Skip to content

Generate UAN on UMANG with Face Authentication (2026)

By Kusum · Reviewed by Harish, Labour Consultant, Delhi on · Updated

Share:WhatsAppFacebookXTelegramLinkedIn
All guides ↓

Independent guide by India Customer Care. We are not EPFO. Use only the official EPFO portals and the UMANG app for your account, and never share your password or OTP with anyone.

On this page
  1. First check: do you already have a UAN?
  2. What you need
  3. Step by step
  4. After you get your UAN
  5. If it does not work
  6. Frequently asked questions
  7. Related guides on our other websites
  8. Sources
Show only what applies to you

Pick your situation. Parts of this page that don't apply will fold away. Your choice stays on this device.

Your UAN
Your device

If this is your first job with PF, you generate your UAN yourself on the UMANG app: enter your Aadhaar number and the mobile number linked to it, confirm with an OTP, then scan your face with the AadhaarFaceRD app. Your UAN arrives by SMS and is already activated. It takes about 5 minutes and is free.

First check: do you already have a UAN?

No UAN yet

This page is for you. Follow the steps below. If you ever had a PF deduction in an earlier job, check your old payslips first: the UAN is usually printed there.

Have a UAN, not activated

Don't generate a new one. Your employer may have created a UAN for you that was never activated. Use activate your UAN instead.

UAN active

You don't need a new UAN. Give your existing UAN to your new employer so the new job is added under it. Forgot it? See know your UAN.

What you need

Android: install both apps from the Google Play Store. AadhaarFaceRD has no icon to open; UMANG calls it in the background during the face scan.

iPhone: UMANG is on the App Store. EPFO's own instructions name the Play Store for the AadhaarFaceRD app, so if face scanning does not start on your iPhone, use any Android phone (a family member's is fine). The UAN is linked to your Aadhaar and face, not to the phone.

No smartphone: generation needs a phone camera for the face scan. Borrow an Android phone from someone you trust: you only need your Aadhaar-linked mobile nearby for the OTP. Do not let anyone else keep your OTP.

Step by step

  1. Install UMANG and AadhaarFaceRD
  2. UMANG: UAN Allotment and Activation
  3. Enter Aadhaar and Aadhaar mobile, give consent
  4. OTP to your Aadhaar mobile
  5. Face scan until the outline turns green
  6. UAN sent by SMS, already active
YouUMANG / EPFO
  1. Open UMANG and search for EPFO. Under UAN Services Through Face Auth, tap UAN Allotment and Activation.
  2. Enter your Aadhaar number and the mobile number linked to Aadhaar. Tick the consent box and tap Send OTP.
  3. Enter the OTP. The app checks whether a UAN already exists for your Aadhaar.
  4. If none exists, the face scan opens. Hold the phone at eye level, look straight at the camera and stay still until the outline turns green.
  5. When the scan succeeds, your UAN arrives by SMS on the same mobile. It is already activated: you don't need a separate activation step.
  6. Download your e-UAN card from UMANG or the member portal, and give the UAN to your employer.

You'll know it worked when you get an SMS from EPFO with your 12-digit UAN.

After you get your UAN

  1. Give the UAN to your employer. They link it to your new member ID and start depositing PF.
  2. Set a password on the member portal if you want to use it (UMANG works without one).
  3. Add your bank account and PAN (KYC). Without them you cannot withdraw. See EPFO KYC.
  4. File your e-nomination, so your family can claim PF and insurance without delay if something happens to you.
  5. After the first salary, check the passbook in a month or two to see that PF has been deposited. See EPF passbook.

If it does not work

What you seeWhat it meansWhat to do
OTP not receivedThe OTP goes only to the mobile linked to AadhaarCheck which number is in Aadhaar. Wait a few minutes before asking again
UAN already existsA UAN was created for your Aadhaar before (perhaps by an earlier employer)Don't try again. Find that UAN and activate it
Face authentication failedLight, camera angle or an old Aadhaar photoSee face authentication failed
Invalid detailsA typing mistake in the Aadhaar numberRe-enter it carefully

Frequently asked questions

Can my employer generate my UAN?

UAN generation now uses Aadhaar face authentication on the UMANG app, so it needs your face and your Aadhaar-linked mobile. Your employer can guide you, but the face scan has to be yours.

I already have a UAN from an earlier job. Should I generate a new one?

No. One person should have only one UAN for life. Give your existing UAN to the new employer. If you try to generate again, UMANG will tell you a UAN already exists.

Is there any fee for generating a UAN?

No. UAN generation on UMANG is free. Anyone asking for money to generate a UAN is not from EPFO.

Sources