Atal Pension Yojana (APY) gives unorganised-sector workers a guaranteed government-backed pension of ₹1,000 to ₹5,000 per month from age 60. Joining takes ten minutes at your bank — or online through net banking — and contributions auto-debit from your savings account. Here is the full enrolment process.
Before you apply — the basics
- Joining age: 18 to 40 years
- You need an active savings bank / post office savings account
- Contributions run until age 60 — the younger you join, the smaller the monthly amount
- Income-tax payers are not eligible to join (rule effective October 2022)
- Pension slabs: ₹1,000 / ₹2,000 / ₹3,000 / ₹4,000 / ₹5,000 per month
Apply through your bank branch
- Visit the branch where you hold your savings account
- Ask for the APY registration form (also downloadable from bank/NPS Trust websites)
- Fill in Aadhaar, nominee details and choose your pension slab
- Choose contribution frequency — monthly, quarterly or half-yearly auto-debit
- Submit; you get a PRAN (Permanent Retirement Account Number) confirmation by SMS
Apply online
Most major banks offer APY enrolment in net banking / mobile apps (search “Atal Pension Yojana” or “Social Security Schemes” in your app). The e-APY route via the NSDL/Protean portal also allows Aadhaar-OTP based onboarding. The form is the same — choose slab, nominee, frequency, and the mandate activates automatically.
Enrol through your own bank — never share OTPs with agents.
What it costs — sample contributions
| Joining age | ₹1,000 pension | ₹5,000 pension |
| 18 years | ₹42 / month | ₹210 / month |
| 25 years | ₹76 / month | ₹376 / month |
| 30 years | ₹116 / month | ₹577 / month |
| 35 years | ₹181 / month | ₹902 / month |
| 40 years | ₹291 / month | ₹1,454 / month |
See the complete slab-wise table on our APY contribution chart page.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I miss contributions?
Penalty interest of ₹1–10 per month applies depending on the amount. Keep the account funded on debit dates; prolonged default can freeze and eventually close the account.
Can I change my pension slab later?
Yes — upgrade or downgrade once a year through your bank; contributions adjust to your age and the new slab.
What does my family get if I die before 60?
Your spouse can continue the account or claim the accumulated corpus. After 60, the spouse gets the same pension for life, and the nominee receives the corpus (₹1.7–8.5 lakh depending on slab) after both pass away.
Related guides
Disclaimer: PMYojnaUpdates.com is an independent information portal, not affiliated with any government department. Always use the official site npstrust.org.in for applications and status checks.