UAN stands for Universal Account Number. It is a 12-digit unique identification number assigned to an employee contributing to the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) in India. The UAN is linked to an employee’s EPF account and serves as a single account number for all the member IDs allotted to an individual by various establishments. This means that if an employee switches jobs, they will be allotted a new member ID by the new employer, but their UAN will remain the same.
The UAN was introduced by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) in 2014 to simplify the EPF account management process and make it more transparent for employees. With the UAN, employees can access their EPF account information, such as account balance and transaction history, online through the EPFO portal. They can also use the UAN to avail of various EPF services, such as transferring PF balance, updating KYC details, and filing claims.