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A Detalied Guide On How To Unfreeze NPS

Account?
By Ektha Surana

Updated on: Jan 20th, 2024 | 14 min read

CONTENTS [ Show ]

NPS (National Pension Scheme) is a well-known retirement benefit system in India. If you start

investing in NPS during your early career, you will need proper expenditure planning as you

have to contribute a minimum amount regularly. If you do not meet the minimum requirements

or submit the wrong documents, your NPS account can be frozen indefinitely.

Are you stuck logging into your NPS account? If yes, the possible reason is your account is

frozen. Continue reading this blog to learn how to unfreeze an NPS account, why your

account could be frozen, tips to prevent this and more.

Reasons for NPS Account Freezing

There can be several underlying reasons for NPS account freezing. This is the very first thing

every NPS subscriber wonders when coming to know that their NPS account is no longer

active. This section will provide you with detailed possible reasons for freezing an NPS

account.
As per the guidelines set by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority

(PFRDA), every NPS individual must contribute a minimum amount to their NPS accounts

yearly. In cases, when an individual fails to contribute to their account, the account will freeze

and no further transactions will take place in the account.

However, the norms for minimum contribution vary for both Tier I and Tier II account holders.

Here are the possible reasons for an NPS account to freeze:

Minimum Contribution: Tier I account opening takes place with at least Rs. 500 and

individuals must deposit at least Rs. 6,000 every year to keep the account

active. However, there is no requirement for a minimum amount of deposition for a Tier II

account.

Once your Tier 1 account freezes, your Tier II NPS account also becomes inactive. The

main reason behind an NPS account deactivation is the failure to meet stated minimum

contributions. However, freezing of NPS account intimation mail is sent through email.

KYC Compliance: Not complying with KYC norms will not lead to your NPS account

freezing. Rather, if your KYC documents are submitted, but approval is pending, it will

lead to the freezing of your account.

Submission of Membership Form: NPS subscribers can subscribe through online mode

but still they need to send the physical form to POP-SP (Point of Presence Service

Provider) or CRA, as per the case. Non-submission of membership forms will freeze your

account.

Consequences of NPS Account Freezing

There are several ways to unfreeze your deactivated NPS account. The first and foremost

option is to unfreeze the account online by paying the minimum contribution and penalty. The
second option is to unfreeze your NPS account offline through a bank branch.

How to Check If Your NPS Account is Frozen?

Before proceeding to unfreeze your account, you need to make sure it's frozen or has become

inactive. Before this happens, you will receive several warnings.

You will receive an error message stating your ineligibility towards the minimum amount of

contribution in the account. Apart from this, being an NPS subscriber, an SMS will be sent

warning your account could get frozen if the necessary steps are not taken within 30 days.

Once the status of your account changes from active to frozen, another SMS or email will be

sent to you.

Moreover, if you have overdue debts, creditors may freeze your NPS account and collect the

dues directly from your bank. When you fail to withdraw money or transfer funds from your

account, it means your account is frozen.

If the following circumstances take place, it indicates that your bank account is frozen:

You have no access to your money.

You are unable to use your ATM or debit card.

No transfer or electronic payments are allowed.

Checks written with your funds are not cleared.

In other words, any kind of transaction attempted from your end will turn out unsuccessful if

you have a frozen account.

Apart from this, the bank will also send a notice about your frozen account. Even though the

bank notifies you of a deactivated account, it will comply with the order before letting you
know. Hence, you need to check the official portal to know why your account was frozen.

Ways to Unfreeze NPS Account

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) can freeze your NPS

account because of several underlying reasons. However, to keep your planning of retirement

on track, it is necessary to reactivate your NPS account.

Make sure to follow the below-mentioned steps to learn about how to unfreeze your NPS

account:

Making the Minimum Contribution Online: To make a minimum contribution online, visit

the eNPS portal and go to the contribution page. Make sure to make a minimum

contribution of Rs. 500 per month for the time your account was frozen. You will also

have to pay a penalty.

You will receive payment confirmation via email and your NPS account will unfreeze.

Once completed, you can make regular yearly contributions by logging into the

account.

Making an Offline Contribution: It is possible to reactivate your account offline via a

bank or Point of Presence (PoP) facility. Make the required contribution by visiting your

nearest PoP and unfreezing your NPS account. You must submit a DD or cheque in

favour of the PoP agency. Once you contribute the required amount, your NPS account

will get registered with the PRAN mentioned on the NCIS.

Deal with KYC Rejection: If your KYC is rejected or approval is pending, your NPS

account can become frozen. If you are facing KYC rejection, follow the below-

mentioned steps to unfreeze the NPS account:

Get the registration form, attach your picture and sign on it.
 Visit the nearest PoP for physical verification along with verification of your PAN details,

identity and address.

Fill up all the details and complete the registration form, sign it and put a stamp on it.

The registration form however must include the employee ID.

After successful verification, submit the form at the PoP.

Once you update all the details, your PRAN will be reactivated. You will also receive

confirmation via email and you can start your yearly minimum contribution to secure your

future.

How to Unfreeze an NPS Account Online?

Products

Opting to unfreeze the NPS account online is probably the simplest way. Digital platforms are

a convenient way to carry out things hassle-free.

Follow the below-mentioned steps and learn how to activate a frozen NPS account online:

Visit the eNPS portal and enter valid credentials to log in to your NPS account.

Click on the ‘Contribution’ option located on the top menu.

Enter all mandatory details such as PRAN details, type of NPS subscriber and date of

birth.

Initiate the minimum contribution of Rs. 500 on the following page.

You will receive an OTP. Enter the OTP and security to submit your application.

You will receive a confirmation of your payment and the same will be notified also at

your registered email ID.

The account will thereafter unfreeze successfully and you can start making contributions
henceforth for your retirement planning.

How to Unfreeze NPS Account

File NowOffline?

POP-SP entities located all over India undertake the process of unfreezing NPS accounts

offline. Locate the nearest POP-SP in your area to ease your unfreezing.

Below are the various solutions that will help you to understand how to unlock your NPS

account offline:

Minimum Contribution: Every individual must make a minimum deposit of Rs. 6,000 at

least once in a financial year. Fill out the PFRDA unfreeze request Form UOS-S10 and

submit the same to the representative at the POP-SP. Here are the important points you

need to remember while making the minimum contribution:

Along with the form attach a copy of your PRAN card.

Deposit a minimum amount of Rs. 500/month with a penalty of Rs. 100 over the

period of frozen account.

You can submit the contribution amount via cash, cheque or a demand draft using

the NPS Contribution Instruction Slip (NCIS).

The amount gets credited to your account via the POP-SP and the outcome is

uploaded into the CRA system.

CRA is solely responsible for freezing and unfreezing NPS accounts.

Once approved, your NPS account will be activated. An activation intimation email will be

transmitted to your registered email.

Pending KYC Compliance: As an NPS subscriber, it is mandatory to submit all relevant

 KYC documents. At times, even though complying with the KYC norms, verification is

delayed at the POP-SP. For this, your NPS account status stays inactive. Henceforth, you

must follow up with the POP-SP to unfreeze your NPS account sooner.

Membership Form Submission: Your NPS account may get inactivated because of non-

submission of the NPS form. So, you must comply with this requirement. It is mandatory

to fill up the membership form and make it reach the CRA to activate your account,

irrespective of whether you have joined the NPS through POP or other intermediaries.

Your account will be reactivated within a few days from your submission date of the

membership form.

Deficient KYC Documents: At times, your KYC documents might leave you unverified

while you enrol for NPS membership. The main reason behind this might be the missing

or invalid documents. In this scenario, you must take the initiative to find the deficiency

and submit all relevant documents to POP-SP. The service provider will verify and

unfreeze your NPS account.

KYC Rejection: At times, any intermediary bank might reject all your KYC documents for

various reasons. Thus, make sure to submit all valid KYC documents for smooth

verification. Once you receive approval of all KYC documents your NPS account will

unfreeze.

How Much Time Does It Take to Unfreeze NPS Accounts?

An NPS subscriber must fill up the form and submit it to the POP-SP or the CRA. They will take

the initiative to activate your account. The NPS account will unfreeze within a few days from

your date of submission of the form.

Penalty for Frozen NPS Account

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) charges a penalty of Rs.

100 for both subscribers belonging to Tier 1 or Tier 2 or both accounts. For regular accounts,

the deposit amount required is Rs. 500/month for the current fiscal year along with a penalty

of Rs. 100 for the year of your frozen NPS account.

If the amount of contribution is less than the minimum expected amount, CRA rejects the

contribution during the process of uploading.

Final Words

By now, you must have a clear understanding of how to unfreeze an NPS account. Subscribing

to an NPS account fulfils the financial long-term objectives and also helps to secure your

retired life. There can be various deficiencies that lead to the inactivation of your NPS account

and thereby impact your corpus health. You must identify the reason promptly and find out

ways of unfreezing your account.

Related Articles:
1. Top Performing NPS Schemes 2024
2. NPS Login

3. Top Performing NPS Schemes 2024

4. Should I include employer’s contribution to NPS in my taxable salary?

5. How To Open NPS Account?

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my NPS account frozen?

There are times when you proceed to contribute to your NPS account, it reveals the status

as frozen. Some of the common reasons behind frozen NPS accounts are- pending KYC

documents, pending verification of KYC and non-submission of forms physically to POP/

CRA. A failure to pay the minimum contribution over a financial year also gets your account

frozen.

How long does it take to unfreeze the NPS account?

To unfreeze your NPS account, it takes around a few days from the date of submission of

your form.

How do I know if my NPS account is frozen?

You will receive an error message stating your ineligibility to contribute to the NPS

account. If you do not take the necessary actions on time, you will receive an SMS letting

you know the chances of your NPS account to freeze within 30 days.
 How do I unlock my locked NPS account?

To unlock your locked NPS account, you need to contact the NPS authority, your Pension

Fund Manager or the NPS Trust. They will provide proper guidance on the entire process

along with stating the documents required to unlock your account based on your

circumstances.

Ektha Surana
Content Marketer

Multitasking between pouring myself coffees and poring over the ever-changing tax
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