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Pension questions

India pension questions

These are the questions people search about a pension left in India. Each page answers its question in the first two sentences, and we show those two sentences below, read from the official source with the date we read it. We identify where a pension is likely held and the route to it. We do not give advice.

English

  • Can international workers withdraw EPF when they leave India?

    EPFO's FAQ states that an International Worker from a country with which India has a Social Security Agreement may withdraw the full EPF balance on ceasing to be an employee in a covered establishment, whereas an International Worker not covered by an SSA may withdraw the full amount only (i) on retirement from service after 58 years of age or (ii) on retirement due to permanent and total incapacity certified by the authorised medical officer. The FAQ also states that EPS-95 withdrawal benefit is not available to IWs from non-SSA countries.

    • Source: epfindia.gov.in, read 1 September 2026

  • Can I withdraw my PF after leaving India?

    A member who resigns (rather than retires at superannuation) must wait two months after leaving service before the EPF amount can be withdrawn. An EPF account that receives no contribution for three years after retirement, permanent migration abroad, or death is classified as inoperative.

    • Source: epfindia.gov.in, read 1 September 2026

  • Does an inactive EPF account earn interest?

    EPFO classifies an account as inoperative when no contribution has been received for three years after retirement or permanent migration abroad, and its answer on whether such an account earns interest is no, with interest running only to age 58. In March 2026 EPFO's board approved automatic settlement for about 1.33 lakh inoperative accounts holding roughly Rs 5.68 crore, and only where the balance is Rs 1,000 or less and an Aadhaar seeded bank account is already on file.

    • Source: epfindia.gov.in and pib.gov.in, read 4 October 2026

  • How do I find an old PF account?

    EPFO Unified Member Portal (UAN): Check your EPF (Provident Fund) balance, passbook and contribution history, run by the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation. A former employee who left India two decades ago has no live Aadhaar, often no UAN at all because the number only began in 2014, and no Indian bank account to receive a settlement.

    • Source: epfindia.gov.in, read 7 June 2026
    • Source: epfindia.gov.in, uidai.gov.in and pib.gov.in, read 4 October 2026

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