PPF Extension After 15 Years: With or Without Contribution?

The short answer

When a PPF account completes 15 years you have three choices: close it and take the full balance, extend it without new deposits (this happens automatically if you do nothing, and the balance keeps earning interest), or extend it with deposits for a block of 5 years by submitting Form 4 within one year of maturity. Extending with deposits builds the most, but it limits withdrawals to 60% of the opening balance per block. At 7.1%, ₹1.5 lakh a year for 15 years grows to about ₹40.68 lakh; five more years of ₹1.5 lakh deposits take it to about ₹66.58 lakh. The PPF Calculator shows the with-deposit figures for 15 to 40 years.

Your three options at maturity

Option	What you do	Deposits	Withdrawals during the block
Close the account	Apply to close and take the balance	None	Full balance at once
Extend without deposits	Nothing (this is the default)	Not allowed	One withdrawal per financial year, any amount
Extend with deposits	Submit Form 4 within 1 year of maturity	₹500 to ₹1.5 lakh a year, as before	One per financial year, total up to 60% of the balance at the start of the block

Both extensions run in blocks of 5 years, and the account can be extended again at the end of each block. Interest continues at the PPF rate in force, which the government sets every quarter. For October to December 2026 the rate was kept at 7.1%.

These rules come from the Public Provident Fund Scheme as published by India Post (Department of Posts SB Order 08/2020) and bank scheme pages. Your bank or post office applies the same scheme rules.

The Form 4 deadline matters

To extend with deposits, you must tell your bank or post office in writing, on Form 4, within one year of the maturity date. If you keep depositing without submitting the form, those deposits are treated as irregular and do not earn interest. If the one-year window passes, your account continues as an extension without deposits.

So if you want to keep investing, submit Form 4 soon after maturity, and keep the acknowledgement.

How much each option can grow

These figures assume ₹1,50,000 deposited at the start of every financial year (the maximum), a constant 7.1% rate, and interest credited once a year, which is how the PPF Calculator works. Real results depend on future rate changes and deposit timing.

Scenario	Balance
After 15 years (₹22.5 lakh deposited)	₹40,68,209
Extend 5 years with ₹1.5 lakh a year (20 years total)	₹66,58,288
Extend 5 years without deposits	₹57,32,587
Extend 10 years with deposits (25 years total)	₹1,03,08,015
Extend 10 years without deposits	₹80,77,891

Without deposits, the 15-year balance simply compounds: ₹40,68,209 × 1.071^5 ≈ ₹57.33 lakh. With deposits, you add ₹7.5 lakh over five years and end about ₹9.26 lakh higher than the no-deposit route, because the new money also earns tax-free interest.

How to model it with the PPF Calculator

Open the PPF Calculator.

Set Yearly contribution to what you plan to deposit (₹500 to ₹1.5 lakh).

Set the PPF rate to the current rate, 7.1% for October to December 2026.

Move the Period slider from 15 to 20, 25, 30 and so on. Each 5-year step is one extension block with deposits at the same yearly amount.

Read the maturity value, total invested and interest, and the year-by-year table.

The calculator assumes the same deposit every year from year 1, so it models "with contribution" extensions only. For an extension without deposits, take the balance at maturity and multiply it by 1.071 for each extra year (at a 7.1% rate), as in the table above.

Withdrawal rules compared

Extension without deposits is the more flexible choice. You can withdraw any amount, once in each financial year, while the remaining balance keeps earning interest.

Extension with deposits caps withdrawals. Over each 5-year block you can withdraw in total up to 60% of the balance at the start of that block, with one withdrawal per financial year. On a balance of ₹40,68,209 at the start of the block, the cap is about ₹24.41 lakh over the five years. The cap resets at the start of the next block.

Which option suits whom?

Extend with deposits if:

• You do not need the money in the next five years.
• You still have room in your savings for up to ₹1.5 lakh a year.
• You value PPF's tax-free interest and low risk for part of your long-term savings.

Extend without deposits if:

• You want the balance to keep growing but may need to withdraw large amounts.
• You have stopped saving into PPF but do not need the full amount now.

Close the account if:

• You need the full balance for a goal such as a home, education or retirement.
• Other investments better suit your timeline and risk. Compare the expected growth with the SIP Calculator or FD Calculator.

Tips to get the most interest

• Deposit before the 5th of the month. PPF interest is calculated on the lowest balance between the 5th and the last day of each month, so money deposited after the 5th earns nothing for that month. A lump sum deposited by 5 April earns interest for the whole year.
• Do not miss Form 4 if you want to keep depositing.
• Keep the yearly deposit within ₹1.5 lakh. Excess deposits do not earn interest.

Common mistakes

• Depositing after maturity without Form 4. Those deposits earn no interest.
• Assuming the account closes on its own. It continues as an extension without deposits until you apply to close it.
• Planning on a fixed 7.1% for 20 years. The rate is reviewed every quarter; treat long-term figures as estimates.
• Choosing "with deposits" and then needing a large withdrawal. The 60% cap applies for the whole block.

For the basics of PPF returns, the deposit limits and tax treatment, see PPF Calculator: Returns, Rules, and Tax Benefits.

This guide explains the general rules and is not tax advice.