What these two registrations cover
The Employees' Provident Fund is a retirement savings scheme to which both employer and employee contribute twelve percent of basic wages. Registration becomes compulsory once an establishment employs twenty or more people. Employees' State Insurance is a medical and cash benefit scheme covering sickness, maternity and workplace injury, funded by employer and employee contributions; it applies at ten or more employees in most states, and covers workers earning up to ₹21,000 a month. Both are triggered by headcount, and both carry interest and damages if you register late — which is why it pays to act as you approach the threshold rather than after crossing it.
- Statutory compliance. Late registration attracts interest at twelve percent a year plus damages, and in serious cases prosecution of the directors.
- Medical cover for your team. ESI gives employees and their dependants access to the ESIC hospital network at no additional cost to them.
- Retirement savings. EPF builds a corpus for your employees and is among the benefits candidates check before accepting an offer.
- Better retention. Formal benefits materially reduce attrition, particularly in manufacturing and services roles.
- Required for tenders. Government and large corporate contracts routinely ask for PF and ESI registration numbers.
- Both in one package. We register you on the EPFO and ESIC portals together rather than charging for each separately.
Documents you'll need
- PAN card of the establishment.
- Certificate of incorporation, partnership deed or registration certificate.
- Address proof of the establishment — utility bill or rent agreement.
- Employee list with dates of joining, salary details and Aadhaar numbers.
- Cancelled cheque of the company bank account.
- Digital signature of the authorised signatory.
- PAN and Aadhaar of directors or partners.
How the process runs
1
Applicability checkWe review your headcount and salary structure to confirm which of the two registrations apply, and from what date liability began.
2
Document collectionYou share company documents and the employee list through a secure link. We prepare the declarations and forms.
3
Portal registrationWe register the establishment on the EPFO unified portal and the ESIC portal, and generate employee UANs and insurance numbers.
4
Codes issued and briefingYou receive your establishment codes along with a walkthrough of the monthly ECR filing and payment cycle.
Voluntary registration is possible
If you have fewer than twenty employees you can still register for EPF voluntarily, with the agreement of your workforce. Many smaller firms do this to compete for talent against larger employers. It is a commitment though — once registered you cannot easily exit, so think it through before opting in.
Frequently asked
What are the contribution rates?
For EPF, employer and employee each contribute twelve percent of basic wages plus dearness allowance, with part of the employer's share going to the pension scheme. For ESI the employer contributes 3.25 percent and the employee 0.75 percent of gross wages, applicable to employees earning up to ₹21,000 a month.
Do contract workers count towards the threshold?
Yes. Contract and casual workers engaged in the establishment's work are generally counted towards both the EPF and ESI thresholds. This catches many employers out, so it is worth having your actual deployed headcount reviewed rather than only your payroll count.
What are the monthly obligations after registration?
An electronic challan-cum-return must be filed and contributions paid by the fifteenth of the following month for EPF, and the same deadline applies for ESI. Delays attract interest and damages, so we strongly recommend putting a calendar reminder in place or using an ongoing compliance service.
Is ESI applicable everywhere in India?
ESI applies in notified implemented areas, which now cover most districts, though a few remain outside. The threshold is ten employees in most states and twenty in a handful. We confirm the position for your specific location before filing.
★★★★★
"Both EPF and ESI handled together without me having to chase anything. They also pointed out that our contract staff counted towards the threshold, which our previous consultant had missed entirely."
R
Ravi Shankar ReddyIT services · Hyderabad, Telangana