How to Reactivate Your Dormant Savings Account?

Any Savings / Current Account is classified 'Inoperative / Dormant’ if it has not been operated for more than a period of two years by the customer. Interest credited by the bank on the balance in the account and any charges debited by the bank are not considered as transactions for this purpose.

The prerequisite to keep a Savings / Current Account active is making any credit or debit transaction at least once a year. The transactions can be-

• Inward or outward bill
• Cheque transaction
• Cash deposit
• Cash withdrawal or deposit through ATM
• Online banking transaction

Generally, banks may flag a Saving Deposit / Current Account Inoperative to protect it against fraudulent activities. Unfortunately, Inoperative accounts are rarely monitored by account holders. Therefore, it puts the account holder at a higher risk of being a victim of scams and fraud. From password thefts to signature forgery, a lot can go wrong when it's not monitored regularly. To prevent such frauds, banks classify such accounts as Inoperative / dormant, thus, limiting or disabling transactions in these accounts until reactivated again.

Once the Account becomes Inoperative, one cannot avail the following services:

• Requesting a new chequebook
• Fund transfer
• Debit/ATM card renewal
• Change of address
• Delete or add a joint holder

An inoperative / dormant Account is very different from a frozen account. An account becomes inoperative / dormant if the customer doesn’t do any transaction on the account for 24 months or more. On the other hand, a Frozen Account is usually a result of the step taken by the bank to stop access to the bank account until further notice. This is usually done on the order of a court or regulators like RBI, SEBI, etc. Banks can freeze inoperative / dormant or even active accounts on such orders. While unfreezing a Frozen Account is very complicated, you can easily reactivate an Inoperative / dormant Bank Account.

To activate an account that has not been operated for more than two years and has become inoperative / dormant, visit your nearest branch below documents readily available with you.

Alternatively, you may please login to AU 0101 and navigate through video banking\Services\ Activate dormant account section.

Steps for Activation:

1. Apply a request for reactivating your account with our Video Banking team through your registered mobile number.

2. Keep your Proof of Identity documents in hand

Once the bank receives the request and verifies your documents, it will be reactivated within 1-2 working days. You can then make a financial transaction in the account to start using it.

As per RBI guidelines, we do not levy additional charges to reactivate an Inoperative / Dormant Account.

Individual customers:

• Request letter signed as per account MOP (Refer Annexure I for format)
• Self-attested copy of Proof of Identity (OVD) and originals (for verification)

Non-individual customers:

• Request letter on letter head signed as per MOP (Refer Annexure II for format)
• Self-attested copy of entity proof and originals if any(for verification)
• Self-attested copy of identity proof of authorized signatory(ies) and originals (for verification)

List of Officially Valid Documents for KYC is available at: https://www.au.bank.in/officially-valid-documents-for-kyc

Annexure I Individual Application

Annexure II Non Individual Application