How To Reset EPFO Password: Step-by-Step Guide

Go to the EPFO Member Portal and select the “Forgot Password” option. Fill in your UAN and captcha code. Click on your details. You will be sent an OTP via your Aadhar verified mobile phone number. It should take just a few minutes.

Key Takeaways

• OTP is the only way to reset your EPFO password. There is no email-based reset.
• A locked account uses the same “Forgot Password” screen as a forgotten password.

Locked out of your EPFO account and can't remember the password? This happens a lot, usually right when someone needs their passbook for a loan or a claim. Here's who this applies to, when it works, where to go, and what trips people up along the way. Any EPF member with a UAN can do this. It fixes both a forgotten password and an account that's been locked after too many wrong attempts. 

What is the EPFO Password used for?

It's your login for the UAN account, and the same password works on both the Member Portal and the Passbook Portal.

You set it once, when you first activate your UAN. After that, it just sits there until you change it or forget it. Checking your balance, updating KYC, filing a claim can be done with this one password.

How Do I Reset My EPFO Password?

Click “Forgot Password” on the login page. Put in your UAN number. Confirm using an OTP. This is a quick process. Here’s the entire procedure:

1. Visit the EPFO member portal.
2. Click “Forgot Password,” just below the sign in option.
3. Enter the 12 digit UAN number and captcha on the screen.
4. Enter the name, date of birth, gender, and mobile number as per your EPFO records.
5. Enter the OTP sent to your Aadhaar registered mobile number.

The Member Portal accepts the new password right away. The Passbook Portal takes longer, around 6 hours before it catches up.

What Do I Need Before I Reset EPFO Password?

Active UAN, Aadhaar card linked to UAN and mobile number registered to that particular Aadhaar card.

Why Does My EPFO Password Reset Fail?

Most of the time it's an old mobile number, or Aadhaar details that don't line up with what EPFO has on file.

• Aadhaar mismatch: Your employer has to fix this on their end before the reset will go through.
• Old mobile number: It needs updating via the employer's portal since there's no direct self-service fix.
• Too many failed logins: The account locks for a bit. Wait it out instead of hammering the login button.

What If I Cannot Get the OTP?

The reason why the OTP will not reach you will be because the mobile number attached to Aadhaar will have become outdated. EPFO sends OTP only to the current mobile number.