Kerala pravasi pension: how much will you get?
Updated
How much is the Kerala pravasi pension?
The Kerala Pravasi Welfare Board pays a monthly minimum pension of ₹3,500 to category 1A members (working abroad) and ₹3,000 to 1B and 2A members, from age 60 after at least 5 years of contributions (rates in force from 1 April 2022). Each completed year beyond 5 adds 3% of the minimum, up to twice the minimum — ₹7,000 a month for 1A.
Official rule: Monthly minimum pension: Rs 3,500 for category 1A. (source, checked 2026-10-21)
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How is the pravasi pension worked out?
The Pravasi welfare pension — often searched as "pravasi pension", "kshemanidhi" or "NORKA pension scheme" — is paid by the Kerala Pravasi Welfare Board, a statutory board under the state's NORKA department. The monthly minimum pension is ₹3,500 for category 1A and ₹3,000 for 1B and 2A (source, checked 2026-10-21), plus an additional pension of 3% of the minimum for every completed year beyond 5 (source, checked 2026-10-21), up to twice the minimum (source, checked 2026-10-21).
| Years paid until 60 | 1A (abroad) | 1B / 2A |
|---|---|---|
| 5 years (join at 55) | ₹3,500 | ₹3,000 |
| 10 years (join at 50) | ₹4,025 | ₹3,450 |
| 20 years (join at 40) | ₹5,075 | ₹4,350 |
| 30 years (join at 30) | ₹6,125 | ₹5,250 |
| 39 years (join at 21) | ₹7,000 | ₹6,000 |
Minimum ₹3,500 / ₹3,000 (source, checked 2026-10-21) + 3% of it for each year beyond 5 (source, checked 2026-10-21), at most 2 times the minimum (source, checked 2026-10-21).
Who can join the Pravasi Welfare Board?
Non-Resident Keralites aged 18 to 60 (source, checked 2026-10-21): 1A working abroad, 1B returned to Kerala after at least two years abroad, 2A working in India outside Kerala (source, checked 2026-10-21). The registration fee is ₹200 (source, checked 2026-10-21).
How much is the monthly contribution?
₹350 a month for 1A (source, checked 2026-10-21) and ₹200 for 1B and 2A (source, checked 2026-10-21), since 1 April 2022. The government may revise the rates once in three years (source, checked 2026-10-21).
When is the pension paid?
From age 60 (source, checked 2026-10-21), after at least 5 years of contributions; someone who joins after 55 must pay for 5 years (source, checked 2026-10-21). Membership ends if contributions stop for more than 12 months in a row (source, checked 2026-10-21).
What other benefits does the Board pay?
- Family pension: 50% of the member's pension to one family member (source, checked 2026-10-21).
- Invalid pension: after 3 years' contributions (source, checked 2026-10-21), 40% of the minimum pension (source, checked 2026-10-21).
- Help on a member's death: up to ₹50,000 (1A), ₹30,000 (1B), ₹25,000 (2A) (source, checked 2026-10-21).
- Treatment: up to ₹50,000 over the membership (source, checked 2026-10-21); marriage of a daughter: ₹10,000 (source, checked 2026-10-21).
Join and claim only on the Board's own site, pravasikerala.org.
Questions people ask
Is the pravasi pension a NORKA Roots scheme?
No — the Kerala pravasi pension is paid by the Kerala Pravasi Welfare Board, a statutory board under the state's NORKA department; people often search for it as the NORKA pension scheme.
What is the maximum pravasi pension?
Twice the minimum in Kerala: ₹7,000 a month for 1A and ₹6,000 for 1B and 2A, reached after about 39 years of contributions.
Can I join the pravasi welfare fund after 55?
Yes — in Kerala, up to 60, but you must then pay for at least 5 years before the pension starts.
What happens if I stop paying?
In Kerala, membership ends automatically after more than 12 months without contributions; it can be renewed by paying the arrears with a penalty.