If money is stuck in your old bank account, withdrawing it has now become much easier.
A bank account becomes inactive or dormant when no transactions take place for two or more years. However, the account holder or their legal heirs can still claim the money anytime.
RBI’s Special Drive
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is running a nationwide program from October to December 2025 to make the process more transparent. Camps for unclaimed deposits will be organized in every district.
If an account has been inactive for a long time, its balance is transferred to RBI’s Depositor Education and Awareness (DEA) Fund. But even then, the rightful owner or their heir can withdraw the money whenever they want.
Simple Withdrawal Process
Visit any bank branch (not only your home branch).
Fill out the claim form and submit KYC documents (Aadhaar, passport, voter ID, or driving license).
The bank will verify details and refund the full balance with interest.
As per RBI rules, banks cannot charge any penalty or fee for reactivating dormant accounts or releasing unclaimed funds. Customers are fully entitled to receive their balance along with interest.
Transparency Measures
Banks must now clearly display information about dormant accounts and unclaimed deposits on their websites and in branches.
So, if you have money stuck in an old account, visit the bank, provide the required documents, complete the process, and recover your savings without worry.
