monthly pension after 58, contributed by employer only, 8.33% of basic+DA capped at ₹15,000). Your salary slip shows both deductions. Most people only think about EPF until retirement.
Why does my employer's PF contribution look smaller than mine?
It is — by design. Of the 12% employer contribution, 8.33% goes to EPS (pension) and only 3.67% to your EPF. Your 12% all goes to EPF. So in your EPF passbook, employer's share will look ~30% of yours. The "missing" 8.33% is sitting in EPS earning a fixed pension.