Reviewed 16 October 2026. ESIC employee registration is now handled through the employer’s online services. Older pages often describe a paper “Form 1” declaration, fixed 15-day steps, or a Form 5 return as if every employer must still use those exact procedures. Check the current ESIC portal instructions and rules for your establishment and contribution period before filing.
Register a newly covered employee
- Confirm that the establishment is covered and that the employee meets the current definition and wage conditions for insurance.
- Ask whether the employee already has an ESIC Insurance Number. Check the existing record before creating another one.
- Use the current employer portal to add the employee’s name, date of joining, wages and other required particulars. Provide identity information only as requested for the statutory process.
- Check that the returned Insurance Number and employee details match the source records. Give the employee the current information needed to access their ESIC services.
- Include eligible employees in the monthly contribution data from the applicable period and reconcile the portal record with payroll.
Keep the record accurate
Maintain the joining date, wage basis, insurance number, contribution-period data and any correction or exit evidence. If the portal rejects a record, preserve the error and use the official correction or help channel. Avoid creating a duplicate record to get past a validation error. Update family particulars or other personal details only through the route ESIC currently provides.
Contributions and return tasks
Employers submit monthly contribution information and pay contributions within 15 days after the end of the calendar month in which they fall due, under ESIC Regulation 31. This monthly activity is separate from the return-of-contributions requirement in the applicable rules. ESIC’s published employer guidance says the return may be generated from the monthly contribution records, but the live employer portal and current rules determine what action is needed for a particular period. Do not use an old paper Form 5 or a generic “30 days after half-year end” instruction without checking the current process.
Standard contribution rates are 0.75% for the employee and 3.25% for the employer where contributions apply. Eligibility and the wage base depend on the current ESIC rules, wage ceiling and employee circumstances. Use our ESIC calculator as an estimate, then reconcile it with the portal and payroll record.
Common issues to check
- Existing Insurance Number: Search and verify before registering again.
- Name or date mismatch: Compare the source record and follow the current correction route.
- Wage validation error: Check the statutory wage definition and period-specific eligibility, not just gross salary.
- Contribution not visible: Confirm that the employee is linked to the correct establishment and wage period and that the contribution record was accepted and paid.
Official sources
- ESIC official site and employer services.
- ESIC employer FAQ: registration and monthly contributions.
- ESIC Regulations, including Regulation 31.
- Ministry of Labour and Employment: Labour Codes.
This article is general guidance. Verify the live portal steps before a filing. For Kerala employer support, see ESIC services or contact GHR Consultancy.