The Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) has launched a major update to its transfer process, significantly easing the movement of Provident Fund (PF) accounts when employees switch jobs. Through the newly introduced revised Form 13 software functionality, EPFO members can now transfer their PF accounts without the need for employer approval in most cases.

The Ministry of Labor and Employment announced the reform as part of ongoing initiatives to simplify and modernize EPF procedures, aiming to benefit over 1.25 crore employees across the country.

Earlier, transferring a PF account involved two EPFO offices — one from which the funds were withdrawn and another where the funds were deposited. The new system eliminates the need for approval from the office where the PF amount is being transferred.

Now, once the previous PF office approves the account transfer, the funds will automatically be moved to the employee’s current PF account. This seamless process is expected to save time and reduce administrative hurdles, making PF management more efficient for members.

Additionally, EPFO will ensure that the tax-free and non-taxable amounts are correctly transferred along with the account, facilitating accurate TDS calculation on employees’ taxable PF interest.

In another key update, EPFO has rolled out a facility allowing the bulk generation of Universal Account Numbers (UANs) without the need for Aadhaar seeding. Employers can now generate UANs based on member ID and other available information through a dedicated software functionality provided to field offices via the FO interface.

While the system enables faster credit of funds, the EPFO has implemented a risk mitigation measure: newly generated UANs will remain in a static state and will only be activated after successful Aadhaar linkage to ensure the security of members’ funds.

According to the Ministry of Labor, these reforms will expedite the transfer of approximately ₹90,000 crore annually and enhance transparency, benefitting millions of EPF account holders across the country.