UAN
Verification API

UAN verification API for employment verification

A UAN verification API checks a candidate's Universal Account Number against EPFO records, so you can confirm their identity and formal employment details during onboarding without collecting payslips. It only covers people who have been enrolled in the Employees' Provident Fund by an employer. Many gig, contract and self-employed workers have no UAN, so high-volume platforms usually run the UAN verification API alongside PAN, driving licence and bank account checks rather than on its own.

What a UAN check confirms

A UAN is the 12-digit number the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) gives an employee, and it stays with them when they change jobs. Checking it against EPFO records confirms that the number is genuine and returns the employee details linked to it, such as the name and employment status, which you can compare with what the candidate told you.

A UAN check confirms formal, EPF-covered employment. It does not verify salary, job title or performance, and it says nothing about work that was never covered by EPF.

UAN verification or mobile to UAN?

Use the UAN verification API when the candidate gives you their UAN. Use the Mobile to UAN API when they only know their mobile number, which is common because many employees never note their UAN. See the full comparison of UAN verification and mobile to UAN.

Where the UAN verification API fits

HR-tech background verification

Background verification platforms use a UAN check to confirm a candidate's stated employment before an offer is finalised, instead of waiting for previous employers to reply.

Lenders checking a stated employer

Banks and NBFCs use it to confirm that a salaried applicant's stated employment is reflected in EPFO records before approving a loan.

Payroll onboarding

Payroll teams use it to confirm a new joiner's existing UAN, so provident fund contributions continue on the right account instead of a new one being created.

The gig-worker coverage gap

EPF covers employees of establishments that fall under the EPF Act. Delivery partners, drivers and freelancers engaged as independent contractors often have no EPF account, so a UAN check will find nothing for them. That is missing information, not a sign of fraud.

For these workers, build the check from other sources instead:

1. PAN verification to confirm identity.
2. Driving licence verification for riders and drivers.
3. Penny-less bank account verification so payouts reach the worker's own account.
4. A face match against the photo on the verified document, where your flow needs one.

See how these checks combine for gig and HR platforms.

Consent and data handling

A UAN check processes personal data. Ask for the candidate's consent before the lookup, explain why you need it, keep only what the decision requires, and store the consent with the result. Read how the DPDP Act applies to KYC data.

Handling "no record" results

When a UAN verification API finds no record, the candidate may have mistyped the number, may never have been enrolled in EPF, or may have worked only in establishments outside EPF. Ask them to check the number on the EPFO member portal, offer the mobile-number route, and fall back to other checks rather than rejecting them outright.

Where UANs come from

Every Universal Account Number is issued by the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), and employees can view and activate theirs on the EPFO Member e-Sewa portal. A UAN verification API reads from the same employment records, which is why it is a useful signal of formal employment history in HR and lending checks.