How To Withdraw From EPF Account 3 (Fleksibel)

As of now, the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) has completed its account restructuring. This means that every EPF member under the age of 55 will now have EPF Account 3 (Fleksibel) created for them automatically. So, the default EPF distribution is now 75% for Account 1 (Persaraan), 15% for Account 2 (Sejahtera) and 10% for Account 3 (Fleksibel).

For those who haven’t heard, EPF Account 3 is a new measure that is being implemented to help members deal with short term financial issues. The rationale behind this is that once these short-term financial issues have been addressed, members can then put more focus on long-term planning.

The big question that most might be asking now is: “How do I withdraw from Account 3?” Worry not; the process is not too complicated. Here is a quick overview of the withdrawal process:

Things to note before withdrawing

There are a few things to note before withdrawing from Account 3.

1. The minimum withdrawal amount is RM50.
   If you wish to make a withdrawal online, you can do so by downloading the KWSP i-Akaun app from your device’s respective app store.
2. You can withdraw as much as you want from your EPF Account 3
   However, withdrawals above RM250 will require you to fill out an eKYC (electronic Know Your Customer) if you are processing the withdrawal online. If you are unable to complete the eKYC process, you will need to proceed to an EPF office or the Self-Service Terminal (SST) for thumbprint verification.
3. Members can only withdraw from Account 3 once per day.

With that out of the way, here is how you can withdraw your money from EPF Account 3:

Steps to withdraw from Account 3 (Fleksibel)

1. Login to your KWSP i-Akaun
2. Click on the button Withdrawal at the bottom of the screen and select Withdraw your savings
3. Select Akaun Fleksibel and select Withdraw Now. (Note that you will be unable to withdraw from Account 3 if you do not have a minimum of RM50).
4. Enter the amount you wish to withdraw, and select Continue
5. Key in or update your bank account details to receive the fund, and select continue. Do note that the Bank account must be registered under your name.
6. Read the Members Declaration and select Accept to continue.
7. Key in the TAC number to continue. A confirmation page will appear to indicate that your application is successful.

Visual guide to withdraw from Account 3 (Akaun Fleksibel)

If you need a visual guide, here is a simple infographic from the EPF website FAQ:

Withdrawal limits and eKYC

As mentioned previously, Account 3 withdrawals are only applicable to members aged below 55 years old with sufficient savings in Account 3 (Fleksibel). According to the EPF FAQ, you can apply to withdraw any amount from Account 3 as long as the amount is a minimum of RM50. Members do not need to submit any supporting documents, however, it is highly advised to have an active bank account number to ensure smooth payment processing.

Additionally, EPF has stated that members do not need to be physically present for identity verification at EPF offices as it can be done online. However, this is subject to the member’s previous withdrawal history and the withdrawal amount does not exceed RM30,000.

Members who do not have a previous withdrawal history or if their bank account information differs from previous withdrawals, will be required to go through an identity verification process which can be done in two ways:.

1. Thumbprint verification via Self-Service Terminal (SST) at any EPC offices, for withdrawal application amount of more than RM10,000, OR
2. Online verification, subject to withdrawal application amount of less than RM10,000.

One-time transfer to Account 3

Account 3 will begin with RM0 in the account. This means that  it will take quite some time for it to accumulate enough savings for members to withdraw.

One time transfer allowed from Account 2 to Account 3

However, members can commence an initial one-time transfer from their Account 2 to their Account 3 from 12 May 2024 to 31 August 2024. Doing this means that members can withdraw funds from Account 3 immediately instead of having to contribute enough to meet the minimum amount.

The fastest way to do a one-time transfer is through the KWSP i-Akaun app. If you have never registered an i-Akaun app before, you will be required to perform an eKYC. Do note, that once the request to transfer funds has been made, the process cannot be cancelled.

Step-by-step guide to transfer funds to Account 3

1. After launching the KWSP i-Akaun app, you should see an updated home screen with “Akaun Fleksibel: Meet today’s goals, shape tomorrow’s dreams” banner. Click on “Learn more”.
2. The app will go through a visual explanation of the new EPF Account restructuring. Click “Next” to continue.
3. The app will then highlight the option for initial amount transfer which can be performed for one-time only until 31st August 2024. Select “Transfer Now” 
4. You can read the FAQ to learn more about this one-time option for EPF members. For greater clarity, the KWSP iAkaun app even provides a BEFORE and AFTER calculation of your EPF account balances after the one-time transfer is performed. Then select “Proceed”.
5. If you’re certain that you wish to perform the one-time transfer, you’ll need to make a final member’s declaration by reading the terms. You’ll need to click on “Accept” and then click on “Yes” to confirm your decision. Once the submission is completed, you’ll see a confirmation page with a confirmation number.

Here is the visual guide provided by the EPF FAQ page:

What you should know about the one-time transfer

The amount that will be transferred to Account 3 will depend on the current balance of your Account 2. If your Account 2 balance is RM3,000 and above, EPF will transfer 1/3 (33.33%) to Account 3, and 1/6 (16.67%) will be transferred to Account 1.

Here is another set of example visuals provided by the EPF FAQ page showing how the transfer distribution works:

How long will withdrawal from Account 3 take?

If you have the minimum required amount of funds in Account 3 and applied for a withdrawal, EPF members can expect to receive their payment to their registered bank account within 7 working days upon application approval. This is the timeline according to the EPF FAQ.

For those who choose to make the one-time transfer of funds to Account 3, you can check your Account 3 balance via KWSP i-Akaun. You can do this after the initial amount transfer is credited within 3–5 working days.

Read More: [Updated] Everything You Should Know About EPF Account 3