How to Recover Shares from IEPF in 2026: The Process in Broad Stages

Why shares are transferred to IEPF

Under the Companies Act (sections 124 and 125), a dividend unpaid for 7 years goes to the IEPF. If dividends on a share stay unpaid for 7 consecutive years, the shares move there too. Common causes are a changed address, a closed bank account or a shareholder who has died without the family knowing about the holding.

How to recover shares from IEPF: the broad stages

1. Find the holding. Search on iepf.gov.in, check the company's own list of unpaid and unclaimed dividends, and look through old papers for the folio number.
2. Get the company's confirmation. The company or its registrar (RTA) confirms that the shares belong to you and issues an entitlement letter.
3. File Form IEPF-5. The claim is filed online on the IEPF Authority's integrated claims portal.
4. Company e-verification. The company verifies the claim and sends its report.
5. IEPFA decision and credit. The IEPF Authority decides; shares are credited to your demat account and dividends to your bank account.

The new IEPF-5 and claims portal (October 2025)

A new Form IEPF-5 came into effect on 6 October 2025 (G.S.R. 733(E)). The IEPFA's integrated claims portal, announced in August 2025, went live in October 2025. The main changes:

The government's "Aapki Poonji, Aapka Adhikar" campaign, launched on 4 October 2025 with the IEPFA among the participants, has also helped more families discover old holdings.

Do you need help with this?

Yes, and for many people it is straightforward. There is no filing fee for IEPF-5, the IEPFA helpline is 14453, and the IEPFA holds free Niveshak Shivir investor camps in several cities. If the shares are in your own name, your details match and you have a demat account, try it directly.

Where IEPF recovery usually gets stuck

• The shareholder has died, especially without a nominee, and heirs must prove entitlement and agree.
• Names or signatures do not match the company's records.
• Certificates are lost and the folio number is unknown.
• The company has merged or been renamed, and entitlement follows the swap ratio.
• The company is slow to verify, or the claim is sent back for correction.
• Heirs live abroad and papers must be attested outside India.

Some shares never reached the IEPF and are instead in the company's unclaimed suspense account, for example undelivered bonus or split shares. Those are claimed from the company in demat form.

How Expertvuw helps, in broad stages

1. Review: we check what the family holds and where each holding sits.
2. Tracing and documents: we work with the company or registrar on entitlement and prepare KYC, heirship and correction papers.
3. Filing and follow-up: you file as the applicant; we follow up with the company and the IEPFA.
4. Credit: shares and dividends go only to your own demat and bank accounts.

Expertvuw Management Pvt Ltd is a registered private company with offices in Dwarka, Delhi and Udyog Vihar, Gurugram, working with clients across India and abroad. We are not affiliated with or authorised by the IEPFA, the MCA or SEBI.

When you need help recovering shares from IEPF

If the company will not confirm entitlement, a claim has been sent back, or heirs are involved, it helps to have the case reviewed before filing. See our IEPF claim services, legal heir share recovery, unclaimed suspense account shares and NRI share recovery pages, or book an initial case review.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to recover shares from IEPF?

It depends on how quickly the company confirms entitlement and e-verifies the claim, and on whether the documents are complete. Straightforward claims move faster than those involving heirs, mismatches or merged companies. Nobody can promise a fixed timeline, as the decision rests with the IEPF Authority.

Is there a fee to recover shares from IEPF?

No. There is no filing fee for Form IEPF-5, and the IEPF Authority's portal, helpline (14453) and Niveshak Shivir camps are free. You may spend on documents such as attestations, but the official claim itself costs nothing. Be careful of anyone asking for your passwords or OTPs.

Is there a deadline to claim shares from IEPF?

No. There is no time limit to claim shares or dividends transferred to the IEPF. Even holdings that moved many years ago can be claimed by the owner or the legal heirs, provided entitlement can be established with the company.

What is the entitlement letter?

It is the company's or registrar's confirmation that the shares or dividends transferred to the IEPF belong to the claimant. It is obtained before filing Form IEPF-5, and the company later e-verifies the filed claim before the IEPF Authority decides.

Can I recover shares from IEPF without the original certificate?

Often yes. The company can check its records by name, address and folio, and old dividend papers help. What matters is that the company can confirm your entitlement. See our duplicate certificate recovery page for related cases. If the shares are still with the company rather than the IEPF, a duplicate may be needed first.

Can legal heirs recover shares from IEPF?

Yes. Heirs file the claim with proof of the holder's death, heirship papers and, where applicable, the agreement of other heirs. Larger or disputed cases may need court papers. Our legal heir share recovery page explains the route in broad terms.

Can NRIs recover shares from IEPF?

Yes. NRIs follow the same route but usually need documents signed and attested abroad and an appropriate demat and bank account in India. Our NRI share recovery page explains how families abroad handle this. Shares and dividends are still credited only to the claimant's own accounts.