EPFO Launches Enrolment Campaign 2026: Check Eligibility, Deadline Oct 31

The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has urged employers to make use of the Employees’ Enrolment Campaign (EEC) 2026 to enrol eligible workers who were left outside EPF coverage during the past years.

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The one-time campaign was notified with effect from June 29, 2026, and will remain open until October 31, 2026. It provides employers an opportunity to regularise eligible employees who remained outside EPF coverage between April 1, 2009 and March 31, 2026.

EPFO EEC 2026: Who is eligible?

Under the campaign, employers can declare employees who were not enrolled under EPF despite being eligible during the specified period.

The employee must be alive and continuing in employment with the establishment on the date of declaration. Employers have been advised to review their employment and wage records and identify workers who may qualify under the scheme.

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The campaign is aimed at expanding social security coverage and bringing eligible workers within the provident fund, pension and insurance framework.

What relief is available to employers?

The EEC 2026 provides certain relaxations to help establishments regularise past compliance.

One of the key provisions is that the employee’s share of EPF contribution can be waived where it was not deducted earlier, subject to the conditions of the campaign.

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According to the latest EPFO-related government release, employers availing the campaign are required to pay the employer’s share along with applicable interest, administrative charges and a nominal damage fee of ₹100.

This provides employers with an opportunity to address historical omissions with lower compliance costs than under the normal provisions.

How can employers enrol workers?

The enrolment process is digital. Employers are required to use the EPFO Employer Portal and the dedicated EEC-2026 module.

The process includes:

1. Identifying eligible employees who were left outside EPF coverage.
2. Generating a Face Authentication-based UAN through the UMANG App for each declared employee.
3. Filing the required Electronic Challan-cum-Return (ECR) and remitting the applicable contributions.
4. Completing the required digital declaration through the EPFO Employer Portal.

EPFO has also been conducting awareness and outreach programmes to inform employers, workers, contractors and other stakeholders about the campaign.

October 31 is the last date

Employers have until October 31, 2026 to complete the enrolment under EEC 2026. The government has described the initiative as a one-time opportunity to extend statutory social security coverage to eligible workers while helping establishments regularise past compliance.

Employers that have eligible employees who were left out during the April 2009-March 2026 period should review their records and complete the required formalities before the campaign closes.