Guide · Form IEPF-5
IEPF-5 form: filing it, tracking it, and getting it approvedIEPF 5 form · IEPF claim status · Documents required
Filing IEPF-5 online is the easy part. Most claims get stuck on the paperwork that follows. Here's the full process, and what goes wrong in real cases.
- Step-by-step process and document checklist
- How to check your IEPF claim status
- Rejected or stuck? Free review of your file
What is Form IEPF-5?
Form IEPF-5 is the online form used to claim back shares and dividends that a company has transferred to the Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF). Companies must transfer shares to IEPF when dividends on them go unclaimed for seven years in a row, under Section 124 of the Companies Act, 2013. The shareholder or the legal heirs can claim them back at any time.
The form is filed online on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) portal. Physical forms are not accepted. Filing the form is only half the work: the claim moves only after the signed originals reach the company and the company verifies them.
Before you file IEPF-5
- Get the Entitlement Letter. Apply to the company or its registrar (RTA) first. Once it verifies your documents, it issues an Entitlement Letter confirming the shares and dividends you can claim. Filing IEPF-5 without it is a common reason for rejection.
- If the shareholder has passed away, the shares must first be transmitted to the legal heir. See transmission of shares.
- Open or check your demat account. Shares come back only in demat form. The name, address and bank details must match your KYC.
- Update KYC with the company. If your PAN, address, bank details or signature on record are outdated, fix them first with Form ISR-1 and ISR-2.
How to file IEPF-5: step by step
- Find the shares. Search the shareholder's name on iepf.gov.in and check the company's list of shares moved to IEPF.
- Get the Entitlement Letter from the company or its registrar.
- File Form IEPF-5 online on the MCA portal, using the details in the Entitlement Letter. You receive an acknowledgement with an SRN (service request number).
- Print and sign the form, the auto-generated indemnity bond and the advance receipt.
- Send the originals to the company's Nodal Officer at its registered office, in an envelope marked “Claim for refund from IEPF Authority”.
- Company verification. The company checks the papers and sends an e-verification report to the IEPF Authority.
- IEPF approval and credit. Shares are credited to your demat account and dividends to your bank account.
Documents to send the company with IEPF-5
- Copy of the IEPF-5 acknowledgement with the SRN
- Original indemnity bond, signed. On non-judicial stamp paper as per your state's Stamp Act when the claim is above ₹10,000; plain paper below that
- Original advance receipt, with a revenue stamp, signed by the claimant and witnesses
- Original share certificates, or the transaction statement for demat shares
- Self-attested PAN and Aadhaar of the claimant (NRIs: passport or OCI card; foreign citizens: passport or PIO card, apostilled)
- Proof of entitlement, such as the Entitlement Letter and old dividend warrants
- Cancelled cheque, or a bank-attested passbook copy, and the client master list of your demat account
- If the certificates are lost: a copy of the FIR or police complaint, newspaper advertisements in English and a regional language, and an indemnity-cum-surety bond, as required by the company
- For a name mismatch: an affidavit and proof of name, such as a marriage certificate or gazette notification
Why IEPF-5 claims get stuck: what we see in our cases
These are the problems that hold up most of the IEPF-5 files families bring to us, and how to fix each one.
1. Papers not in the required format
What goes wrong: affidavits and indemnity bonds typed in the family's own wording, on the wrong stamp paper value, or missing the company's own checklist items.
Fix: use the auto-generated IEPF-5 indemnity bond and the company's formats exactly, and check the stamp duty for your state before signing.
2. NRI documents without the right attestation
What goes wrong: documents signed abroad are sent with only a local notary stamp, or the signature is not attested by the overseas bank.
Fix: get documents notarised and apostilled, or attested by the Indian embassy or consulate, and keep the overseas address proof ready. See NRI share recovery.
3. FIR and newspaper advertisement missing
What goes wrong: the original certificates are lost, but the claim is sent without the police complaint and the loss advertisement the company needs.
Fix: file the FIR or police complaint (an e-FIR works) listing the folio, certificate and distinctive numbers, and complete the advertisement before sending the claim.
4. Witness documents not submitted
What goes wrong: the witness columns on the advance receipt and indemnity bond are left blank, or the witnesses' ID copies are not attached.
Fix: fill in every witness's name, address and signature, and attach their ID proof.
5. Family members signed as witnesses
What goes wrong: a spouse, child or other relative signs as witness, and the documents are not accepted.
Fix: family members cannot be witnesses. Line up witnesses from outside the family, such as a friend, neighbour or colleague, before you sign, and attach their ID proof.
6. Details that don't match
What goes wrong: the name, address or bank details differ between the claim, the demat account and the company's records.
Fix: align your KYC first using Form ISR-1, and add a name affidavit where spellings differ.
Already received a rejection or resubmission notice? Send it to us and we'll tell you exactly what to correct.
How to check IEPF claim status
- Keep the SRN from your IEPF-5 acknowledgement handy.
- Go to the IEPF portal, iepf.gov.in, and check the status of your claim using the SRN.
- If the status hasn't changed for months, send us the SRN and we'll tell you where the claim is stuck and what to do next.
Your claim is usually at one of these points:
- Waiting for the company's verification. Most delays happen here, usually because papers are incomplete.
- Under review with the IEPF Authority after the company's report.
- Sent back for resubmission. You get one chance, within 15 days.
- Approved, with shares and dividends on the way to your accounts.
- Rejected. Tell us the reason and we'll work out the next step.
How long does an IEPF-5 claim take?
| Stage | Typical time in our cases |
|---|---|
| KYC update and Entitlement Letter from the company | 45 days to 6 months |
| IEPF-5 filing and company verification | 45 days to 6 months |
| IEPF approval and credit to demat and bank | 45 days to 6 months |
The range depends on the company, its registrar, how complete the file is and whether the claimant is a legal heir or lives abroad. We send a WhatsApp update every month.
Sources: Section 124 of the Companies Act, 2013; the IEPF Authority (Accounting, Audit, Transfer and Refund) Rules, 2016; IEPF Authority FAQs for claimants. Requirements vary by company; we confirm the exact checklist for your folio during the free check. Share Search Pro is a private firm and is not affiliated with the IEPF Authority or the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
FAQ
IEPF-5 Questions We Get Every Week
Can I file Form IEPF-5 myself?
Yes. The form is filed online on the MCA portal, and the IEPF Authority has not appointed any agents. Families come to us when the paperwork gets returned, the shareholder has passed away, the certificates are lost, or the claimant lives abroad.
Is there a deadline to file IEPF-5?
No. Shares and dividends in IEPF can be claimed at any time by the shareholder or the legal heirs.
How long does an IEPF-5 claim take?
In our cases, each stage (Entitlement Letter, company verification, IEPF approval and credit) takes anywhere from 45 days to 6 months. A complete, correctly formatted file is the biggest single factor in speed.
How do I check my IEPF claim status?
Check it on the IEPF portal (iepf.gov.in) using the SRN printed on the acknowledgement you received when you filed IEPF-5.
My IEPF-5 was sent back for resubmission. What now?
Fix the specific points raised and resubmit quickly. The IEPF Authority allows one resubmission, within 15 days, after which the form becomes invalid.
The share count in my claim doesn't match. Will it be rejected?
As per the IEPF Authority, a mismatch in the number of shares or amount is not by itself a ground for rejection. The claim is processed on the basis of the company's verification report.
Who can be a witness on the IEPF-5 documents?
Family members cannot be witnesses. The advance receipt and indemnity bond need the signatures, names and addresses of witnesses from outside the family, along with their ID proof.
I live abroad. How do I sign the documents?
Documents signed outside India usually need to be notarised and apostilled (in Hague Convention countries) or attested by the Indian embassy or consulate. Getting this wrong is one of the most common reasons NRI claims stall.
From our case files
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