National Pension Scheme (NPS) is an ideal pension fund scheme which is regulated by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA). All the Indian citizens are eligible for a pension account under National Pension Scheme through eNPS.
Aadhaar is mandatory for opening an NPS account. The KYC for NPS is done using Aadhaar through One Time Password (OTP) authentication using your mobile number registered with Aadhaar. All the demographic details and photo are fetched from Aadhaar database.
What is NPS?
Option 1: Registration using Aadhaar
1. Go to the NPS website – ttps://enps.nsdl.com/eNPS/NationalPensionSystem.html# and click on the Register tab
2. An ‘Online Subscriber Registration’ form will appear. Fill in all the details and click on the Generate OTP tab.
3. An OPT will be sent to your mobile number registered with Aadhaar. Enter the OTP.
4. Once validated, your details and photo will automatically appear in the online form. Upload your scanned signature and photograph, in case, you don’t want the Aadhaar picture.
5. After you upload the form, you will be routed to a payment gateway for the initial contribution to your NPS account. The minimum amount is Rs 500, which you can pay either by debit/credit card or Internet banking.
6. After making the payment, a Permanent Retirement Account Number (PRAN) will be allotted to you. After which within a few days, you will receive a welcome kit from the PFRDA which will have a PRAN card, IPIN, TPIN and scheme details.
7. Take a print of the online form you have filled, affix your photograph on it and sign in the space given for the signature. This form should then be sent to the Central Recordkeeping Agency.
How to calculate NPS?
Option 2: Registration using PAN
1. Go to the NPS website – https://enps.nsdl.com and click on the Register tab
2. An “Online Subscriber Registration” form will pop up. Fill the form and in the “Choose appropriate options” table, select the Permanent Account Number (PAN) button instead of Aadhaar.
3. Next enter your PAN number and select your bank. Click on Contine
4. Next, you need to fill up all the mandatory details online and upload your scanned photograph and signature (the file should be in *.jpeg/*.jpg format and should be between 4kb – 12kb size)
5. In the final step, you will be routed to a payment gateway for making the payment towards your NPS account from Internet Banking. Download or take a print out of the Acknowledge Number.
6. Note that since your KYC verification will be done by the Bank, a onetime fee of up to a maximum of Rs 125 (plus applicable taxes) will be debited from your Bank account by the Bank as KYC authentication charges.
How to invest in NPS?
In case you are an NRI subscriber
1. In case you are an NRI subscriber, select Non Resident of India (NRI) button given under “Choose appropriate options” tab in the “Online Subscriber Registration” form. Here is the link
2. You can select Non-Repatriable account and enter your Passport Number, select country of residence. Then enter Aadhaar Number to generate OTP
3. Alternatively, you can choose Repatriable account and select your bank, country of resident; enter passport number and Aadhaar number to generate OTP.
4. Note that if you select Repatriable account option, your KYC verification will be done by the Bank. A onetime fee of up to a maximum of Rs. 125 (plus applicable taxes) will be debited from your Bank account by the Bank as KYC authentication charges.
5. Then select the preferred address for communication i.e., Overseas Address or Permanent Address (communication at overseas address would entail extra charges)
6. After Permanent Retirement Account Number (PRAN) is allotted, you can use one of the following options:
Option 1: eSign
For Tier I PRANs generated through Aadhaar, you have option to eSign the document by following the below mentioned steps:
1. Select ‘eSign’ option in the eSign / Print & Courier page
2. OTP for the purpose of authentication will be sent to your mobile number registered with the Aadhaar
3. After Authentication of Aadhaar, Registration form will be successfully eSigned
4. Once a document is eSigned, you need not send the physical copy of form to CRA
5. eSign charge Rs 5 plus service tax
Option 2: Print and Courier
1. Select ‘Print & Courier’ option in the eSign / Print & Courier page
2. You need to take a printout of the form, paste your photograph (please do not sign across the photograph) & affix signature
3. You should sign on the block provided for signature
4. The photograph should not be stapled or clipped to the form
5. The form should be sent within 90 days from the date of allotment of PRAN to CRA at the following address or else the PRAN will be ‘frozen’ temporarily
Send documents at:
Central Recordkeeping Agency (eNPS)
NSDL e-Governance Infrastructure Limited,
1st Floor, Times Tower,
Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg,
Lower Parel, Mumbai – 400 013
- Is Aadhaar card necessary for opening an NPS account?Yes, Aadhaar card is essential to open an NPS account as the KYC (Know Your Customer) process is done utilizing Aadhaar via OTP authentication via your mobile number that is registered with Aadhaar.
- What are two ways to register for the National Pension Scheme?You can register for the National Pension Scheme or NPS through Aadhaar or via the PAN card.
- How to get user ID and password for NPS?The user ID or PRAN as we call it for NPS can be obtained by filling up the application form providing all relevant information and submitting the same, online/offline along with your KYC documents. As soon as you receive your user ID you can log on to the online portal and generate the password for the same.
- How long it takes to Pran get activated?The PRAN card is printed and submitted within 10 working days from the date of receipt you fill the registration form at NSDL-CRA. Moreover, you can also do this online via the eNPS portal where the process is completed in a matter of minutes.
