NPS account dormant? Here’s how you can reactivate it

How to revive your dormant NPS account

What freezes the account, what it costs to restore it and how to get in when your old phone or email no longer works.

What freezes the account, what it costs to restore it and how to get in when your old phone or email no longer works. Vinayak Pathak/AI-Generated Image

Summary: "I opened an NPS account a few years ago for the Rs 50,000 tax break. I haven’t contributed in years. It is now frozen, and I cannot even log in. The phone number I used at the time has changed. What do I do?"

Some version of this question lands in the Ask Value Research queue every week. The reactivation rules are simple. The harder part is getting past the OTP step when the phone or email on record no longer works.

Why NPS accounts go quiet

A National Pension System (NPS) Tier I account is flagged dormant the moment your annual contributions fall below the Rs 1,000 minimum prescribed by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA). The most affected accounts were opened for the Rs 50,000 deduction under Section 80CCD(1B), which ended under the new tax regime. The annual top-up stopped and the account froze. The money stays invested. Until you reactivate, you cannot contribute, change nominees, switch fund managers or withdraw.

The reactivation rules

Two things bring the account back. A fresh contribution of at least Rs 1,000 for the current year, and a reactivation charge for the years missed.

If your phone and email on record still work, the online route is the simplest. Use the ‘Contribute Online’ link on your CRA portal (Protean, KFin Technologies or CAMS) — no login required — pay the dues and verify with the OTP. The account will be active within 3-4 working days.

If they don't, the offline route is to submit Form UOS-S10-A to your associated Point of Presence, usually a bank branch that handles NPS. Three to seven working days.

The real problem: When your phone or email no longer works

Most subscribers never get to the reactivation step. They get stuck because every authentication path requires a phone or email they no longer have. Contribute Online, Forgot Password, first-time login — every path sends an OTP to the registered mobile or email. The CRA portal is, for you, a locked door.

The unlock is a two-step sequence.

Step one. Update your contact details. Visit your Point of Presence with three documents: a copy of your PRAN card, a self-attested photo ID (Aadhaar, PAN, passport, or voter ID) and a self-attested address proof. Submit Form S2, the standard subscriber details change form. The PoP forwards your request to the CRA, which updates your phone and email within 3-7 working days. You will receive a confirmation SMS.

Step two. Reactivate. Once the new contact details are live, use the ‘Contribute Online’ link on your CRA portal. The OTP now reaches you. Pay the dues, and the account is active in three to four working days.

What to do this week

If your NPS is part of your retirement plan, the path above is your route. If you are reactivating only to consider exiting, that is a separate decision. Either way, the bottleneck is the same: get your phone and email updated first. Everything else follows.

Also read: How to unfreeze your NPS account?

This article was originally published on May 14, 2026.

Disclaimer: This content is for information only and should not be considered investment advice or a recommendation.

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