How do I Unfreeze my NPS account?

How do I Unfreeze my NPS accountHow to Unfreeze NPS account Online?

NPS is one of the best retirement tools in India. NPS investments can help you to meet expenses during post retirement life. While you might be planning to invest in NPS during young or middle age, you might experience NPS being frozen. You might not be able to contribute to NPS due to freeze in the account. If you are one among such NPS subscriber, this article can help you. Why NPS would get frozen in first place? How to unfreeze NPS account online in various methods? What are some frequently asked questions about NPS is frozen and possible solutions related to that.

Also Read: NPS Vs PPF Bs VPF Vs EPF – Which is good investment option?

What is NPS in India?

National Pension Scheme (NPS) is a popular retirement investment plan in India. This is voluntary and long term investment plan. Employees are eligible to contribute to NPS and eligible for income tax benefits u/s 80c up to Rs 1.5 Lakhs and Rs 50,000 u/s 80CCD (1B) in a financial year.

Why NPS would get frozen?

There are times when you wanted to make a contribution to NPS, it shows the status as frozen. There are a number of reasons for which NPS might be shown as frozen or shows status as inactive. Here are major reasons where your NPS would have frozen.

1) Minimum contribution not made during the financial year. NPS subscribers would get email if NPS is frozen due to this reason.

2) Non submission of Physical Form to PoP / CRA if NPS opened online

3) KYC documents pending

4) KYC verification pending

How do I Unfreeze my NPS account?

Unfreezing NPS account would depend on the reason why it got locked in first place.

1) How to unfreeze NPS account online by making minimum contribution?

NPS subscribers need to do the minimum contribution of Rs 500. They also need to make a minimum contribution of Rs 1,000 in a financial year for a Tier-1 account. There is no such minimum contribution limit for the Tier-2 account. If you do not make a minimum contribution in NPS, your NPS/PRAN would be made frozen / moved as inactive.

Solution to unfreeze NPS: You can login to your NPS account / Open mobile app and make a minimum contribution of Rs 1,000 (financial year limit) to the NPS to unfreeze the account online instantly.

2) How to unfreeze NPS offline through Bank / Point of Presence (Pops)?

i) If you have opened NPS through a bank or PoP, then approach them and make a contribution through DD / cheque.

ii) How to unfreeze NPS account due to kyc documents not submitted?

If you have opened NPS recently, some of your KYC documents would have been rejected or not verified due to incomplete documents submitted. You can submit these documents and activate NPS.

iIi) How do I unfreeze NPS account due to kyc documents pending?

When you have opened NPS, you would have submitted KYC documents. These documents need to be verified. Sometimes it takes weeks and months to close KYC verification depending on the bank or PoP. You can reach out to them and enquire the status.

iv) Non Submission of NPS form to CRA

NPS can be opened through Point of Presence (Pops) who can be intermediaries like banks, stock brokers etc., Once you open NPS with any Point of Presence (POPs), you need to submit the filled-in form with CRA or through PoP. Some PoPs indicate that you need to take a print and sign and send it them for further processing. You need to approach wherever you have opened NPS. Once you submit NPS form, it might take days or weeks to unfreeze your NPS.

3) How to unfreeze NPS account online through eNPS portal?

You can visit eNPS portal and click on National Pension Scheme and then contribution option. Enter PRAN number, date of birth, NPS Subscribe type, OTP type and Captcha and click on verify PRAN. You can then make contributions to NPS and unfreeze NPS instantly.

FAQs about NPS unlock and getting it resolved

1) Why My NPS account says user not eligible to make subsequent contributions?

If your NPS is frozen or in inactive status, you would get this error. This would happen for several reasons like not submitting signed account opening form within 30 days from registration to CRA, KYC pending/not completed etc., You need to approach your Point of Presence (PoP) where you opened your NPS account or nodal office who can help you to reactivate your NPS account.

2) I have made a contribution in NPS recently, but still my NPS has frozen

You would have made NPS contribution in the last few months or within this financial year, but still your NPS would have frozen. There are instances that your PoP has not uploaded KYC documents in NPS portal. You need to approach PoP who can help you to clarify the reasons and reactivate PRAN / NPS.

3) I have opened NPS online with my bank, but KYC is rejected, what should I do?

These days everything is online. If you have opened NPS online, you would have either submitted KYC documents or would have missed it. For whatever reason, you would have got the message that your KYC is rejected. In this case approach your bank (PoP) from where you have opened the NPS account and submit the application form along with KYC documents.

4) Can I unfreeze my NPS in any other location or with other service provider?

Point of Presence (PoP) service providers is not limited to a specific location. You can check NPS PoP Service Providers list and you can approach their nearest office and reactivate your NPS / PRAN account.

5) How much time it would take for KYC verification for NPS account which is opened online?

If you have opened NPS online through PoP / Banks, the process would depend on PoP to PoP or bank to bank. Some banks do within 3 working days after receiving KYC documents. Some major banks like ICICI, SBI and HDFC would start KYC verification immediately after opening an NPS account with the documents already available with them.

6) How would I know that NPS KYC is complete?

NPS subscribers would get notified through email / SMS once their KYC is complete. This way they know that their NPS is now active and can make contributions.

7) I am not able to make NPS contribution as my linked bank account is closed, how can I change my bank account then?

NPS account is initially linked to a bank account. However, you can use any other bank account to do contribution. In case you want to update your NPS linked bank account, you can request a change in the bank account by submitting ‘Subscriber Details Change Request Form’ (S2 Form) available on the NPS portal to concerned nodal office/service provider.  This S2 form can be downloaded from the NSDL CRA website under this path àAll Citizens of India → Forms → NPS Account Maintenance → Form UOS S2: Subscriber Details Change. Submit this signed application form to the below address

Central Recordkeeping Agency (eNPS)

NSDL e-Governance Infrastructure Limited,

1st Floor, Times Tower,

Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg,

Lower Parel, Mumbai – 400 013

Alternately, NPS Subscriber can send scanned copy of the request letter to the ‘Online Grievance’ portal of NSDL and get this done online.

8) How can I unfreeze NPS online instantly?

You might be wondering “How to activate my deactivated NPS account” as you have been using NPS for some time and making regular contributions. One of the best ways to unfreeze NPS online is to make a minimum contribution for a financial year (unless you get an error that you user cannot make a contribution) through your NPS login or on eNPS portal. This gets unfreeze instantly.

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9) Is NPS account Suspended means its frozen or locked?

NPS account suspended does not mean frozen or locked. This can happen when you are shifting to eNPS or new CRA, then it would show the status as “NPS account suspended”.

10) Can I get my NPS grievances resolved online?

Yes. You can download NPS mobile app or visit NPS website and register grievances and resolve it online

Following grievances can be resolved online:

PRAN not received

Error in PRAN Details Tier-I

Error in PRAN Details Tier-II

PRAN account not in active status – Tier-I

PRAN account not in active status – Tier-II

Contribution Related Grievances

PIN Related grievances

Transaction statement related

Withdrawal related

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Suresh KP

11 comments

  1. My account is frozen. I have made a contribution of 5000 today in the morning. But it is still frozen. How to unfreeze the account ?

    1. Sir is you nps account unfreezed I have made 2 payments of 500 each on June 9 2022 how long will it take unfreeze my account

      Pls reply

  2. I have opened an E-NPS account as voluntary account on line on 02.09.2021 with a PRAN No <<>> ,POP REG NO –<<>> ,POP-SP REG NO- <<>> AND Unfortunately the Status is Freeze. How to unfreeze and active the account please guide me and allow me to continue my subscription as well.I have sent physical Subscripn Form and KYC documents ,Photo to your good office on 02.12.2021 by speed post .
    Thank you
    Bhabani charan das mohapatra
    PRAN No- <<>>>
    Baleswar,Odisha

    1. Hello, Please do not post personal info on public domain.

      Have you tried the steps indicated in the article to unfreeze. Make minimum contribution and automatically it should unfreeze. Pls read complete article and follow the steps

    1. Hello sir i have nps count which was opened in 2014 i have made only 2 payments. i made payment in june 2022 ..contribution through online nps app. How penlty we should pay . Everyone year Rs 1000 or from this year only Rs 1000

      1. 1,000 is not penalty, it is minimum contribution to be made per year. Since you already made pymt in Jun-22, check what message you are getting and proceed further.

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