7 August 2026
How to Find and Claim Unclaimed Bank Deposits on UDGAM: A Step-by-Step Guide
Over Rs 72,000 crore sits in the RBI's unclaimed deposits fund. UDGAM is the official, free portal that searches 30 banks at once. Here is exactly how to register, search, read your results, and claim the money at the bank, whether the account was yours or a late family member's.
If a bank account sees no transactions for ten years, the money in it is moved to the RBI’s Depositor Education and Awareness (DEA) Fund. As of early 2026, that fund holds more than Rs 72,000 crore. None of it is lost. All of it can be claimed, at any time, for free.
The problem was always finding it: which bank, which branch, whose name. In 2023 the RBI solved most of that with UDGAM (Unclaimed Deposits, Gateway to Access inforMation), a single portal that searches unclaimed deposits across 30 banks, covering roughly 90 percent of all the unclaimed money. This guide walks through the whole process, including what to do when the account belonged to someone who has passed away.
Important. UDGAM is free, and so is claiming. No government portal or bank ever charges a fee to return your own money, and no genuine official will ever call asking for an OTP. Anyone demanding a fee or a code is running a scam.
Free tool. Answer five questions and get a personalised claim plan with the letters written for you: open the Recovery Navigator.
What UDGAM does, and does not do
UDGAM is a search tool. It tells you whether an unclaimed deposit exists, in which bank, and gives you a reference number. The actual claim still happens at the bank itself. So the journey has two halves: find it on UDGAM, then claim it at the bank.
The portal covers bank deposits only. It does not include post office savings, EPF, insurance, shares or mutual funds. Those have their own portals, which we cover in separate guides.
Step 1: Register on UDGAM
- Go to udgam.rbi.org.in (that exact address; ignore lookalike sites).
- Click Register, and enter your mobile number and name.
- Set a password, enter the captcha, and verify with the OTP sent to your phone.
Registration takes about two minutes and needs nothing besides a phone number.
Step 2: Search for the deposit
Log in and enter the details of the account holder you are searching for. You are not limited to searching for yourself; you can search for a parent or relative.
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Account holder’s name | As it appeared in bank records. Try spelling variations. |
| Bank | Select one, several, or all listed banks |
| One identifier | Any one of: PAN, voter ID, driving licence number, passport number, or date of birth |
Tip. Old accounts often carry old spellings. If “Ramesh Kumar” returns nothing, try “R Kumar”, “Ramesh Kumar Sharma”, and initials. Search with the date of birth if you do not have the person’s PAN.
Step 3: Read your results and note the UDRN
If a match exists, UDGAM shows the bank, the branch and a reference number called the UDRN (Unclaimed Deposit Reference Number) for each unclaimed account. It will not show the balance; that is disclosed by the bank during the claim. Note down every UDRN, take screenshots, and note which bank and branch each belongs to.
Step 4: Claim at the bank
Take the UDRN to the bank, either at the branch or through the bank’s own online claim process (each bank lists its procedure on UDGAM as well).
If the account is your own:
| Document | Notes |
|---|---|
| Claim form | The bank’s own form |
| UDRN | From UDGAM |
| PAN and Aadhaar | Standard KYC |
| Address proof | If your address has changed |
| Old passbook, chequebook or FD receipt | Helpful, not always mandatory |
The bank verifies KYC, reactivates or settles the account, and pays the balance. Interest on savings deposits keeps accruing even inside the DEA Fund, so you receive the balance plus interest.
If the account holder has passed away:
You will follow the bank’s deceased-claim process along with the UDGAM reference:
- Death certificate (certified copy)
- Your ID and KYC documents
- Proof of your right to claim: nomination, or legal heir documentation
Important. Under the RBI’s 2025 directions on deceased customers’ claims, if you are the nominee or survivor, the bank cannot demand a succession certificate or court order at all, regardless of the amount. Even with no nominee, banks must settle claims up to Rs 15 lakh (Rs 5 lakh for cooperative banks) with a simplified process: claim form, death certificate, ID proof, an indemnity bond, and a legal heir certificate or an independent declaration. If a bank asks for a succession certificate for a small, uncontested claim, politely cite these directions and escalate to the branch manager.
Read our full guide on succession certificates versus legal heir certificates if the bank does ask for legal documents.
How long it takes
| Stage | Typical time |
|---|---|
| UDGAM registration and search | 10 to 15 minutes |
| Claim with nominee, own account | Days to 2 weeks |
| Deceased claim, no nominee, within threshold | 2 to 6 weeks |
| Contested or above-threshold claims | Months, court process |
Banks are currently being pushed to move faster: the RBI is running an incentive scheme through September 2026 that pays banks for every unclaimed deposit they return. There has never been a better time to file.
Common reasons claims stall
- Name mismatch between old bank records and current ID. Carry marriage certificates or affidavits explaining name changes.
- Searching only one spelling or only one bank.
- Missing death certificate copies. Get 10 to 15 certified copies; every institution keeps one.
- Assuming the money is gone after 10 years. It is not. There is no deadline to claim from the DEA Fund.
The checklist to save
- Register at udgam.rbi.org.in with your phone number.
- Search every elder family member’s name, with spelling variations.
- Note every UDRN and its bank and branch.
- Gather KYC, and for deceased accounts, the death certificate and nomination or heir documents.
- File the claim at the bank, and follow up weekly.
- Repeat the search once a year; new accounts are added as they turn ten.
The part no portal can fix
UDGAM exists because millions of families never knew an account existed. The search is a cure; the disease is information that lived in one person’s head. Parampara is where you record every account, deposit and policy while you are here to remember them, locked so only your family can read it. Ten minutes of writing things down spares them ten years of not knowing.
Whatever happens, your family will know where to look.
Parampara is a private, end-to-end encrypted vault for everything in this article: the policies, the accounts, where the will is kept. We can't read any of it. Your family can, when it matters.
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