EPF & ESIC registration for employers
Once you cross the employee thresholds, provident fund and state insurance registration stop being optional. They are also a precondition for PSARA and for most manpower tenders — so getting them in place early avoids a bottleneck later.
What the engagement includes
- Applicability assessment for your headcount
- EPF establishment code
- ESIC employer code
- Employee registration and UAN generation
- ESI insurance number and e-Pehchaan cards
- Monthly ECR preparation and filing
- Challan generation and payment support
- Inspection and notice handling
Get a fixed quote
Government fees and our fee, itemised — before you commit.
Thank you — request received
One of our consultants will call you on the number you provided, usually within one working day.
Two separate laws, usually done together
The Employees' Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 creates a retirement savings obligation. The Employees' State Insurance Act, 1948 creates a medical and cash benefit scheme for lower-wage employees. They are administered by different bodies with different thresholds, but for an employer they arrive at the same time and are best handled together.
| EPF | ESIC | |
|---|---|---|
| Applies when you employ | 20 or more persons | 10 or more persons (20 in a few states) |
| Wage ceiling for coverage | ₹15,000 per month | ₹21,000 per month (₹25,000 for employees with disability) |
| Employee contribution | 12% of basic wages | 0.75% of wages |
| Employer contribution | 12% of basic wages | 3.25% of wages |
| Monthly filing | Electronic Challan cum Return | Contribution return and challan |
Voluntary registration below the threshold is permitted and is common — employees increasingly expect PF, and a number of tenders and client empanelment processes require the codes regardless of your headcount.
What the schemes provide
Provident fund and pension
A portable retirement corpus with employer matching, plus a pension entitlement under the Employees' Pension Scheme after the qualifying service period.
Medical cover
ESI provides medical care for the insured employee and their dependants through the ESI hospital and dispensary network, without a claim limit for the covered treatment.
Cash benefits
Sickness, maternity, disablement and dependants' benefits, along with funeral expenses, are payable under the ESI scheme.
Tender and licence eligibility
PSARA applications, manpower contracts and most government tenders require valid EPF and ESIC codes before they will consider your bid.
There is also an insurance element under the Employees' Deposit Linked Insurance scheme, funded by an additional employer contribution, which pays a lump sum to nominees on the death of a member in service.
Documents required
- PAN of the establishment
- Certificate of Incorporation, partnership deed or registration certificate
- GST registration certificate
- Address proof of the establishment — utility bill, rent agreement or ownership document
- Cancelled cheque or bank details of the establishment
- Digital Signature Certificate of the authorised signatory
- PAN, Aadhaar and address proof of directors, partners or the proprietor
- Employee list with date of joining, wages, date of birth and Aadhaar
- Shops and Establishment or factory licence, where applicable
- Board resolution authorising the signatory
Registration and monthly compliance
- Applicability checkWe confirm coverage against your headcount, wage structure, state and business activity, and flag whether voluntary registration is worth taking now.
- Employer registrationThe establishment is registered on the unified portal and the EPF establishment code and ESIC employer code are allotted.
- Employee onboardingEmployees are enrolled, Universal Account Numbers generated or linked, and ESI insurance numbers and e-Pehchaan cards issued.
- Wage structure reviewHow basic wages are defined determines your contribution liability. We review the structure so it is both compliant and not accidentally inflating your cost.
- Monthly filingThe Electronic Challan cum Return is prepared and filed for PF, and the contribution return and challan for ESI, each month by the due date.
- Ongoing supportNew joiners and exits, KYC updates, transfers, withdrawal claims, inspections and departmental notices.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to what clients ask most often about EPF & ESIC Registration.
EPF applies to establishments employing twenty or more persons. ESI applies at ten or more employees in most states, though a few states apply it at twenty. Both counts include contract and casual workers, not only those on your direct payroll — which is what catches many employers out.
Yes, and many employers do. Voluntary registration is common where employees expect provident fund as a matter of course, or where a tender, client empanelment or a PSARA application requires the codes regardless of your current headcount.
For EPF, twelve per cent of basic wages from the employee and twelve per cent from the employer, with a portion of the employer share directed to the pension scheme, plus administrative charges and the EDLI contribution. For ESI, 0.75 per cent from the employee and 3.25 per cent from the employer, on wages up to the coverage ceiling.
Yes. Employees engaged through a contractor are generally counted, and the principal employer carries responsibility for ensuring contributions are actually made. If your contractor does not remit, the liability can come back to you — so it is worth verifying rather than assuming.
Interest is charged on the delayed amount and damages may be levied at a rate that increases with the length of the delay. Because the employee's own contribution has already been deducted from their wages, non-deposit is viewed particularly seriously by the authorities. We track the due dates so this does not arise.
Yes. A nil return must be filed for any month in which there are no contributions to report. Simply not filing is treated as non-compliance and creates a gap in the record that has to be explained later.
Get your employer codes in place
If you are hiring, or applying for a PSARA licence or a manpower tender, these registrations are usually on the critical path. We can start today.