PF + ESI Registration in India

EPF registration connects an eligible establishment with the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) for provident-fund and related social-security compliance.

ESI registration connects an eligible establishment with the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) for the applicable employee social-security scheme.

They are separate registrations with separate eligibility rules. A business may need one, both, or neither depending on its establishment, employees, wages, location and applicable law.

Existing businesses register for EPFO and ESIC together through the common registration on the Unified Shram Suvidha Portal. The steps, as set out in the portal's user manual:

• 1. Sign up on the Shram Suvidha registration portal with name, email and mobile number, then log in.
• 2. Apply for new registration and choose the Act: EPFO, ESIC or both.
• 3. Establishment details: name, workplace address, date of set-up, category and ownership, with PAN and optional Udyam or Startup numbers.
• 4. Contact persons: manager and owner/directors with their PAN and identity details.
• 5. Employment details: headcount by category, employees earning up to ₹21,000, the date from which 10 or more ESI-coverable employees were employed, and the last month's wages.
• 6. Workers' particulars: download the template, fill in employee data and upload it.
• 7. Branches and activities: add branch addresses and the nature of business.
• 8. Attach documents: PAN, address proof, proof of set-up date, licence, specimen signature and a cancelled cheque (JPEG, PNG or PDF).
• 9. Choose the ESIC branch office and inspection division, review and submit.
• 10. Sign digitally and complete submission. The EPFO establishment code and ESIC employer code then show on the dashboard.

A company being incorporated now can apply for the EPFO establishment code and ESIC employer code through Form AGILE-PRO-S (INC-35) filed with SPICe+, so the codes are issued alongside incorporation. See private limited company registration.

• Name or PAN of the establishment not matching the incorporation or partnership record
• Date of set-up given without proof, or different from the incorporation date
• Workers' template uploaded with missing Aadhaar, dates of birth or wages
• Wrong ESIC branch office or inspection division selected for the workplace
• Unclear or unsigned cancelled cheque
• The signatory's digital signature not matching the authorised person
• Business activity chosen at too general a level, triggering a query on coverage

PF coverage now sits in the Code on Social Security, 2020, effective from 21 November 2025. It applies to establishments with 20 or more employees regardless of industry, replacing the old scheduled-industry list under the EPF & MP Act, 1952; the EPFO portal continues, and the EPF, pension and EDLI schemes were re-issued under the Code as the EPF Scheme, 2026, the EPS, 2026 and the EDLI Scheme, 2026 (G.S.R. 525(E) to 527(E), 29 June 2026), replacing the 1952, 1995 and 1976 schemes. EPFO also provides for voluntary coverage in circumstances permitted by the applicable provisions.

Coverage is not determined by employee count alone in every case. The establishment must fall within a covered class/type, and employee membership has separate eligibility rules.

The statutory wage ceiling of ₹15,000 per month is relevant to compulsory membership under the EPF Scheme, but it is not a general rule that employees earning above ₹15,000 can never be covered. Existing members, voluntary coverage and other applicable provisions can affect the outcome.

For standard EPF-covered employment, the commonly applicable contribution rate is 12% from the employee and 12% from the employer on the applicable EPF wage base, subject to the statutory rules and the allocation among EPF/EPS/EDLI.

The ₹15,000 wage ceiling affects compulsory statutory contribution/membership rules in specified circumstances. Contributions on higher wages can arise where the applicable provisions and permitted options apply.

PF is calculated using the statutory wage base, not simply total CTC.

CorporateWalla's indicative service timelines are 7–15 days for Starter and 10–15 days for Standard/Pro.

These are indicative service timelines, not guaranteed government approval periods. Actual registration can depend on the portal, documents, establishment details, authority queries and other external factors.

Registration creates the employer's establishment-level setup. Monthly filing is a separate recurring compliance activity.

CorporateWalla separately offers:

• EPF Filing
• ESIC Filing
• Payroll Management

Registration does not include future monthly filings unless the selected package explicitly provides them.

• Registering solely based on headcount without checking establishment coverage
• Treating PF and ESI as one combined law
• Applying the PF ₹15,000 wage ceiling as a universal exclusion rule
• Calculating PF on CTC instead of the applicable statutory wage base
• Ignoring existing UANs
• Incorrect employee Aadhaar/PAN/UAN data
• Missing employee exits or joining dates
• Assuming registration completes monthly compliance
• Treating the 7–15 day service estimate as a government guarantee
• Assuming that every employee is automatically covered by both PF and ESI
• Assuming every branch/location is covered by one establishment registration
• Using outdated contribution rates or wage thresholds

The employer remains responsible for providing accurate information, approving employee records, deducting employee contributions where applicable, funding employer contributions, making payments and completing recurring compliance.

An external consultant can assist with registration and filing, but outsourcing does not transfer the employer's statutory responsibility or guarantee that penalties cannot arise.