PPF Maturity Options — Extend, Withdraw or Continue After 15 Years

Your PPF account has completed 15 years. The account does not close automatically — but what happens next depends entirely on what you do, and one deadline you must not miss.

How PPF Maturity Is Calculated

PPF matures after 15 years counted from the end of the financial year in which the account was opened — not from the account opening date itself.

Example: an account opened in August 2010 falls in financial year 2010–11. That year ends March 31, 2011. Add 15 years: the account matures on April 1, 2026.

This means accounts opened in any month of a financial year all share the same maturity date — April 1 of the 16th year. Many families miscalculate this by several months, especially for older accounts.

Option 1 — Withdraw the Entire Corpus

You can close the account at any time after maturity and withdraw the full amount — principal plus all accumulated interest. The entire corpus is completely tax-free. No penalty applies for closing at maturity.

How to do it: Visit the post office or bank branch where the account is held. Submit Form C (PPF withdrawal form) along with your original passbook and photo ID. The amount is typically credited to your linked bank account within 3–5 working days.

There is no deadline for closing — you can withdraw at any point after maturity. However, if you leave the account unclosed without submitting Form 4, it automatically moves to the "without contribution" mode (see Option 3 below).

Option 2 — Extend With Contributions (5-Year Blocks)

This is the most financially powerful option if you are still in your earning years. You continue depositing up to ₹1.5 lakh per year, earn tax-free interest, and claim Section 80C deduction on deposits — the full EEE benefit continues for another 5 years.

Extensions can be made for any number of 5-year blocks. There is no limit on how many times you can extend.

The one-year deadline — this is critical

To extend with contributions, you must submit Form 4 (also called Form H — the same form, renamed under PPF Scheme 2019) within one year of the maturity date.

Example: account matures April 1, 2026 → Form 4 must be submitted by March 31, 2027.

If you miss this window, you permanently lose the option to extend with contributions for that block. The account moves to without-contribution mode automatically, and no fresh deposits are permitted. This cannot be reversed.

Additionally, once you submit Form 4, you cannot withdraw the request. The decision is final for that 5-year block.

Where to get Form 4 / Form H

• SBI: Download from sbi.bank.in or collect at any SBI branch. SBI may still label it Form H.
• Post Office: Collect Form 4 or SB-EXT1 at the counter where the account is held.
• Other banks (HDFC, PNB, Canara, etc.): Available at the branch or on the bank's website under PPF forms.

Submit the form at the branch or post office where your account is held. Carry your PPF passbook and photo ID. The form also requires a declaration that you continue to be a resident Indian citizen — NRIs cannot extend with contributions.

Withdrawal rules during an extension block with contributions

During a 5-year extension block in which you are making contributions, withdrawals are allowed but subject to a different limit than pre-maturity:

• One withdrawal per financial year is permitted
• The total withdrawn across the entire 5-year block cannot exceed 60% of the balance at the start of that block
• Withdrawals can be in one go or spread across multiple years within the block — as long as the cumulative total stays within 60%
• All withdrawals remain completely tax-free

Note: this 60% cap is more generous than the pre-maturity partial withdrawal limit of 50%. But it applies to the whole block, not per year.

What if you submit Form 4 but miss the ₹500 minimum in a year?

If you have extended with contributions but fail to deposit the minimum ₹500 in any financial year of the extension block, the account becomes discontinued again. The same revival rules apply — ₹500 arrear deposit plus ₹50 penalty per missed year. An irregular account cannot be extended further until it is regularised.

Option 3 — Continue Without Contributions (Automatic Default)

If you take no action within one year of maturity — neither withdraw nor submit Form 4 — the account automatically continues in without-contribution mode. No form is needed. No action is required.

In this mode:

• The account continues earning PPF interest at the prevailing rate, credited every March 31
• You can make one partial withdrawal per financial year of any amount
• You cannot make fresh deposits or claim 80C deductions
• You can close the account at any time by withdrawing the full balance
• The account can remain in this mode indefinitely — there is no forced closure

This is a genuinely useful option for families who do not need the money immediately but want continued tax-free growth without committing to annual deposits. The corpus keeps compounding at the PPF rate with zero effort.

After completing any 5-year block in without-contribution mode, you can switch to with-contribution mode for the next block by submitting Form 4 within one year of that block's end. You are not permanently locked out — the deadline only applies block by block.

NRI Rules at PPF Maturity

If you have become an NRI since opening the PPF account, different rules apply at maturity:

• You cannot extend with contributions — the Form 4 declaration requires you to be a resident Indian citizen
• You can continue in without-contribution mode earning interest until you choose to close
• The corpus must be withdrawn and the account closed — it cannot be extended indefinitely as an NRI
• The maturity proceeds are tax-free in India; check the tax treatment in your country of residence separately

Irregular Accounts Cannot Be Extended

An account that is in discontinued or irregular status at the time of maturity cannot be extended in any form. You must regularise the account before maturity — paying all arrear deposits plus ₹50 penalty per missed year — for the extension option to be available.

If your account is showing as irregular, read our guide on fixing an irregular PPF account and act before the maturity date.

Which Option Should You Choose?

Withdraw if: you have a specific use for the corpus — a child's education, home purchase, or retirement drawdown starting now. There is no tax and no penalty. Take it.

Extend with contributions if: you are still earning, have Section 80C headroom, and want to continue building tax-free wealth. The compounding on fresh deposits over another 5 years, combined with the 80C deduction, makes this the highest-return choice financially. Submit Form 4 well before the one-year deadline.

Continue without contributions if: you do not need the money now but also do not want to commit to annual deposits. Let it grow passively. Withdraw a portion each year if needed. This is the right choice for retirees who want a tax-free reserve with annual flexibility.

For the full picture on PPF rules — contribution limits, partial withdrawals, and the March 31 deadline — read our PPF complete guide. If your account is discontinued and you need to revive it before the maturity deadline, see our PPF revival guide.

Savings Reminder tracks your PPF maturity date and sends you a reminder ahead of the Form 4 deadline — so you never miss the one-year window for extending with contributions.

Frequently Asked Questions