How Can I Reactivate My Inactive PF Account After Returning from an Overseas Assignment?

I went abroad on an onsite assignment for 4 years and returned in January 2014. I have returned to the same employer, and since January, the employer has restarted the Indian salary and paid PF to the same EPF account. However, I just now realized that the PF account is inactive when I checked on the EPFO website.

Reactivating an Inactive PF Account

How do I reactivate the same PF account because I am still with the same employer? Would it have been reactivated automatically since the employer has started making contributions again to the same account?

International Workers PF Scheme and SSA Countries

The PF Act was amended in 2008, and the International Workers PF scheme was introduced. How many years were you abroad, and in which country?

India has a Social Security Agreement (SSA) with the following countries:
• Belgium
• Germany
• Switzerland
• Luxembourg
• France
• Denmark
• Korea
• Netherlands
• Hungary

If you were in any of these countries, your employer would have had to obtain a Certificate of Coverage (COC) and continue contributing to the Social Security program of that country.

However, if you were in countries with which India does not have an SSA and were deputed abroad, such employees are treated as domestic workers, not international workers, for the PF scheme. In this case, your employer was obligated to continue contributions to the Indian PF Scheme.

As far as my knowledge goes, there is no provision to reactivate an old PF number; a new number is issued each time. It seems your HR may not be fully aware of the International Workers PF Scheme implemented in 2008, or there may be other reasons.

Regards

You need to apply for the transfer of your previous account to your current P.F. account through the employer in the PF portal. This process is now easier. The previous amount will be merged into the new account and carried forward accordingly.

Please follow through with this procedure.

Regards,
D. Gurumurthy

The existing PF account accumulations attract annual interest, which is also credited to that PF account. Hence, I do not understand how the PF account shall be a dead account. Please check with RPFC.

Thanks.
R K Nair

I have been working with an organization for the last 11 years. Out of these 11 years, I have been based in a foreign location for the past 5 years. The country I am currently located in does not have a social security agreement with India.

EPF Contribution for Foreign Deputation

As per my contract for foreign deputation, my EPF is supposed to continue in India. My monthly basic salary is USD 5000.

My question is, what should be my employer's and my contribution to EPF in India? Which basic salary should be used for calculation to determine the contribution? (I have no salary component paid in India, and I do not pay any income tax in India).

Regards,
Abhishek