How to Open a Sukanya Samriddhi Account at the Post Office

A parent or legal guardian can open a Sukanya Samriddhi account at a post office for a girl below 10 years of age. You need Form-1, her birth certificate, your Aadhaar and PAN, a photograph of yourself and a first deposit of at least ₹250. The account earns 8.2% for July to September 2026 and matures 21 years after opening.

Key facts

Eligibility: age and number of accounts

• The girl must be below 10 years of age on the day the account is opened.
• A girl can have only one Sukanya Samriddhi account, across all post offices and banks.
• A family can open accounts for at most two girls. A third account is allowed if twins or triplets are born in the first or second birth, backed by an affidavit and birth certificates.
• The girl and the guardian must be resident Indian citizens, as the Government Savings Promotion General Rules, 2018 require for minors’ accounts.

Only a natural or legal guardian should open the account. Under SB Order 05/2024 of 21 August 2024, which follows a Finance Ministry memorandum of 12 July 2024, post offices transfer guardianship of accounts opened by grandparents to a parent or legal guardian. Accounts beyond the family limit are closed as irregular.

Documents and the account opening form

• Account opening form (Form-1 under the scheme)
• Birth certificate of the girl, issued by the municipal authority or the Registrar of Births and Deaths
• Guardian’s Aadhaar number, or proof of Aadhaar enrolment
• Guardian’s PAN, or Form 60
• A recent passport-size photograph of the guardian (since July 2023, only the guardian’s photograph is needed for a minor’s account)
• First deposit with a pay-in-slip, in cash, cheque or electronic transfer
• Nomination details, if you want to add them

If you have no PAN, you must submit it within 2 months once the balance crosses ₹50,000 or credits in a year cross ₹1,00,000. Otherwise the account stops operating until you do.

Steps to open the account

1. Visit a post office that handles savings bank work, with the originals and self-attested copies of the documents.
2. Ask for the Sukanya Samriddhi account opening form and fill in the girl’s and guardian’s details.
3. Attach the birth certificate, your KYC copies and your photograph.
4. Pay the first deposit of at least ₹250, in multiples of ₹50.
5. Let the counter staff check the originals and open the account.
6. Collect the passbook and check the girl’s name, date of birth and account number.

Our Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana overview explains the scheme as an investment; this page covers the post office paperwork.

Deposit limits and the yearly minimum

You must deposit at least ₹250 in every financial year for 15 years. The total cannot exceed ₹1,50,000 in a year, and any excess accepted by mistake earns no interest and is returned.

If you miss a year, the account goes into default. You can revive it any time within 15 years of opening by paying ₹250 for each missed year plus a penalty of ₹50 for each year. A defaulted account that is never revived still earns the scheme rate until closure.

To see what regular deposits could add up to, try the SSY calculator.

Interest rate and how it is credited

The National Savings Institute lists 8.2% for the period from 1 January 2024 to 30 September 2026. The government reviews the rate every quarter. On 30 June 2026 the Finance Ministry kept small savings rates unchanged for July to September 2026. Rates for October to December 2026 had not been announced on 16 September 2026; see our small savings scheme rates page for updates.

Interest is worked out monthly, on the lowest balance between the close of the 5th day and the end of the month. It is added to the account at the end of each financial year. A deposit made by the 5th therefore earns interest for that whole month.

Tax treatment

Deposits qualify for the Section 80C deduction of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (section 123 of the Income-tax Act, 2025) if you use the old regime. Interest and withdrawals are exempt under Section 10(11A) of the 1961 Act. Our Section 80C guide lists what else shares the ₹1.5 lakh limit.

Withdrawal for education and closure rules

Partial withdrawal

• Up to 50% of the balance at the end of the previous financial year.
• Allowed once the girl turns 18 or passes Class 10, whichever comes first.
• Apply in Form-3 with a confirmed admission offer or a fee slip from the institution.
• Take it as a lump sum, or in up to one instalment a year for 5 years, limited to the actual fees.

Closure

The guardian operates the account until the girl turns 18. After that she operates it herself, after submitting her own documents.

Transferring an SSY account

Rule 13 of the General Rules lets you transfer the account to any post office or bank in India that runs the scheme.

1. Fill in the transfer application (Form-5 under the General Rules).
2. Attach the original passbook.
3. Submit it at your current post office or at the office you are moving to.
4. Pay the transfer fee of ₹100 listed in Schedule II.
5. The old office sends the account papers and a demand draft for the balance to the new office.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum amount to open a Sukanya Samriddhi account at the post office?

₹250, in multiples of ₹50. You must deposit at least ₹250 in each financial year.

Can I open an SSY account for a 10-year-old girl?

No. The girl must be below 10 on the day the account is opened.

What is the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana interest rate now?

8.2% a year for July to September 2026. The October to December 2026 rate is due around the end of September.

Can grandparents open a Sukanya Samriddhi account?

Only a natural or legal guardian should. Under 2024 guidelines, accounts opened by grandparents who are not legal guardians are transferred to a parent or legal guardian.

When can money be withdrawn from SSY?

Up to 50% for education after the girl turns 18 or passes Class 10. The full amount is paid at maturity after 21 years, or earlier for marriage after 18.

Can I move my SSY account from a post office to a bank?

Yes. Apply in Form-5 with the original passbook and pay the ₹100 transfer fee.

What happens if I miss a yearly deposit?

The account goes into default. Revive it within 15 years by paying ₹250 and a ₹50 penalty for each missed year.

Sources

• Sukanya Samriddhi Account Scheme, 2019 — National Savings Institute (checked 16 Sep 2026)
• Sukanya Samriddhi interest rates since inception — National Savings Institute (checked 16 Sep 2026)
• Government Savings Promotion General Rules, 2018 — National Savings Institute (checked 16 Sep 2026)
• National Savings Schemes at a glance — National Savings Institute (checked 16 Sep 2026)
• Office memorandum on small savings rates for July-September 2026 — Department of Economic Affairs (checked 16 Sep 2026)
• SB Order 08/2023 on Aadhaar and PAN — Department of Posts (checked 16 Sep 2026)
• SB Order 16/2023 on General Rules amendments — Department of Posts (checked 16 Sep 2026)
• SB Order 05/2024: regularisation of irregular accounts — PostalStudy (reproduces the Department of Posts order) (checked 16 Sep 2026)