Withdrawing, transferring, or claiming your Provident Fund starts with one question: which form do you actually need? EPFO has separate forms for withdrawal, pension, transfer, insurance, and death claims, and using the wrong one is one of the most common reasons claims get delayed or rejected.
In this guide, we walk you through every major PF form, who should use it, and what it's for, along with a quick reference table and flowchart so you can identify the right form in minutes.
Quick Reference: Which PF Form Should You Use?
| Form | Purpose | Who Uses It | Employer Signature Needed |
|---|
| Composite Claim Form (Aadhaar) | Final settlement, pension withdrawal, partial withdrawal | Employees with Aadhaar linked to UAN | No |
| Composite Claim Form (Non-Aadhaar) | Same as above | Employees without Aadhaar linked | Yes |
| Form 10C | Pension withdrawal benefit (service under 10 years) | Employees leaving before pension eligibility | Via Composite Claim Form |
| Form 10D | Monthly pension under EPS | Employees with 10+ years of service, or exceptions (disability, death) | Yes |
| Form 10 | Employer's declaration confirming an employee's Date of Exit | Employers file it; employees use it as exit proof | Employer filed |
| Form 11 | Self declaration of PF and UAN history for a new employer | New joiners with an existing UAN | Yes |
| Form 13 | Transfer of PF balance to new employer's account | Employees changing jobs | Depends on mode |
| Form 14 | Using EPF savings to pay LIC premiums | Members with 2+ years of EPF membership | Yes |
| Form 20 | Withdrawal of deceased member's PF balance | Nominees, legal heirs, or guardians | Yes |
| Form 5(IF) | EDLI insurance claim | Nominees or families of deceased members | Yes (or a gazetted officer) |
| Form 121 (previously Form 15G / 15H) | Self declaration to avoid TDS on PF withdrawal before 5 years of service | Employees withdrawing over ₹50,000 before 5 years of service | No |
| Form 5 | New EPF account creation | Employers, for new employees | Employer filed |
Let's understand each of these forms in depth and their use cases.
Composite Claim Form
The Composite Claim Form is the standard way to claim your PF under the Employees' Provident Fund scheme in India, and it has replaced three older, separate forms: Form 19 (PF Final Settlement), Form 10C (Pension Withdrawal Benefits), and Form 31 (PF Part Withdrawal). Consolidating these into one form reduces paperwork and cuts down on repeated employer attestation.
It comes in two variants:
- The Aadhaar form is for employees whose Aadhaar is linked to their UAN. It can be submitted directly to the PF office without employer attestation.
- The Non-Aadhaar form is for employees who haven't linked Aadhaar to their UAN. It must be signed by the employer before submission to the PF office.
You can use the Composite Claim Form for:
Final Settlement of PF (Form 19): Withdraw your entire PF balance when you leave your job, regardless of service period.
Pension Withdrawal Benefit (Form 10C): If you haven't completed 10 years of service, claim your PF amount along with a pension scheme certificate.
Partial Withdrawal (Form 31): Withdraw a portion of your PF balance before leaving your job, under specific conditions.
Even a correctly chosen form can get rejected if your KYC, UAN, or service records don't match EPFO's data. Before you submit, it's worth running a quick check on your account with our AI Eligibility Checker, or use CheckMyPF to catch errors before they turn into a rejected claim.
Form 10C: Pension Withdrawal Benefit (Standalone Use)
While Form 10C is usually filed as part of the Composite Claim Form, it's worth understanding on its own. It applies specifically when you're leaving your job before completing 10 years of service and want to withdraw your pension contribution instead of preserving it for a future monthly pension. If you've crossed 10 years of service, you're no longer eligible to withdraw this amount. You can only claim it as a monthly pension later via Form 10D.
You can download Form 10C directly from the EPFO website.
Form 10D
Form 10D is specifically for applying for a monthly pension under the Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS). It's different from the Composite Claim Form, which is used to withdraw PF funds. Form 10D gets you a recurring monthly pension instead. In most cases you need at least 10 years of service to be eligible, though exceptions exist for disability or death of the member. Refer to the flowchart above for a quick eligibility check.
Form 10: Confirming Your Date of Exit
Form 10 is filed by your employer to declare your Date of Exit (DOE) to EPFO, as part of their regular return filing. You don't submit this form yourself, but it becomes important when your DOE is missing or incorrect in EPFO's records, since that can hold up withdrawals, transfers, or pension claims.
If you don't have a relieving letter or resignation acceptance to prove you left a previous job, an attested copy of Form 10 from your employer can serve as valid proof of separation instead. It's a practical fallback when the usual exit documents aren't available. For the full walkthrough, see our guide on using Form 10 when a resignation letter is missing.
Form 11: Don't Skip This When You Join a New Job
Form 11 is a self declaration form every new employee fills out when joining a company, especially if they already have a UAN from a previous employer. It tells your new employer your PF and UAN history so your account can be linked correctly and your service history stays continuous for pension calculations.
Getting Form 11 wrong or skipping it is a common, easily avoidable mistake. It's often the root cause behind service history gaps that surface later during withdrawal or transfer. If you're unsure whether your Form 11 was filed correctly at your last job change, it's worth checking before you submit a withdrawal or transfer claim.
Form 14
Form 14 lets you use your EPF savings to pay premiums for a Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) policy. To be eligible, you need at least two years of EPF membership and enough balance to cover two years of LIC premiums. This form authorizes automatic deductions from your EPF account, provided your annual EPF contributions are sufficient to cover the yearly LIC cost.
Form 13: PF Transfer, in Brief
Form 13 is used to transfer your entire PF balance, both your and your employer's contributions, from your old employer's account to your new one, keeping your service history unbroken for pension purposes. Note that pension contributions transfer only if both employers are exempt under the pension scheme, and EDLI benefits don't transfer at all, since they depend on employment status at the time of death, not job history.
For a full step by step walkthrough of filling Form 13 (online and offline), see our dedicated Form 13 transfer guide.
Form 20
Form 20 is for nominees or legal heirs (spouse, children, or parents in the absence of a nominee) to withdraw a deceased member's PF balance. Guardians can also use it on behalf of minor nominees or heirs.
Through Form 20, you can claim both the employee's and employer's contributions. Depending on the member's service and choices, pension scheme benefits may also apply. The Composite Claim Form [Form 20 (PF)/Form 10D (Pension)/Form 5(IF) (EDLI)] can be used to claim PF, pension, and insurance together when a member has died while in service.
Form 5(IF)
Form 5(IF) helps nominees or families claim insurance benefits under the Employees' Deposit Linked Insurance (EDLI) scheme, which provides financial support if an active PF member passes away. Employer verification is usually required; if the employer is unavailable, a gazetted officer can attest instead. A guardian can fill out the form on behalf of a minor.
Form 121 (Previously Form 15G and Form 15H)
Form 121 is a self declaration form used to avoid TDS on your PF withdrawal if you're withdrawing before completing 5 years of service and the amount exceeds ₹50,000. EPFO has now consolidated this requirement into a single form, Form 121, across withdrawal workflows.
Previously, this was handled through two separate forms:
Form 15G was used by regular members below 60 years of age to make this self declaration.
Form 15H was the equivalent version for senior citizens, used by members aged 60 years and above.
Both are now being replaced by Form 121. If you're filing a claim, check our guide to Form 121 and what it changes so you're not caught off guard by the newer process. For background on how the older Form 15G worked, see our dedicated Form 15G guide.
Form 5
Form 5 is filled out by employers for new employees who don't already have a PF account. It's the first step in checking eligibility for the scheme, and it also brings the employee under the Employees' Pension Fund and the Employees' Deposit Linked Insurance scheme.
Common Mistakes That Get PF Forms Rejected
Even the right form can bounce back if:
- Your Aadhaar, PAN, or bank details don't match EPFO's records exactly.
- Your UAN isn't KYC verified before submission.
- E-nomination hasn't been filed. This is now mandatory for withdrawal and a frequent, avoidable cause of rejection.
- Service history has gaps from a missing or incorrect Form 11 at a previous job, or a missing Date of Exit that Form 10 could have resolved.
If your claim has already been rejected, our guide on common reasons for EPF claim rejections breaks down fixes for each one.
The cases covered here aren't exhaustive, and things can get more complicated depending on your specific situation. That's exactly where our PF consultants come in. Whether it's picking the right form, fixing a rejected claim, or tracking a stuck withdrawal, book a call with a FinRight PF expert and get it sorted without the back and forth.
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