Forgotten Bank Money? How to Find and Claim It with RBI's UDGAM Portal

Somewhere in India's banking system sits a staggering pile of money that nobody has claimed — old savings accounts gone dormant, fixed deposits that matured and were forgotten, accounts of relatives who passed away without the family knowing they existed. When a deposit stays inactive for 10 years, banks transfer it to the RBI's Depositor Education and Awareness (DEAF) Fund — and the total runs into tens of thousands of crores of rupees.

The good news: it's still your money, and there's now a single free portal to find it.

What counts as an "unclaimed" deposit

A deposit becomes unclaimed when there's been no customer-initiated activity for 10 years. This commonly happens with:

• Savings/current accounts you stopped using after changing jobs or cities
• Fixed deposits that matured but were never withdrawn or renewed
• Accounts of a deceased family member whose heirs didn't know about them
• Old accounts from before KYC linking, with outdated contact details

Importantly, moving to the DEAF Fund does not extinguish your claim. You (or your legal heirs) can always reclaim the amount — with the interest due — by approaching the bank.

Step 1: Search with UDGAM

The RBI's UDGAM portal (Unclaimed Deposits – Gateway to Access Information) lets you search for unclaimed deposits across multiple banks in one place, for free.

1. Go to udgam.rbi.org.in and register with your mobile number.
2. Enter the account holder's name and select the bank(s).
3. Optionally add identifiers (PAN, driving licence, date of birth) to narrow results.
4. The portal shows matching unclaimed deposits held with participating banks.

Step 2: Claim it from the bank

UDGAM helps you find the money; the actual claim is settled by the bank, not the RBI. Approach the branch (or its unclaimed-deposits desk) with:

• A filled claim form (available at the branch or the bank's website)
• Your KYC documents — identity and address proof
• Proof linking you to the account (old passbook, statement, or the account number)
• For a deceased holder's deposit: the death certificate, and either the nominee proof or legal-heir documents (succession certificate / legal heir certificate) if there's no nominee

The bank verifies and refunds the principal plus the interest payable up to the date of settlement.

Why nomination is the real fix

Most unclaimed money becomes a problem because the family didn't know the account existed and there was no nominee. A nominee is the person the bank can pay directly, without a court process. So:

• Add a nominee to every bank account, FD, and locker — it takes minutes at the branch or in net banking.
• Keep your mobile number and address updated so the bank can reach you before an account goes dormant.
• Do a small transaction once a year on old accounts to keep them active — or formally close ones you don't need.
• Keep a simple list of your accounts somewhere your family can find it.

The bottom line

Dormant money doesn't disappear — it waits. Search your name (and your family's) on the RBI's free UDGAM portal, and claim anything you find directly from the bank with your KYC and proof of entitlement. Then close the loop for good: add a nominee to every account, keep your contact details current, and leave your family a list. The best unclaimed deposit is the one that never becomes unclaimed.