In a clarification issued to address the challenges faced by certain categories of members who are unable to seed Aadhaar with their Universal Account Number (“UAN”), Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (“EPFO”)has issued exemptions to ensure timely disbursement of Provident Fund dues for genuine cases while minimizing grievances arising from procedural delays.

Key Highlights:

1. The following categories of members are now exempt from the mandatory Aadhaar seeding requirement for claim settlement:
   1. International workers: Those who have left India after completing their assignments without obtaining Aadhaar.
   2. Indian migrants with foreign citizenship: Individuals who have permanently migrated to a foreign country and subsequently obtained citizenship there.
   3. Citizens of Nepal and Bhutan: Employees covered under the EPF & MP Act who do not reside in India and are unable to obtain Aadhaar.
2. Physical claims must be submitted along with the following alternate IDs to verify member eligibility:
   1. Passport: For International Workers.
   2. Citizenship Identification Certificate/Document: For Nepalese and Bhutanese workers.
   3. PAN and Bank Account Details: As additional verification measures.
3. Processing Requirements:
   1. UAN must still be generated for these members if not already available.
   2. Due diligence must be conducted, including:
      • Verification of bank account details.
      • Confirmation of identity through employer-verified documents (mandatory for claims exceeding ₹5 lakh).
   3. Approval for processing such cases must be documented in an e-office file by the Officer-in-Charge.

A copy of the Circular is linked below, for your ease of reference.

Source: Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation

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