EPF Form 31

EPF Form 31 serves as the official mechanism for employees to initiate a partial withdrawal request from their Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) account. The EPF, a government-sponsored savings scheme, empowers salaried individuals to accumulate a substantial retirement corpus, thereby securing their financial well-being after leaving the workforce.

You can submit EPF Form 31 to make an advance claim against your provident fund account in two ways. One is online via the Unified Portal of EPFO, and the second is offline.

When can you use EPF Form 31?

• Use Form 31, when you resign from your job and want to withdraw EPF fund.
• Upon retirement, use Form 31 to withdraw your EPF balance.
• In case of employment termination, for any reason, you can use Form 31 to withdraw your EPF balance withdrawal.
• For partial withdrawal, like medical treatment or education expenses, use Form 31.
• After 10 years of service or at the age of 55, access Form 31 for the final settlement of your entire EPF balance.
• You can use Form 31, to take out your entire EPF balance, when you have completed 10 years of service or reached the age of 55.

How to download Form 31?

1. Member log in: Begin by accessing the EPFO member portal and logging in with your Universal Account Number (UAN) and password.
2. Claim selection: Navigate to the "Online Services" menu and select "Claim" to initiate an online request.
3. Information verification: A new page will display your personal details including name, date of birth, PAN number, Aadhaar number, employment details, and contact information. Verify the accuracy of this information before clicking "Proceed for Online Claim."
4. Claim type selection: The next page will display available claim options. Choose "PF ADVANCE (FORM 31)" from the drop-down menu.
5. Advance purpose and details: Specify the reason for the advance using the provided options, such as illness, natural calamity, etc. Enter the desired advance amount and your current address in the designated fields.
6. OTP verification and claim submission: After reviewing the information, proceed to sign the electronic disclosure. Upon checking the box, a "Get Aadhaar OTP" button will appear. Click the button to receive a One-Time Password (OTP) on your Aadhaar linked mobile number. Enter the received OTP and click "Validate OTP and Submit Claim Form" to complete the online EPF advance application process.

How to submit Form 31 offline?

To submit the form offline, you need to follow these steps:

1. Download Form 31 from the official website of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).
2. Fill up the relevant details in the form.
3. Upon filling, contact your employer and ask them to get a certification validating your employment with them and then ask them to fill the designation, date, and signature fields in the form.
4. Submit this filled form to the respective EPFO office.

Read also: EPF withdrawal online process after retirement

How to submit Form 31 online?

To submit the form online, you need to follow these steps:

1. Go to the official EPFO website: https://unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in/memberinterface/.
2. Log in to your account using your UAN, password, and captcha. Click on ‘SIGN IN’.
3. Select ‘Form-31, 19, 10C & 10D’ from the ‘ONLINE SERVICES’ menu.
4. You'll see an auto-filled form. Add the last four digits of your bank account number and confirm it.
5. Click 'YES' to agree to the terms and conditions in the ‘CERTIFICATE OF UNDERTAKING’ pop-up window.
6. Choose ‘PROCEED FOR ONLINE CLAIM’ and select ‘PF WITHDRAWAL’ from the dropdown menu.
7. Pick ‘PF ADVANCE FORM’ and input details like the purpose of withdrawal, withdrawal amount, and other required information.
8. Finally, click ‘SUBMIT’ to finish the online application process.