Forgot money in an old bank account? Here's how RBI helps you recover unclaimed deposits even after 10 years

Millions of bank accounts across India remain unclaimed because they have either been inactive for years or belong to depositors who never withdrew their matured fixed deposits. While many people assume such money is lost forever, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) says depositors and their legal heirs can still recover these funds, even if they have been transferred to the central bank's Depositor Education and Awareness (DEA) Fund.

To spread awareness, RBI has launched a nationwide campaign urging customers to search for forgotten deposits through its UDGAM (Unclaimed Deposits-Gateway to Access Information) portal and reclaim their money by following a simple verification process.

What happens to money in inactive bank accounts?

Under RBI rules, balances lying in savings or current accounts that remain inoperative for 10 years or more, as well as fixed deposits that remain unclaimed for 10 years after maturity, are classified as unclaimed deposits.

Banks are required to transfer these amounts to the Depositor Education and Awareness (DEA) Fund, which has been maintained by the RBI since May 2014. However, this transfer does not extinguish the depositor's ownership rights. Customers or their legal heirs can claim the money at any time through the bank where the account was originally held.

Interest, wherever applicable on interest-bearing deposits, is also payable in accordance with RBI guidelines.

What qualifies as an unclaimed deposit?

Type of account/deposit	Transferred to DEA Fund after
Savings account (inoperative)	10 years
Current account (inactive)	10 years
Fixed Deposit (after maturity)	10 years if unclaimed
Recurring Deposit	10 years if unclaimed
Cumulative Deposit	10 years if unclaimed
Outstanding Demand Drafts/Pay Orders	10 years
Unclaimed NEFT/ATM credits and certain other balances	10 years

Source: Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

How to check whether you have unclaimed deposits

The easiest way to trace forgotten money is through RBI's UDGAM portal (https://udgam.rbi.org.in), a centralised platform that allows users to search for unclaimed deposits across 30 participating banks.

Individuals need to register using their name and mobile number before searching. They must provide the account holder's name, select the bank and enter one or more identifiers such as PAN, passport number, voter ID, driving licence or date of birth.

For businesses and other non-individual entities, searches can be carried out using the entity name along with details such as PAN, Corporate Identification Number (CIN), authorised signatory or date of incorporation.

Even if these identity details are unavailable, users can conduct a search using the account holder's address.

Three steps to reclaim your money

Finding an unclaimed deposit is only the first step. The actual refund must be claimed from the concerned bank.

The process involves:

• Visiting any branch of the bank, not necessarily the home branch.
• Submit the prescribed claim form along with valid KYC documents such as Aadhaar, Passport, Voter ID or Driving Licence.
• Receiving the amount after the bank verifies the claim. If the deposit is interest-bearing, eligible interest is also paid before the bank seeks reimbursement from the RBI's DEA Fund.

Importantly, there is no time limit prescribed for claiming money transferred to the DEA Fund. 

How to reclaim unclaimed bank deposits

Step	What you need to do
Step 1	Search for your unclaimed deposit on the RBI UDGAM portal (https://udgam.rbi.org.in) or check your bank's website.
Step 2	Visit any branch of the concerned bank (not necessarily your home branch).
Step 3	Submit the claim form along with valid KYC documents such as Aadhaar, Passport, Voter ID or Driving Licence.
Step 4	The bank verifies your claim and processes the payment.
Step 5	Receive your money along with interest (where applicable).

Which accounts are covered?

The DEA Fund covers much more than dormant savings accounts. It also includes current accounts, fixed deposits, recurring deposits, cumulative deposits, margin money, security deposits, outstanding demand drafts, bankers' cheques, unclaimed NEFT balances, unreconciled ATM credits, undrawn prepaid card balances, foreign currency deposit proceeds converted into rupees and several other categories of unclaimed balances specified by the RBI.

Banks transfer such balances to the DEA Fund on the last working day of the month following completion of 10 years of continuous inactivity or unclaimed status.

RBI holds special camps to help customers

To encourage people to recover forgotten deposits, RBI has also organised special camps on unclaimed assets across all districts. These awareness and claim facilitation camps are being conducted between October and December 2025, enabling customers and legal heirs to complete documentation and initiate claims more easily.

The central bank has advised customers to regularly review old bank accounts, update nominee details and ensure KYC records remain current to reduce the chances of deposits becoming unclaimed. With digital tools such as the UDGAM portal and a simplified claim process, recovering forgotten money has become significantly easier than before.