After a death in Kerala, the family applies for a legal heirship certificate on e-District or at an Akshaya centre, and the Tahsildar issues it after a Village Officer enquiry and a Kerala Gazette notice. The notice stays open 30 working days for objections, and if nobody objects, the certificate is issued within 15 working days after that. The Kerala High Court held on 9 September 2026 that an heir living abroad may apply where they last lived in Kerala, and cannot be refused on that ground.

Every other revenue certificate on e-District's list has a time limit of 3 to 15 working days, while this one waits for the Gazette notice and the objection period first. Our advice is to apply as soon as you know a bank, the treasury or an office will ask for it. WillJini handles the application, including for heirs working in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman or Bahrain.

Where this page sits

For a death or a property in another state, how to apply for a legal heir certificate in India sets out each state's office and name.

Related guides:

• Legal heir certificate vs succession certificate
• Succession certificate for an NRI
• Inheritance assistance for NRIs
• Legal heir certificate service

What is a legal heirship certificate in Kerala?

A legal heirship certificate in Kerala certifies who the legal heirs of a deceased person are. The e-District Kerala portal lists it as Legal Heir Certificate, with the Malayalam name പിന്‍തുടര്‍ച്ചാവകാശ സർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റ് (pinthudarchavakasha certificate), and the Revenue Department Right to Service list calls it അനന്തരാവകാശ സർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റ് (anantharavakasha certificate).

The Tahsildar issues it from the Taluk office, for use inside and outside Kerala, after an enquiry through the Village Officer. The Land Revenue Commissionerate states that the Tahsildar applies the heirship rules of the deceased person's personal law. The statutory format is Form 6C, headed "LEGAL HEIRSHIP CERTIFICATE", which recites the Gazette notification. The digitally signed certificate carries a Certificate Number and a Security Code and is legally valid under the Information Technology Act, 2000. It is valid for life.

The certificate does not confer title to property, because title follows the law of succession or a will.

The portal also issues a Family Membership Certificate in Form 22C and a Relationship Certificate in Form 4C, but only Form 6C certifies who the legal heirs are. The Family Membership Certificate is issued by the Village Office for use in Kerala and by the Taluk office for use outside it, is valid for 3 years and certifies only that a person is related to the family members as stated.

When do you need a legal heirship certificate in Kerala?

The Kerala High Court lists the sale of property, bank accounts, shares or securities and pension among the uses of a legal heirship certificate. Akshaya adds the service and retirement benefits, family pension, insurance, gratuity and provident fund claims of a deceased employee. KSEB accepts it among other proofs for transferring an electricity connection. On a landholder's death, the Village Officer reports the heirs to the Tahsildar for the transfer of registry, known as pokkuvaravu.

How do you apply for a legal heirship certificate in Kerala?

Apply for a Kerala legal heirship certificate on the e-District portal, at an Akshaya centre, or on the paper form at the Village Office or the Taluk office. On the portal you create an account with your name, date of birth and Aadhaar number; the portal checks them against Aadhaar and sends an OTP. Then complete One Time Registration for the applicant, not for the person who died, and choose "Apply for a certificate". You can also apply for someone else from your own account.

The application uses the common application form, Form 1A, in English or Malayalam, and its Part II (G) covers legal heirship. Item 35 asks for every legal heirship claimant by name, gender, relationship, age, occupation and address. The form has one declaration and one signature line, for the applicant or a parent, guardian or authorised representative who states their relationship.

The official e-District document list asks for an Aadhaar card, an affidavit, a death certificate, an election ID card and a ration card. Only the ration card number is given, and it is checked against the civil supplies database. Where the person who died was a serving employee, Akshaya also asks for a service certificate from the head of their department. Kerala publishes no official affidavit format, so the affidavit is drafted for the family's case, and WillJini helps verify it along with the other papers.

What are the fees for a legal heirship certificate in Kerala?

On the e-District citizen portal, a Kerala legal heirship certificate costs Rs 15, paid online, plus bank or gateway charges. At an Akshaya centre the fee is Rs 25, made up of Rs 18 for Akshaya and Rs 7 for the Government, plus Rs 3 a page for scanning or printing. Priority ration-card holders pay Rs 20 there, and SC/ST families pay Rs 10 plus Rs 2 a page. The paper form carries a Rs 5 court fee stamp.

How to check legal heirship certificate status online in Kerala?

The e-District Track Application page shows the status of a Kerala legal heirship application without logging in: select CERTIFICATE SERVICES, choose Legal Heir as the certificate type and enter the application number.

If you are logged in, the Transaction History menu lists each application with its number and status, and e-District sends SMS updates to the registered mobile number.

Issued certificates stay in the e-District account for you to download later. To verify a printed certificate, use the e-District Certificate verification page, choose CERTIFICATE SERVICES, and enter the Certificate No. and the case-sensitive Security Code.

Can an heir living in the UAE apply for a legal heirship certificate in Kerala?

An heir who lives in the UAE can apply for a legal heir certificate in Kerala. Paragraph 213 of the Village Manual, as the High Court quoted it, lets people with roots in India who have taken another citizenship apply where they last lived, and the court read it as covering any applicant living outside India.

In Baby Kurian v. District Collector, Kottayam, on 9 September 2026, the Kerala High Court held that living abroad, and OCI status, is no ground to refuse an applicant, and directed the Tahsildar to consider the application within three months. In cases with no dispute, it also held that, until the State makes rules, Tahsildars may issue the certificate whatever the value involved, and found no rationale for the Village Manual's Rs 5 lakh figure.

On 6 October 2026, in Samantha Legg v. State of Kerala, the High Court directed a Village Officer who had refused to receive applications from two daughters living in London and Paris to accept them "either through their counsel or through the Power of attorney" and to act within 30 days.

An heir in the Gulf who is not the applicant does not sign the form: Form 1A has one signature line, for the applicant, and lists every claimant. The certificate issues only if nobody objects to the Kerala Gazette notice, so an heir abroad who disagrees can stop it, and the dispute then goes to the civil court. We recommend getting every heir to agree, including the heir abroad, before you file.

An heir in the UAE has an affidavit or other document for use in Kerala attested at an Indian Consular Application Centre. The UAE is not party to the Apostille Convention, so there is no apostille route from the UAE. Since 22 July 2026 the Embassy of India has routed attestation through Al Hind Tours and Travels, whose 12 centres from 22 October 2026 include Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Bur Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah. The heir books an appointment at consularsevainuae.com, brings the affidavit unsigned with a duplicate copy, attends in person with the original passport and signs before the consular officer, without going to the Embassy or Consulate premises. The attestation fee schedule 2026 lists AED 40 per attestation for a civil affidavit, or AED 80 if the consular officer drafts it; a document about the sale, transfer or gift of property is AED 80, or AED 155 if drafted, and the centre adds AED 19.

A Kerala certificate needed in the Gulf is attested in the other direction, through NORKA Roots, the Home Department, the Ministry of External Affairs and then the embassy of the Gulf country where it will be used, or an apostille instead where that country accepts one.

What happens if a legal heirship certificate application is rejected?

Under the Kerala State Right to Service Act, 2012, a written rejection of a legal heirship application may be appealed within 30 days to the Revenue Divisional Officer. If that fails, a second appeal can be made within 60 days to the District Collector.

When do you need a succession certificate in Kerala instead?

You need a succession certificate when the heirs dispute bank balances, shares or other debts and securities, or when a bank or company asks for one before releasing them. The certificate is the civil court's remedy for debts and securities under sections 370 to 374 of the Indian Succession Act, 1925. In Kerala the District Court can grant it, and a 1958 notification gave every Sub Court and Munsiff Court the same power, the Munsiff Court only within its money limit.

Under paragraph 236(1) of the Village Manual, as the High Court quoted it, the Tahsildar's certificate is accepted in place of a civil court succession certificate for a deceased government servant's dues, a pensioner's arrears and Treasury Savings Bank deposits.

Can a bank settle an account without a legal heir certificate in Kerala?

If an account has no nominee, the Reserve Bank's Responsible Business Conduct Directions for commercial banks, Chapter VII, Section E, which replaced its September 2025 directions on deceased customers' claims on 28 November 2025, let a commercial bank settle it on an independent person's declaration instead of a legal heir certificate, up to Rs 15 lakh, but only where there is no will, no contesting claim and no restraining order. Every heir who is not claiming must also give a disclaimer or no-objection letter, so this route is not a way around an heir abroad. A co-operative bank follows its own Reserve Bank directions.

Where an account carries a nomination or a survivorship clause, the bank may not insist on a succession certificate at any amount. Before applying for a certificate for a bank account, find out whether it has a nomination.

How does WillJini handle a legal heirship certificate in Kerala?

WillJini handles the Kerala application, including for a family member living in the Gulf, in the four steps its legal heir certificate service lists:

1. You share the details of the person who died and of the heirs.
2. WillJini helps gather and verify the death certificate and the heirs' identity proofs.
3. Its professionals file the application, online or offline.
4. The certificate is delivered to you once it is approved.

A WillJini lawyer calls you back within 24 hours.

FAQs

Who issues a legal heirship certificate in Kerala?

The Tahsildar issues the Kerala legal heirship certificate from the Taluk office, after a Village Officer enquiry and a Kerala Gazette notification.

What is the fee for a legal heirship certificate in Kerala?

The Kerala legal heirship certificate fee is Rs 15 on the e-District citizen portal. Akshaya centres charge Rs 25 plus Rs 3 a page for scanning or printing, and Rs 20 to priority ration-card holders.

How many days does it take to get a legal heir certificate in Kerala?

The e-District FAQ gives 30 working days for objections after the Kerala Gazette notification, then 15 working days to issue the certificate if nobody objects.

Are the Family Membership Certificate and Legal Heir Certificate the same in Kerala?

The Family Membership Certificate is Form 22C, issued by the Village Office for use in Kerala and valid for 3 years; the Legal Heir Certificate is Form 6C, a different document that identifies the legal heirs and is valid for life.

Where do you apply for a succession certificate in Kerala?

In Kerala, you apply for a succession certificate in the District Court, or in the Sub Court or Munsiff Court, of the area where the person who died ordinarily lived. The Munsiff Court takes cases within its money limit.

Can an NRI apply for a legal heir certificate in Kerala?

An NRI can apply where they last lived in Kerala, and the Kerala High Court held on 9 September 2026 that living abroad is no ground to refuse an applicant. Papers an heir signs in the UAE for use in Kerala are attested at an Indian Consular Application Centre.