NPS Eligibility Criteria
Who can open and hold an NPS account — across individual citizens, corporate employees, government service, NRIs & OCIs, and minors.
Individual subscribers
Any Indian citizen can open an NPS account in their own name under the All-Citizen model — whether salaried, self-employed or a business owner. You join, contribute and manage the account yourself.
Read more — the exact entry rules, and who is not eligible
Any Indian citizen — resident or non-resident — aged 18 to 85 and KYC-compliant can open NPS in an individual capacity, regardless of profession. A single account holds a lifelong PRAN.
Generally not eligible
- Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs)
- Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs)
- Non-individual entities (trusts, firms)
- Persons not legally competent to contract
NPS is opened and operated in your own name — it cannot be held jointly or on behalf of an entity.
Corporate employees
Employees of a registered organisation can join NPS through their employer’s Corporate model. Tap a card for more.
See the full Corporate NPS page for employer details and tax treatment.
Read more — how the Corporate model works
An employer registers for Corporate NPS and maps eligible employees to it. Contributions can flow from the employer, the employee, or both — and the individual account stays portable if you change jobs.
Key points
- Employer registers and defines the contribution policy
- Structures can be employer-only, employee-only or combined
- Employer share is deductible under 80CCD(2)
- Runs on the individual's own PRAN
- Portable — keep it on a job change
- Same funds and low charges as All-Citizen NPS
Government employees
NPS is the defined-contribution retirement system for most government employees who joined under the framework — with contributions from both the employee and the government.
Explore the full Government NPS page for coverage and contribution details.
Read more — central and state adoption, and contribution rates
NPS became the mandatory retirement framework for central-government recruits joining on or after 1 January 2004 (armed forces excepted), and most state governments have since adopted it for their employees.
How it is funded
- Employee contributes 10% of basic + DA
- Government contributes 14%
- One PRAN that stays across postings and transfers
- Default schemes and managers under a govt template
Government subscribers follow their own withdrawal and default-scheme rules, distinct from the All-Citizen model.
NRI & OCI subscribers
Non-resident Indians and Overseas Citizens of India can build a retirement corpus in India through NPS.
Read more — FEMA rules and what happens if residency changes
NRIs and eligible OCIs can open a Tier-I account and contribute from Indian bank accounts, in line with FEMA and applicable KYC.
Funding and continuity
- Contribute via NRE or NRO accounts
- On a repatriable or non-repatriable basis
- KYC as prescribed for non-residents
- The same PRAN continues if you become resident again
If citizenship status changes in a way that makes the person ineligible, the account may have to be closed under the regulations.
NPS Vatsalya eligibility
NPS Vatsalya lets a guardian open and run an NPS account for a minor child — giving contributions decades to compound before the account becomes the child’s own at 18.
See the dedicated NPS Vatsalya page for how it works and how to open one.
Read more — how NPS Vatsalya works and converts at 18
NPS Vatsalya lets a guardian open and run an NPS account for a minor, giving contributions decades of extra compounding. The account is held in the child’s name and operated by the guardian until adulthood.
The essentials
- For any Indian minor below 18
- Opened and managed by a guardian
- Minimum ₹1,000 a year
- KYC of both guardian and minor
- At 18 it converts to a standard All-Citizen NPS
- The account then becomes the child’s own
Common questions
Tap a question to read more.
What documents do I need to open an NPS account?
Standard KYC — proof of identity and address, PAN, a bank account and a photograph. You can complete it fully online through eNPS, or offline at a Point of Presence such as a bank.
Is NPS mandatory for government employees?
For most central government employees who joined on or after 1 January 2004 (and employees of states that adopted NPS), it is the applicable retirement framework. For everyone else — private employees, the self-employed, professionals — NPS is voluntary.
Can I open NPS if I already have EPF?
Yes. NPS is separate from EPF and can be held alongside it. Many salaried people use NPS to add a market-linked, tax-efficient layer on top of their provident fund.
How do NRIs and OCIs contribute?
Through NRE or NRO accounts, on a repatriable or non-repatriable basis, in line with FEMA. If your residency status changes later, the same account can generally continue under the applicable process.
What is a PRAN and why does it matter?
The Permanent Retirement Account Number is your unique, lifelong NPS identity. Every contribution, statement, tax benefit and withdrawal is tied to it — and it stays with you across jobs, cities and even a change of profession.