Atal Pension Yojana: Govt introduces revised Atal Pension Yojana form, tweaks fee structure

The government has introduced a new subscriber registration form for the Atal Pension Yojana (APY), effective from October 1, 2025, in line with updated guidelines issued by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).

According to an Office Memorandum from the Department of Posts, only the revised APY form will now be accepted for new registrations. The earlier version, which was in use until September 30, 2025, has been discontinued and is no longer valid for submission through Protean (formerly NSDL), the Central Recordkeeping Agency (CRA) for the pension scheme.

The move aims to simplify and standardise the subscriber onboarding process, ensuring greater accuracy in data collection and compliance with regulatory norms.

"In alignment with the latest Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) version, the existing APY form under the Department of Post (DoP) has been modified. The updated APY Subscriber Registration Form is enclosed herewith for immediate reference and action," the order dated September 26, 2025, stated.

“In view of the above, it is ensured that the new APY Subscriber Registration Form is to be used w.e.f. 01.10.2025 for onboarding of new subscribers under APY. No unauthorised or generic forms are to be used for APY-related activities,” the Department of Posts said in the memorandum.

What is the Atal Pension Yojana (APY)?

Launched in 2015, the Atal Pension Yojana is a government-backed social security scheme that provides a guaranteed minimum pension ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000 per month after the subscriber turns 60. The pension amount depends on the subscriber’s age at entry and the level of monthly contribution during the accumulation phase.

The scheme primarily targets workers in the unorganised sector who lack formal pension coverage. Any Indian citizen between 18 and 40 years of age can enrol, provided they have a savings bank or post office account and are not income-tax payers as of October 1, 2022, or thereafter.

Subscribers are encouraged to link their Aadhaar number and mobile number with their APY accounts to receive regular updates and statements.

Revised form

The most notable addition in the updated APY registration form is the inclusion of a mandatory FATCA/CRS declaration, which helps identify individuals with foreign citizenship or tax residency. This change aligns the APY enrolment process with international tax compliance norms and ensures that only resident Indian citizens can open APY accounts through post offices.

The Department of Posts has directed all post offices to display the revised guidelines prominently and ensure that only the new forms are used for enrolment.

All system-level requirements mandated by NSDL-Protean have been incorporated into the Subscriber Registration Form (SRF) module, the order noted, ensuring smooth processing of applications.

Implementation

To ensure smooth rollout, the Department has instructed that the circular be shared across all post offices for implementation, guidance, and public information. Post offices have also been asked to place notices in public areas to inform citizens about the new format and prevent submission of outdated or unauthorised forms.

Revised charges

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has also announced a revised fee structure for services offered by Central Recordkeeping Agencies (CRAs) under the National Pension System (NPS), Atal Pension Yojana (APY), NPS-Lite, and the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS). The new rates were implemented from October 1.

For the government sector, the charge for opening a PRAN is Rs 18 for an e-PRAN kit and Rs 40 for a physical card, with annual maintenance fixed at ₹100. APY and NPS-Lite accounts will be charged Rs 15 each for PRAN opening and maintenance.

In the private sector, AMC is slab-based, ranging from Rs 100 for balances up to Rs 2 lakh to Rs 500 for balances above Rs 50 lakh. All transaction charges are nil.