PF Withdrawal Rules: Big news for PF account holders. In 2026, the Employees’ Provident Fund Organization introduced new rules for partial withdrawals, benefiting its millions of subscribers. The EPFO has streamlined the process for members to access funds from their PF accounts. The new regulations are part of the “Employees’ Provident Fund Scheme, 2026,” issued by the Ministry of Labor and Employment.
Previously, there were numerous regulations and forms for various purposes, but now EPFO has categorized advance claims into three main groups. Let’s break down these three categories, the frequency of PF withdrawals, and the associated conditions in a straightforward manner.
3 new categories of EPF advance:
1. Category I (essential needs):
– Members can withdraw for medical treatment unlimited times.
– Education withdrawals are allowed up to 10 times.
– Marriage withdrawals can be made up to 5 times during the entire EPF membership.
2. Category II (housing needs):
– Covers house purchase, construction, loan repayment, and house renovation.
– Members can avail up to five advances in their membership period.
3. Category III (special circumstances):
– Members can make partial withdrawals up to two times per fiscal year as per the Board’s notification.
Eligibility and the new 75% rule:
– A minimum of 12 months EPF membership is required for partial withdrawal.
– Members can withdraw up to 75% of contributions and interest, with a mandatory 25% balance to be maintained for retirement safety.
Effective date and rationale for the change
The Central Board of Trustees (CBT) of EPFO approved the new structure in October 2025, which was enforced nationwide from July 2026. This simplified system aims to reduce claim rejections and expedite fund disbursement during emergencies for employees, replacing the previous complex rules and conditions.
Balance enquiry from EPFO passbook portal
- First of all you go to EPFO Member Passbook Portal.
- After that, login by entering your UAN number, password and captcha code.
- After this, you can get complete information about PF balance along with passbook by selecting your member ID.
- During this time you can also download the member passbook online.
PF balance check from Umang app
- Another important way to check your PF balance is to get the information through Umang app.
- For this, first of all download the Umang app from Play Store or App Store in your mobile.
- After that open the app, search for EPFO and click on it.
- Now select the option of View Passbook.
- Now enter your UAN number.
- After that an OTP will come on your registered mobile number, enter it.
- After this, the passbook and balance of your PF account will be visible on your mobile screen.