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UP Domicile Certificate (निवास प्रमाण पत्र) — Mool Niwas, Family ID Prerequisite & NEET State Quota

UP domicile certificate (निवास प्रमाण पत्र) on eSathi: Mool vs Samanya Niwas, the Family ID you need first, NEET state quota, documents, fee and validity.

Updated:

Check if you need it for NEET ↓

1Family ID first

Ration card holders already have one: the ration card number. Others register at familyid.up.gov.in (about 1-2 weeks) before applying.

2Apply

esathi.up.gov.in → log in → “निवास प्रमाण पत्र” → choose Mool Niwas → fill the form → upload → pay → submit.

3Documents

Aadhaar, self-declaration form, ration card, Family ID and photo, plus residence proof such as a voter ID or electricity bill.

4Fee, time, validity

₹10-15 on eSathi (₹30 + facilitation at a CSC). Usually 7-15 working days. Doesn’t expire, but some notifications want a recent one.

What Is a Domicile Certificate — And Why the Wrong Type Can Cost You a Seat

A domicile certificate (निवास प्रमाण पत्र, Niwas Praman Patra) is an official document issued by the Tehsildar confirming that a person is a resident of Uttar Pradesh: that their family, roots and home are here. Almost every state-level benefit, in education, jobs or welfare, starts with this proof.

Two kinds of domicile certificate are described for UP, and choosing the wrong one costs weeks you may not have before a deadline.

Mool Niwas (मूल निवास प्रमाण पत्र)

The permanent domicile certificate. “Mool” means original or root. This is the one used for UPPSC, UPSSSC (Lekhpal, Junior Assistant), UP Police, UP Scholarship and state university admissions. When a notification just says “domicile certificate”, it means this one.

Samanya Niwas (सामान्य निवास प्रमाण पत्र)

The ordinary residence certificate. It proves only where you live now, not permanent ties to UP. It’s used for basic address proof, such as a local school admission or a utility connection, and not for government jobs or scholarships. The UP NEET UG bulletin, however, accepts a domicile/Samanya Niwas certificate.

Why it matters for NEET: in UP’s government medical and dental colleges, 85% of seats are state quota, filled through UP state counselling, and 15% are All India Quota, open to candidates from every state. Without UP eligibility for the state quota, a UP student can compete in UP government colleges only for the 15% All India Quota seats. The state counselling bulletin sets who is eligible each year, and a UP domicile certificate is the usual proof.

Under the UP NEET UG-2026 policy GO (dated 1 September 2026), candidates who passed both Class 10 and Class 12 from a school or board-recognised institution in UP don’t need a domicile certificate for UP state-quota government seats; domicile is the route for those who studied outside UP. Private and minority medical colleges in UP state counselling don’t require UP domicile. The 15% All India Quota is counselled by MCC and needs no domicile certificate. NEET PG has no domicile rule in UP: government-college PG state-quota seats depend on having done MBBS/BDS at a UP college (excluding AMU, BHU and the two AIIMS).

Do I need a domicile certificate for NEET?

Answer a few questions to see what the UP NEET UG-2026 rules on this page say about your case.

Which seats are you aiming for?
Did you pass High School (Class 10) in UP?
Did you pass Intermediate (Class 12) in UP?
Are you a native of UP? (मूल निवासी)

Students living or studying outside UP can claim UP domicile through parents who are permanent UP residents. Who can get a UP domicile certificate

A guide based on the UP NEET UG-2026 policy GO (1 September 2026) and brochure as summarised on this page, not an official decision. Rules can change every year: confirm in that year’s GO and brochure on upneet.gov.in.

Check the GO and brochure on upneet.gov.in ↗

Eligibility — Who Can Get a UP Domicile Certificate

Eligibility depends on your residential connection to UP, not just your current address.

  • Born and living in UP: the simplest case. Apply with the standard documents.
  • Parents are permanent UP residents: even if you were born elsewhere or are studying or working in another state, you can claim UP domicile through your parents. This matters for students in Kota, Delhi or other states who need UP domicile for NEET state quota. Documents: your parents’ domicile certificate or voter ID with a UP address, your Aadhaar and your parents’ Aadhaar. The Lekhpal verifies at your parents’ UP address.
  • Moved to UP from another state (the 15-year rule): for Mool Niwas, families that migrated to UP need 15 years of continuous residence (source: eligibilitytools.in, UP Revenue Department norms). Other guides cite shorter periods (3 or 5 years) for a general residence certificate. The period isn’t laid down in one official place, so confirm it at your tehsil. Proof of continuous residence: voter registration in UP over several elections, a long-standing electricity or water connection, property ownership or a long rent agreement, and your children’s school records in UP.
  • Government employees posted in UP: central or state employees posted here can usually get an ordinary residence (Samanya Niwas) certificate. For permanent domicile they must meet the residence conditions on their own.

Family ID — The Prerequisite You Must Complete First

Before you can apply for a domicile certificate on eSathi, you need a UP Family ID (Ek Parivar Ek Pahchan). The Family ID field on the domicile form is mandatory, and the form won’t submit without it. It catches many people out, because the other common eDistrict certificates don’t ask for it.

What Family ID Is

A 12-digit identification number for every household in Uttar Pradesh, under the state’s “One Family, One Identity” (Ek Parivar Ek Pahchan) programme, launched in February 2023 under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s government. eSathi uses it to confirm that the applicant’s family really lives in UP before processing the domicile certificate.

Do You Already Have One?

If your family has no ration card, register on the Family ID portal for a new 12-digit ID. This takes about 1-2 weeks.

How to Create a Family ID (if you need one)

  1. Open the portal

    Go to familyid.up.gov.in and choose New Registration (नया पंजीकरण).

  2. Verify the family head

    Enter the family head’s name and Aadhaar-linked mobile number, and verify with the OTP.

  3. Add every family member

    Add each member’s name, Aadhaar number and relationship to the head. Adult members need Aadhaar linked to their own mobile numbers for OTP verification.

  4. Upload documents

    Upload every member’s Aadhaar and residence proof, such as an electricity bill or voter ID.

  5. Review and submit

    Check the details and submit. You get a temporary Family ID by SMS; after verification (7-14 days), the permanent 12-digit Family ID is issued.

  6. Use it on eSathi

    Note or download the Family ID and enter it when you apply for the domicile certificate.

Documents Required

Mandatory for everyone:

  • Aadhaar card (e-KYC is mandatory)
  • Self-declaration form (signed, JPEG, under 100KB)
  • Ration card (address and family structure)
  • Family ID number (the ration card number for ration card holders, or your registered Family ID)
  • Passport-size photograph (JPEG, under 50KB)

Supporting documents that strengthen the application:

  • Voter ID registered at your UP address
  • Electricity or water bill in your or a family member’s name at the UP address
  • Property documents, or the Bhulekh khatauni showing land in UP
  • School or college records showing a UP address (10th marksheet, transfer certificate)
  • A birth certificate issued in UP

For students studying outside UP (claiming through parents):

  • Your parents’ domicile certificate or voter ID with a UP address
  • Your parents’ Aadhaar cards
  • Your own Aadhaar (it can show an out-of-state address; the Lekhpal verifies at your parents’ UP address)

How to Apply on eSathi — Step by Step

  1. Log in to eSathi

    Log in at esathi.up.gov.in.

  2. Choose the domicile certificate

    Click “आवेदन भरें”, choose “राजस्व विभाग” (Revenue Department) and then “निवास प्रमाण पत्र”.

  3. Choose the certificate type

    Choose Mool Niwas for government jobs, scholarships or state universities (for NEET UG, the bulletin names a domicile/Samanya Niwas certificate). Choose Samanya Niwas only if you need ordinary address proof for a purpose that doesn’t involve state quota or reservation.

  4. Enter your Family ID

    Enter your ration card number if your family has one, or your 12-digit Family ID from familyid.up.gov.in. The form won’t go further without it.

  5. Fill your personal details

    Name (exactly as on Aadhaar), father’s name, date of birth, gender and full address (district, tehsil, village or ward). The Lekhpal of your area (halka) verifies the application, in towns as well as villages, and the Tehsildar approves.

  6. Verify with Aadhaar OTP

    Complete the Aadhaar OTP check (mandatory).

  7. Upload documents

    Each file under 100KB, JPEG or PDF. The self-declaration must be a JPEG with the signature visible.

  8. Pay the fee

    ₹10-15 through PAYGOV (UPI, net banking or debit card).

  9. Submit and save your SRN

    Submit and note your Service Request Number (SRN). Track it as explained on the homepage.

What the Lekhpal Verifies for Domicile

Domicile verification is different from income or caste verification. The Lekhpal checks that you actually live at the stated address and that your family genuinely belongs in UP.

1You live at the address

The Lekhpal visits the address, and you or a family member must be there. If the house is locked on repeated visits, the application is flagged as “could not verify”.

2How long you've lived there

From voter registration (which elections), the electricity connection date, children’s school records and local knowledge. For permanent domicile, the expectation is a long-standing home, not a recent move.

3Property or tenancy

If the family owns the house or land, the Lekhpal checks UP Bhulekh records. If you rent, the landlord’s confirmation or a rent agreement helps. Government quarters are checked with the employer.

4Neighbours

The Lekhpal asks neighbours whether, and for how long, the family has lived there. In villages this is often already known; in towns, documents may count for more.

5Family ID match

The Family ID lists everyone in the household. The Lekhpal checks that its details (members, address) match the domicile application.

Where a Domicile Certificate Is Needed — The Impact Map

  • NEET state quota: 85% of seats in UP’s government medical and dental colleges are filled through state counselling, which checks UP eligibility; without it you compete only for the 15% All India Quota seats there, so a UP domicile gives you access to roughly 6 times as many seats in those colleges. If you passed 10th or 12th outside UP, state counselling checks for a domicile/Samanya Niwas certificate on the UP format at document verification; without it you can’t take a state-quota government seat. The 15% All India Quota is counselled by MCC and needs no domicile; candidates who passed both Class 10 and 12 in UP don’t need domicile for state-quota government seats, and private and minority colleges in UP state counselling don’t require it.
  • State government jobs: UPPSC PCS, UPSSSC (Lekhpal: the 2025-26 recruitment for 7,994 posts, Advt 02-Exam/2025, is still in progress), UP Police SI and Constable, and UP Judiciary ask for a UP domicile certificate at document verification. Central jobs (UPSC, SSC, Railways) generally don’t, though some posts with regional allocation may.
  • UP Scholarship: every applicant needs a domicile certificate, and the Saksham portal checks it against the eDistrict database. Like the income certificate, a missing or invalid one blocks the scholarship form.
  • State university admissions: UP state universities reserve seats for UP domicile students, and some private universities in UP give fee concessions to UP residents.
  • Government schemes: SSPY pension, ration cards, PMAY housing, Kanya Sumangala Yojana and other state schemes ask for proof of UP residence.

Validity — No Expiry, With Exceptions

A UP domicile certificate doesn’t expire on its own: officially, you don’t need to renew it.

But some notifications set their own rule. Certain UPPSC and UPSSSC notifications ask for a domicile certificate issued within a set period, for example “not older than 3 years”. NEET counselling needs a certificate valid at the time of counselling. Read the notification or counselling bulletin, and if it sets a freshness rule, get a new certificate even though your old one is still valid.

Practical advice: if your certificate is older than 5 years and you need it for an upcoming DV or NEET counselling, get a fresh one. It takes 7-15 working days and costs ₹10-15, which is cheap insurance against a freshness rule you discover at the last minute.

Common Rejection Reasons — 7 Problems and Fixes

1Family ID missing or invalid

The form needs a valid Family ID and won’t submit without one. Create one at familyid.up.gov.in first, or, if you have a ration card, enter the ration card number.

2Samanya Niwas chosen instead of Mool Niwas

A common mistake when rushing. Samanya Niwas may not be accepted for government jobs or scholarships that ask for permanent domicile. (For NEET UG this isn’t a problem: the bulletin itself names a domicile/Samanya Niwas certificate.) Apply again choosing Mool Niwas; there’s no waiting period.

3Self-declaration unsigned or wrong format

The self-declaration form must be signed and uploaded as a JPEG under 100KB. It’s the most common upload error on the portal.

4Aadhaar shows another state

A student in Kota or Delhi claiming domicile through parents may have an out-of-state Aadhaar address. That isn’t an automatic rejection, since the Lekhpal verifies at the parents’ UP address, but upload your parents’ Aadhaar and UP address proof too.

5Nobody at the address

The Lekhpal found the house locked. Make sure someone is there, and if you live outside UP, a parent must be at the UP address during verification.

6No residence proof

Only Aadhaar and a self-declaration, with no voter ID, electricity bill or property record. The self-declaration may technically be enough, but verification is much stronger with proof. Upload 2-3 extra residence documents.

7Recent arrival applying for Mool Niwas

If you moved to UP recently, you may not yet qualify for permanent domicile: the 15-year continuous-residence rule applies to Mool Niwas. With less than 15 years in UP, Samanya Niwas may be the only option; confirm your case at the tehsil.

Quick Reference

Detail Information
Certificate name (Hindi) निवास प्रमाण पत्र (Niwas Praman Patra)
Types Mool Niwas (permanent) / Samanya Niwas (ordinary residence)
Department Revenue Department, UP
Issued by Tehsildar
Apply on esathi.up.gov.in
Prerequisite UP Family ID (ration card number, or familyid.up.gov.in)
Fee (eSathi) ₹10-15
Fee (CSC) ₹30 + facilitation
Processing 7-15 working days (plus 1-2 weeks if you need a Family ID)
Field verification Lekhpal of your area (halka), in towns and villages; Tehsildar approves
Validity Doesn’t expire; some notifications want a recent certificate
NEET state quota 85% of seats in UP government colleges
Eligibility Born and living in UP, parents permanent UP residents, or 15+ years’ continuous residence (Mool Niwas)
Family ID coverage About 3.6 crore ration card families (~15 crore people)
Ration card = Family ID Yes, for ration card families
Scholarship check Saksham portal checks it against the eDistrict database
False declaration BNS 2023 Sections 236/237 (was IPC 199/200): up to 3 years, 7 in a judicial proceeding
Helpline 0522-2304706

Frequently asked questions

What is a domicile certificate in UP?

An official document (निवास प्रमाण पत्र) proving that you are a resident of Uttar Pradesh. The Tehsildar issues it through the eDistrict eSathi portal. Two types are described: Mool Niwas (permanent, for state jobs and scholarships) and Samanya Niwas (ordinary residence). For NEET UG, the UP bulletin names a "domicile/Samanya Niwas certificate". A Family ID is needed before you can apply.

What is the difference between Mool Niwas and Samanya Niwas?

Mool Niwas proves permanent residence in UP and is the one used for UPPSC, UPSSSC, UP Police, UP Scholarship and state university admissions. Samanya Niwas proves only where you live now and is used for general address proof. For NEET UG, the 2026 UP policy GO asks for a "डोमिसाइल/सामान्य निवास प्रमाण पत्र" (domicile/Samanya Niwas certificate) on the UP-prescribed format, and only if you passed 10th or 12th outside UP. Unless you only need address proof, choose Mool Niwas, and check which type your notification or counselling bulletin asks for.

Is a Family ID mandatory?

Yes, for a domicile application on eSathi. If your family has a UP ration card, the ration card number is your Family ID. If not, register at familyid.up.gov.in, which takes about 1-2 weeks, before applying for domicile.

How long does it take?

Usually 7-15 working days, mostly for the Lekhpal's field verification. Add 1-2 weeks if you first have to create a Family ID: about 3-4 weeks in all, so start early.

How long is it valid?

It doesn't expire on its own, but some recruitment notifications ask for a certificate issued within a set period (for example within the last 3 years). Read your notification, and if in doubt get a fresh one (₹10-15, 7-15 working days).

I'm studying in another state. Can I get a UP domicile certificate?

Yes, if your parents are permanent residents of UP. Apply with your parents' Aadhaar showing the UP address, your own Aadhaar, and your parents' domicile certificate or voter ID. The Lekhpal verifies at your parents' UP address, so an out-of-state address on your own Aadhaar is not by itself a reason for rejection. For NEET UG state-quota government seats you must be a native (मूल निवासी) of UP; if you passed 10th or 12th outside UP (in Kota, for example), you submit a domicile/Samanya Niwas certificate on the UP-prescribed format (2026 UP NEET UG policy GO).

Does a woman's domicile change when she marries?

Not automatically. A woman born in UP keeps her UP domicile until she actually acquires domicile in another state by settling there. She can keep her UP domicile for NEET state quota or government jobs even after marriage; the key factor is where she intends to live permanently. A woman who marries into a UP family and settles here can apply on the basis of her residence in UP. Check how the counselling bulletin or recruitment notification treats married women's domicile.

I moved to UP from another state. Can I get a domicile certificate?

Usually, after living in UP continuously for a qualifying period. For permanent (Mool Niwas) domicile, UP Revenue Department norms cited by eligibilitytools.in require 15 years of continuous residence; other guides cite 3 or 5 years. The period isn't stated in one official place, so confirm it at your tehsil. Supporting proof includes voter registration in UP over several elections, a long-standing electricity or water connection, property on Bhulekh or a long rent agreement, and your children's school records in UP.

Can I apply from outside UP?

Yes, the application is online. But the Lekhpal verifies in person at your UP address, so you or a family member must be there for the visit.

Will a Samanya Niwas certificate work for NEET state quota?

Yes. The UP NEET UG-2026 policy GO (1 September 2026) and brochure name the required document as a "डोमिसाइल/सामान्य निवास प्रमाण पत्र" (domicile/Samanya Niwas certificate) issued by a UP competent authority on the UP government's format. It's needed only if you passed High School or Intermediate (one or both) outside UP; if you passed both in UP, no certificate is needed. You must still be a native of UP for government-college seats. Private and minority colleges don't require it. Check each year's GO and brochure on upneet.gov.in.

My domicile application was rejected. Can I apply again?

Yes, straight away; there is no waiting period. Check the rejection reason on your eSathi dashboard, fix it (missing Family ID, wrong type, unsigned self-declaration…) and submit a new application with a new ₹10-15 fee.