EPFO e-nomination: Who gets your PF money? Know rules and filing steps

Members can nominate eligible family members and update their details online. Here are the rules and steps to complete e-nomination.

For an EPF member, a nomination is more than a formality. It determines who can receive the provident fund money after the member’s death and also plays a role in claims under the Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS) and Employees’ Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme (EDLI). EPFO’s member portal currently states that filing a nomination is mandatory under the EPF Scheme, 2026, and allows members to file or update it during their service period.

 

The process can be completed online through Aadhaar-based e-nomination. EPFO also continues to provide for nomination through the prescribed physical form.

 

Who can be nominated?

The rules distinguish between a member who has a family and one who does not.

 

If a member has a family, nomination generally has to be made in favour of one or more eligible family members. EPFO requires married members to declare their spouse and children as family members, even if they do not wish to nominate all of them for the PF amount.

 

For a member who does not have a family as defined under the EPF rules, nomination can be made in favour of another person. However, this nomination does not remain valid once the member acquires a family. A fresh nomination then needs to be filed. 

 

This is particularly important for young or unmarried members who may have nominated a parent, sibling or another person earlier. Marriage or the birth of a child can change the family position, requiring the nomination to be updated.

 

What happens to EPS and EDLI?

 

Nomination is not limited to the PF balance.

 

EPFO operates three linked social-security schemes: EPF, EPS and EDLI. The organisation says the nomination under the EPF Scheme also applies to EDLI. For EPS, members have to provide details of their spouse and children; where a member has no family, one person can be nominated, subject to the scheme's rules. 

 

This makes keeping the family details updated important, particularly after marriage, childbirth or the death of a family member.

 

How to file EPFO e-nomination online

The online process requires an Aadhaar-linked mobile number and an Aadhaar-verified UAN. EPFO's guidance sets out the following broad steps: 

 

• Log in to the EPFO member portal using your UAN and password.
• Go to “manage” and select “E-nomination”.
• Check the personal details displayed on the screen and proceed to update the family declaration.
• Add the relevant family members. You will need details such as their Aadhaar number, name, date of birth, relationship and address, along with a photograph.
• If a nominee is a minor, provide the required guardian details.
• Select the nominee or nominees and allocate the desired share of the EPF balance. If there is more than one nominee, the total allocation should add up to 100 per cent.
• Save the family details and then save the EPF nomination.
• Complete the Aadhaar-based e-sign. An OTP is sent to the mobile number linked to Aadhaar.
• Submit the OTP and complete the e-sign process.
• Check the Nomination History to confirm that the nomination has been successfully registered.

 

The e-nomination is not complete merely because the details have been entered. EPFO's help document specifically says that a nomination filed without the required e-sign will not be treated as complete for action after the member's death. 

 

What if you need to change the nominee?

Members can file a fresh nomination when their circumstances change. EPFO says the new e-signed nomination replaces the earlier one; the previously e-signed nomination cannot simply be edited. 

 

Therefore, members should review their nomination after major family changes such as marriage, the birth of a child or the death of a nominated family member.

 

Can nomination be filed offline?

Yes. EPFO's prescribed Form 2 is the nomination and declaration form covering EPF, EPS and related nomination requirements. The form records the nominee's details and the share of the PF accumulation to be paid to each nominee. 

 

However, for members eligible to use the online facility, e-nomination provides a digital record and can help the family access the claim process after the member's death. EPFO also cautions members against sharing UAN, Aadhaar, bank details or OTPs with anyone claiming to offer nomination assistance.