What documents are needed for onboarding in India?

PAN, Aadhaar or other identity and address proof, bank details with a cancelled cheque, photographs, educational certificates, the previous employer's relieving letter and experience certificate, recent payslips, Form 122 with previous-employer salary and tax details, UAN if one exists, and nomination forms for provident fund, gratuity and insurance.

When must a new employee be registered with ESIC?

No later than their first day of employment, under Rule 18(1). It is an onboarding obligation, not something to catch up on with the first payroll run, and the employer is separately liable for the accuracy of the data entered.

What is Form 122 and why does it matter on joining?

It is the declaration of previous-employer salary and tax for a mid-year joiner. Without it, the new employer computes TDS on its own salary alone, both employers give the basic exemption and standard deduction, and the employee ends up with a tax demand at filing.

How long should onboarding take?

The administrative part should be complete within the first week. The part that decides whether someone stays — understanding the role, meeting the people they depend on, knowing what good looks like — runs through the first ninety days and needs scheduled check-ins, not good intentions.

Employee Onboarding Checklist

A new-hire checklist from offer to confirmation, including the Indian statutory steps with real deadlines — ESIC portal entry before day one, UAN linkage, and Form 122 from a mid-year joiner.

Free · No sign-up · Nothing leaves your browser · Figures reviewed 22 September 2026

Tailor it

Company name

Employee name

Role

Joining remotely

Covered by ESI

Adds the day-one ESIC portal entry, which Rule 18(1) requires.

Needs company equipment

Ticking boxes here is for working through the list on screen — it is not saved anywhere, and it is not carried into the printed or downloaded copy, which always comes out blank.

Onboarding checklist

Each item names an action and when it has to happen. The statutory ones have real deadlines and are marked.

0 of 48 done

Before the offer is closed

Offer letter issued, accepted and countersigned
Background verification initiated — employment, education, identity
Reference checks completed and recorded
Notice period at the previous employer confirmed, with a joining date both sides have agreed

Before day one — documents to collect

Before day one — statutory

Register the employee on the ESIC portal — Rule 18(1) requires this no later than day one
Link or generate the UAN and complete the provident fund declaration
Confirm the state of employment for professional tax and, where applicable, labour welfare fund
Record the employee in the statutory wage and attendance registers
Collect the tax regime declaration for TDS — defaulting to the new regime

Before day one — set-up

Employee number assigned
Payroll record created, with the salary structure and joining date
Email account and directory entry created
Laptop and peripherals procured, imaged and assigned in the asset register
Desk, access card and parking arranged
Access to the systems the role needs, requested and approved — least privilege, not a copy of someone else's access
Manager briefed, buddy assigned, and the first week put in calendars
Welcome email sent with start time, where to go and who to ask for

Day one

Welcome and introduction to the team
Workplace tour, or a remote equivalent with the people they will work with
Appointment letter issued and acknowledged
Policies shared and acknowledgement recorded — code of conduct, POSH, leave, attendance, information security
POSH: Internal Committee members and the complaint route explained, not just filed
Systems access verified working, in person, rather than assumed
Payroll and benefits explained — pay date, payslip access, insurance enrolment
First-week plan walked through with the manager

Week one

Insurance enrolment completed, including dependants
Provident fund and ESI reflected correctly in the first payroll input
Introductions to the teams they will depend on
Role expectations and the first 30 days agreed in writing with the manager
Mandatory training assigned — POSH, information security, any role-specific compliance
Check-in on day three and day five: does anything not work, is anything missing

Month one and beyond

30-day check-in with the manager, recorded
First payslip verified with the employee — the commonest first-month complaint is a payslip nobody explained
Probation review date scheduled in the calendar, not left to memory
60-day and 90-day check-ins scheduled
Onboarding feedback collected while it is still fresh
Confirmation letter issued on or before the probation end date

Most onboarding checklists list the laptop and forget the statutory steps that have actual deadlines. ESIC portal entry is due no later than the first day of employment. Form 122 from a mid-year joiner is what stops TDS being under-deducted for the rest of the year.

Everything here names an action and when it has to happen, rather than a topic.

Frequently asked questions

What documents are needed for onboarding in India?: PAN, Aadhaar or other identity and address proof, bank details with a cancelled cheque, photographs, educational certificates, the previous employer's relieving letter and experience certificate, recent payslips, Form 122 with previous-employer salary and tax details, UAN if one exists, and nomination forms for provident fund, gratuity and insurance.
When must a new employee be registered with ESIC?: No later than their first day of employment, under Rule 18(1). It is an onboarding obligation, not something to catch up on with the first payroll run, and the employer is separately liable for the accuracy of the data entered.
What is Form 122 and why does it matter on joining?: It is the declaration of previous-employer salary and tax for a mid-year joiner. Without it, the new employer computes TDS on its own salary alone, both employers give the basic exemption and standard deduction, and the employee ends up with a tax demand at filing.
How long should onboarding take?: The administrative part should be complete within the first week. The part that decides whether someone stays — understanding the role, meeting the people they depend on, knowing what good looks like — runs through the first ninety days and needs scheduled check-ins, not good intentions.

About this tool

Built by the ViniOffice team. Figures and rules last reviewed 22 September 2026 against the statutory reference this team maintains. Indian statutory rates are date-effective and change by notification — confirm against the current one before running payroll or filing.

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