Form 13 is the claim form used to move your old PF balance into your new employer’s member ID when you change jobs. It used to be a paper form signed by both employers; now it is raised online by the member through the UAN portal, and in many cases the old balance is moved with little manual involvement.

The online transfer, step by step

You log in to the member portal, open Online Services and choose the transfer request (One Member, One EPF Account). Your previous account details are fetched through the UAN, you confirm the request with an OTP on your Aadhaar-linked mobile, and the claim goes to the old establishment’s EPFO office. Before you start:

1. Use the same UAN in both jobs. A second UAN has to be merged first.
2. Complete KYC (Aadhaar, PAN, bank) on the UAN.
3. Make sure the old employer has marked your date of exit, which is usually done during full and final settlement.

Reports in 2025 said EPFO revamped the Form 13 software so that approval at the new (destination) office is no longer needed, leaving the old office to approve the claim. Employer attestation is no longer the usual hurdle either. If your UAN is Aadhaar-verified, EPFO’s system also tries to move eligible balances across automatically once your new employer starts paying contributions, but how consistently this works varies, so check rather than assume.

What goes wrong in practice

Most delays come from the exit date not being updated by the former employer, mismatched names or dates of birth between the two member IDs, or a KYC detail that is not approved. A transfer also moves your pension service history, which matters when you are counting the 10 years needed under EPS.

Prefer a transfer over a withdrawal. Withdrawing before five years of continuous service can make the amount taxable, and it breaks the service chain.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know the transfer worked?

Your old member ID shows a transfer-out entry and the new one shows a transfer-in line. Look at both in the PF passbook, since the new entry can lag the claim approval.

Does the new employer need to approve it?

For most online claims, no. An employer still has to have your joining and exit dates correct in the system.

Can I transfer if I have not yet worked a month at the new job?

Generally you need an active member ID with the new employer first, which only exists once your ECR entry is filed.

For an overview of how a balance builds over several jobs, read about EPF.