Registering your will, or a parent's, at a Sub-Registrar's office in Mumbai enters it in Book 3, the register of wills under section 51(1) of the Registration Act 1908. After the testator's death, anyone who applies can get a copy of that entry signed and sealed by the registering officer, and under section 57(5) that copy is admissible to prove what the will said.

The appointment is booked online, through Public Data Entry and an e-Step-in slot, but the registration itself is done in person at any of the city's 24 Joint Sub-Registrar offices. The citizen's charter sets 30 minutes as the general time once the papers, the fee and both identifiers are present. You leave with your original will marked "registered", and the scan stays in Book 3. WillJini handles this for Mumbai families from its head office at 308 Orchid Plaza, Off S.V. Road, Borivali (W), Mumbai 400092.

Where this page sits

The government charges for registering, depositing and cancelling a will in Mumbai are set out in will registration charges in Mumbai. If you would rather have someone find the office and fix the appointment for you, that is WillJini's will registration service in Mumbai.

Related guides:

• What a registered will adds over an unregistered one
• Validity of a registered will in India
• Who can witness a will
• Will registration in Delhi

Where do you register a will in Mumbai?

Under section 40(1) of the Registration Act, you can take your will to any Registrar or Sub-Registrar in the city. You can use the office where you live, where you signed the will, or whichever office suits you.

The department's list of Mumbai offices names 24 Joint Sub-Registrar offices. In Mumbai City, office 1 is at the Old Custom House in Fort and offices 2 to 5 are in the MTNL Building on Hatiskar Marg, Adarsh Nagar, Worli. In Mumbai Suburban there are Andheri 1 to 6, Borivali 1 to 9 and Kurla 1 to 4, spread across Andheri West, Bandra Kurla Complex, Khar West, Jogeshwari, Goregaon, Borivali East and West, Kandivali West, Chembur and Nahur. Hours differ by office: the list shows 9.45 am to 5.30 pm, 7 am to 2 pm, and 2 pm to 9 pm for several offices. All of them close on Sundays and on the second and fourth Saturday of the month.

Can a will be registered online in Mumbai?

In Mumbai the booking can be done online and the registration is done at the office. You enter the details through Public Data Entry and reserve a slot through e-Step-in. The testator must attend the office in person. Under section 34(3) the Sub-Registrar satisfies himself of the identity of the people appearing before him, and under section 32A your passport size photograph and fingerprints are affixed to the document.

Maharashtra's fully online registration system takes only leave and licence agreements, so a will cannot be registered through it.

How do you book the appointment for will registration in Mumbai?

To register a will in Mumbai you first complete Public Data Entry and then book an e-Step-in slot on the department's token booking site. Choose a slot the testator and both identifiers can all attend, because the charter's 30 minutes assumes every identifier is present.

Step 1: Public Data Entry

Public Data Entry is mandatory before an appointment can be booked, so you enter the details of the will and the people involved before any slot is offered.

Step 2: The e-Step-in slot

The e-Step-in page lists three shifts: a morning shift from 7.30 am to 3.15 pm, a general shift from 9.45 am to 6.15 pm, and an evening shift from 1 pm to 8.45 pm. You pick the Joint Sub-Registrar office and a time within its shift. A booking can be rescheduled up to two times.

Step 3: The printed receipt, and arriving early

Print the receipt the system generates and carry the hard copy to the office. The e-Step-in page asks you to report to the Sub-Registrar's office 30 minutes before your reserved slot.

This booking is the part WillJini's team takes over. Its third published step reads: "We fix an appointment for you."

What do you take to the Sub-Registrar, and who comes with you?

Take the original will, and photo identity cards for yourself and for everyone coming with you as a witness or identifier.

Two witnesses watch you sign the will, and two identifiers, people who know you, come to the office with you to confirm who you are. Copies of your identity card and the two identifiers' cards are attached. The same two people can act as witnesses and as identifiers. Our guide on who can witness a will covers who is eligible. WillJini's own document list for this service also includes a fitness certificate by a doctor.

The registration fee is Rs 100 for a will presented open, under Article V of the state's fee table, plus a document handling charge of Rs 20 a page, paid in cash. The Rs 100 can be paid through the state's GRAS e-payment or in cash. Every other charge, including the sealed cover and cancellation, is on will registration charges in Mumbai.

What happens at the office, and how long does it take?

You admit before the Sub-Registrar that you signed the will. Under section 34(3) the officer enquires whether the document was executed by the person it names and checks the identity of everyone appearing, and under section 32A your photograph and fingerprints are affixed. The office then scans the will and endorses a certificate on it containing the word "registered" with the book and page number, as section 60(1) requires.

Section 61(2) says the document is then returned to the person who presented it. You get back the original will, a thumbnail print and a CD. The copy stays in Book 3.

The citizen's charter gives 30 minutes in general from presentation, with 10 more minutes for every additional 50 pages when a document runs past 50 pages. That time assumes all papers are complete, the fees are paid, and every executant and identifier is present.

If you want the office to hold the will itself, that is a separate deposit in a sealed cover under section 42, made in Mumbai with the Joint District Registrar, who keeps the cover in a fire-proof box under section 43(2). For Mumbai City that office is at the Old Custom House, Fort, and for Mumbai Suburban at the Family Court Building, Ground Floor, Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra (East). The deposit fees are on the charges page.

Can the Sub-Registrar come home to register a will?

Section 31 of the Registration Act lets the officer, "on special cause being shown", attend at the residence of a person who wants to present a document for registration or deposit a will. The charter's example is a testator who is seriously ill and cannot reach the office.

You apply in writing to the Sub-Registrar for a home visit. The application needs proof of urgency, such as a medical certificate showing how serious the illness is, and your consent to the visit being video recorded. The family provides the CD and pays for the recording. Within Municipal Corporation limits the visit fee is Rs 300, in cash, under Article XXII(1)(a) of the fee table. The charter's time limit is 3 days from the application, and the Sub-Registrar decides whether the reason is proper. The application format is on the department's website, under Forms and Downloads.

Is it compulsory to register a will in Mumbai?

Registration of a will is optional in Maharashtra. The department's note on wills says a will can be presented for registration at any time, at any Sub-Registrar's office. Registering adds the Book 3 entry and the signed and sealed copy described at the top of this page, and our guide to a registered will versus an unregistered will sets out the difference in court.

What does it look like when WillJini handles it?

WillJini's team handles will registration from the Borivali head office, and its published process has four steps:

1. Provide us with your location. You can begin the process by sharing your exact location for us to find the nearest sub-registrar's office.
2. Share with us the necessary documents. Includes copies of your Will, fitness certificate by doctor, and ID proofs of yourself and witnesses.
3. We fix an appointment for you. Through our strong network, we help set an appointment at the sub-registrar's office at your convenience.
4. Get your Registration done. Finally, visit the sub-registrar's office along with all original documents and 2 witnesses to complete the process.

FAQs

Can I register my will at any Sub-Registrar office in Mumbai?

A will can be presented to any Registrar or Sub-Registrar under section 40(1) of the Registration Act 1908. Maharashtra's registration department says to use the office where you live, where you signed, or whichever is convenient, and Mumbai has 24 Joint Sub-Registrar offices across the city and suburban districts.

Can a will be registered online in Maharashtra?

The appointment is booked online, through Public Data Entry and an e-Step-in slot. The registration is done in person, because under sections 34(3) and 32A the Sub-Registrar checks your identity and your photograph and fingerprints are affixed to the will. The state's fully online registration system takes only leave and licence agreements.

Do the witnesses have to come to the Sub-Registrar's office?

The people who must be at the office are two identifiers, who identify you to the Sub-Registrar and whose identity card copies are attached. Your two attesting witnesses can act as those identifiers, and WillJini's process has you bring the 2 witnesses to the office.

How long does will registration take in Mumbai?

Maharashtra's citizen's charter gives 30 minutes in general from presentation of the document, with 10 more minutes for every additional 50 pages beyond 50, provided the papers are complete, the fees are paid and every identifier is present.

Can a will be registered at home in Mumbai?

A testator who cannot reach the office, for example because of serious illness, can apply in writing to the Sub-Registrar for a home visit under section 31, with proof of urgency such as a medical certificate and consent to video recording. Within Municipal Corporation limits the fee is Rs 300 in cash, and the charter's time limit is 3 days from the application.

Does the Sub-Registrar keep my original will?

The office scans the will, endorses it as "registered" with the book and page number, and returns the original to you under section 61(2), while the copy stays in Book 3. Keeping the will itself is a separate sealed cover deposit with the Joint District Registrar.

Is registration of a will compulsory in Maharashtra?

Registration of a will is optional in Maharashtra, and the registration department says a will can be presented at any Sub-Registrar's office at any time. A registered will is entered in Book 3, and after the testator's death anyone who applies can get a signed and sealed copy that is admissible to prove its contents.